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SeeingisBelieving.AnthropologicalVisionsofCulture
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weoncehad.Curtisphotographshadreflectedthatbelonginginaway,whichis
eventodayregardedashighlyesthetical.Hisphotographsareońenfoundandre-
producednowadaysinaformofpopularposters,t-shirtsoreventattoos.ForCur-
tishimselftheAmericanIndianwasthusanexcellentexampleofspecificproc-
esses,whichtackledallotherindigenousgroupsandcontributedtothevanishing
oftheircultureorsometimesphysicallytheIndiangroupsthemselvesduetowar,
starvationordiseasebroughtbythecolonizers.IndiansoftheSouthWestbecame
againsttheirwillasymbolicrecapitulationofthemostviolentsideof!9thcentury
Americanhistoryandoftheculturalcontactsbetweennativesandthewhites.
RisingdominanceoftheoccidentalviewwasrecapturedbytheAmericanpho-
tographerbyputtingtheIndiansintoimaginaryframesoftraditionalculture.For
Curtismakingpictureswassomehowremakinghistory,ortobemorespecific-
hisownviewofaveryparticularpast.Apast,whichhadmovedtheindigenous
discourseintotheareaofmadeupWildWestimageryandnotfacts.Anthropo-
logicalpicturetakinghasbeenquicklytransgressedintofictionalpicturemaking.
AninterestingaspectofthisapproachisrelatedtoCurtis’sownmethodofwork.It
isknown,thateverysingleevidenceofmodernizationoftheIndianswasremoved
fromtheframe,andhewasalsoknownforacarefulpreparationofthephotoset
andmakingallWesternartifacts(likeclocks,toolsorclothing)simplydisappear.
miskindoffalsificationofimagemightbehoweverconceptualizedinreference
totheideologybehindit.Hisoddlyunderstoodperfectionismwasatthesame
timeamoralpostulate.Heandsomeofhiscontemporarieswasconvincedofthe
importanceofrescuingthetraditionalIndianculturefromvanishing.meSiouxor
theNavajowerethemselvesanvanishingrace”andtheurgencyofcapturingpre-
ciousmomentsoftheirgenuineindigenousexistencewasasmuchimportantas
portrayingthosepeople’slifeintermsacceptableanddrivenfromtheearlyWest-
ernanthropologicaltheoriesofhumanculturaluniversalism.Asanefiectofthis,
Curtiswasreluctanttogointothespecificofaparticularexample,insteadmaking
generalconclusionsonallAmericanIndiansandexpressingtheidea,thatnallna-
tivepeopleswereahomogenousculture”(Kennedy,2001:4).
InthelightofCurtisworktheethnographicimagebecameatthattimean
objectofamoreorlessobviousmanipulation.Stagingscenesbyphotographers
andmoviemakersforabetterlookinfrontofcamerarequiredaninterventionin
thepictureitself.Two,mostknownexamplesofmanipulatingtheculturalreality,
arerelatedtomoviesbyLouisBuñuel,nLandwithoutbread”andRobertJ.Fla-
herty’snNanookoftheNorth”andnManofAran”
.mementionedmoviesareearly
20thcenturyattemptstoreflectnotquitestrictethnographicdata,buttoprovide
agenerallookonlocalEuropeanculturesandtheirfolkloreinanageofaspread-
ingmodernity.Wemayargueofcourse,thatneitherBuñuelnorFlahertywere
anthropologistsinastrictsenseoftheword.ButBuñuel,asurrealistfilmmaker,
