Photographer Aaron Huey, who you will learn more about in the coming
days, described the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota as the
“ground zero of U.S.-Indian relations.” In this project, your team will create
a visual essay about life, history, and culture on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation. Drawing from resources found mainly in a special issue on the
Lakota people in National Geographic
and in the archives of photographer Aaron Huey, your visual essay will explore
a specific aspect of the Lakota experience in the contemporary United States.
Following a structure outlined below, your visual essay will
incorporate key photographs, Camera Eyes, found poetry, and a protagonist from
Pine Ridge.
Each team will
present its visual essay in class on Tuesday, April 8th. Everyone
must speak during the 8 minute presentation. There will be some time after each
presentation for the other groups to ask questions. Each team is required to meet outside of class before the presentation.
Activity:
Ø FOR CLASS ON TUESDAY 4/1. In preparation,
please make sure you have completed the following list:
o
Read Alexandra Fuller, “In the Shadow of Wounded Knee.”
o
Read two brief NY
Times articles on Huey’s Pine Ridge project.
“Behind the Scenes: Still Wounded.” Go
to: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/behind-22/
“Photographing, and Listening to, the Lakota” Go to:
o
Review Aaron Huey’s Pine Ridge photographs. There are 155
photos; review most of them. What are your top 5? Why? Free write in
anticipation of team brainstorming.
Go
to: http://www.aaronhuey.com/. CLICK on top
tab on left, “National Geographic Magazine: Pine Ridge.” Review the slide show
of 155 photos at bottom of page.
o
Listen to stories from the Lakota people. These stories
are located on the National Geographic
site, where you found the Fuller article above.
Go to: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/08/pine-ridge/fuller-text. On the
horizontal menu bar, look for Community
Storytelling Project and Podcast:
Behind the Words.
First CLICK on Community Storytelling Project. Read the project description by
Huey and then dive into the collection. You won’t be able to read or listen to
all of them; you’re looking for compelling individuals and stories that might
become part of your visual essay.
Next CLICK on Podcast: Behind the Words. These audio podcasts offer fascinating
insight into the personal stories behind Huey’s photography. Is one of your
selected photographs represented here?
Ø FOR CLASS ON 4/1 AND 4/3. Begin
brainstorming with your team.
o
Schedule meeting time outside of class.
o
Share your thoughts about your research into the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation. Is there a possible theme that emerged in your
reading, viewing, and listening?
o
A representative individual—a main character, if you
will—is an essential piece of the visual essay. Discuss possible candidates who
you learned about during the course of your research. This individual will
ultimately reflect the theme of the presentation.
Ø STRUCTURE: Your visual essay must incorporate the
following narrative devices in numerical order:
1. Essay begins with a Newsreel in
the spirit of Dos Passos and Packer.
2. Followed by a brief, engaging opening
statement about your selected theme. (You might show how parts of Newsreel
define theme.)
3. Incorporate 2-4 photographs from
the Aaron Huey archive. These photos are not merely “eye candy.” Teach us to
see how the details in the photos illuminate your specific theme.
4. Introduce the main character in
your visual essay.
5. Followed by 1 photograph
accompanied by a Camera Eye written in the voice of the representative
individual.
6. Followed by a photograph
accompanied by a Found Poem constructed out of the actual words of your main
character
7. A gripping conclusion. What have
you learned? What else would you like to know?
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