navajo talking picture indigenous films Series Editors David Delgado Shorter Randolph Lewis Navajo Talking Picture: Cinema on Native Ground randolph lewis University of Nebraska Press | Lincoln and London © 2012 by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska Portions of chapter 4 previously appeared as “Questionable Intent: Documentary Cinema and the Authorial Fallacy,” Studies in Documentary Film 2, no. 3 (2007). Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lewis, Randolph, 1966– Navajo talking picture : cinema on native ground / Randolph Lewis. p. cm. — (Indigenous films) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-8032-3841-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Navajo Indians—Social life and cus- toms. 2. Navajo talking picture (Motion picture) 3. Bowman, Arlene—Criticism and interpretation. 4. Ethnographic films. I. Title. e99.n3l633 2012 791.43'6552—dc23 2011048149 Set in Minion by Kim Essman. Designed by Nathan Putens. Everything comes down, in the final analysis, to taking account of the relations of light which, from the point of view of knowledge, should perhaps be considered in its very simplest ideals. Andre Breton, L’Amour Fou Are there limits — of respect, piety, pathos — that should not be crossed, even to leave a record? Ruth Behar, The Vulnerable Observer contents List of Illustrations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. viii Acknowledgments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ix Series Editor’s Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. xiii Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. xvii 1. A Brief History of Celluloid Navajos .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 2. Navajo Filmmaker .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 3. Reaction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 72 4. Intent .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 88 5. Ethics .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 105 6. Native Ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 7. Final Thoughts .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 161 Navajo Talking Picture Production and Distribution Information .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 175 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Further Reading .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 209 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 illustrations 1. Navajo Bed and Breakfast .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 2. Ann Ruth Biah slaughters a sheep .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 57 3. Ann Ruth Biah at the general store .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 59 4. Ann Ruth Biah preparing a meal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 5. Bowman confronts the university bureaucracy .. .. .. .. 61 6. Bowman drives from LA to the Navajo reservation .. .. 62 7. Bowman looks for a Navajo translator .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 63 8. Bowman shakes hands with her grandmother .. .. .. .. 64 9. Bowman shows herself at work on the film .. .. .. .. .. 65 10. Frustration in the editing room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 11. Bowman captures a sheep at last .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 68 12. Bowman, her grandmother, and her cousin Emerson .. 69 13. A worried Bowman leaves Biah’s house with her crew .. 70 14. Bowman with Graffiti poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 viii acknowledgments I have several institutional debts of gratitude going back to 2003. I began thinking about this subject during a year as a research associate at the School of Advanced Research in Santa Fe, where my partner, Circe Sturm, was a resident scholar. During this year I came across some of the sharpest minds that I’ve ever met: Law- rence Cohen, James Faris, Rebecca Allahyari, Bill Anthes, Gerald Vizenor, James Brooks, Cam Cox, Jessica Cattelino, and Kehaulani Kauanui, the last of whom was a special source of encouragement and insight from which I continue to benefit. I am very thankful for that unpaid but immensely valuable time at sar, where I wrote much of my book on Alanis Obomsawin and began thinking about a southwestern counterpart. I was also lucky to have space to develop this project while at the University of Oklahoma, where the Honors College provided research funds and much-needed time to write. I am grateful to President David L. Boren for creating the conditions for my aca- demic labor between 2001 and 2009. On a more intangible level, colleagues such as Julia Ehrhardt, Ralph Beliveau, Karl Offen, Andy Horton, Marcia Chatelain, Carolyn Morgan, and Jane Park sustained my mind and spirit during this period. Lastly, when I moved to the remarkable Department of American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009, I was fortunate to have Steve Hoelscher as my colleague and chair. Not only is he an accomplished scholar of Native American photography, but he also secured a precious 1-1 teaching load for my first year. This time was essential in getting me to the finish line of a tricky project. Along with other colleagues inside and outside of American stud- ies at ut-Austin, he has greatly enlivened my sense of intellectual community. I would also like to thank the Australian film scholar Deane Williams, editor of Studies in Documentary Film, for kind permis- sion to reprint much of chapter 4. I also benefitted from the work of Leighton Peterson, Bennie Klain, Nanobah Becker, and other ix