Indian Comics Irregular #102

Disney, the company that gave us "Pocahontas," has produced another
Native-oriented movie: "Brother Bear." Here's what critic Roger
Ebert said about it (Daily Times, 10/31/03):

Three Indian brothers have their destiny transformed when one is
killed by a bear, another is changed into a bear, and the third
mistakenly targets his bear-brother for vengeance. Children and
their parents are likely to relate on completely different levels,
the adults connecting with the artistry and the transfer of souls
from man to beast, while the kids are excited by the adventure
stuff. Sweet and good-looking, but lacking the zowie factor of
"The Lion King" or "Finding Nemo."

The critics largely agreed, but they didn't address whether "Brother
Bear's" Natives seemed authentic or stereotypical. Luckily, that's
what we're here for. Let's see what's good and bad about this movie:

Good: The opening narrator, an elder version of the middle brother,
speaks Inuit or a similar language.

Good: Tanana, the tribe's "shaman" and apparent leader, is an old
woman, suggesting the prominent role of elders and women in many
tribes.

Good: All the tribal members look like Inuit-style Natives, yet also
like distinct individuals. In particular, the three brothers--Sitka,
Denahi, and Kenai--look and act differently. The viewer has no
trouble distinguishing them.

Good: The three brothers joke, play, and roughhouse like any brothers
might. They're just what we'd consider normal, not stereotypical.
They don't speak stoically, commune with nature, or hunt like hit men.

Good: The cultural trappings--fur-lined clothing, kayaks, nets,
spears, cave paintings--all seem authentic or appropriate. There are
no tipis or chiefs in headdresses here. You might think this would be
obvious, but how many thousands of movies, TV shows, books, and comic
books have gotten such things wrong?

Bad: The Natives' religion is grossly oversimplified. There are no
named gods, only the unnamed "Great Spirits."

Bad: In this movie's conceit, each tribal member gets his or her own
animal "totem" in a coming-of-age ceremony. This is more an Anglo,
New Age version of Native religion than an authentic one.

Bad: Kenai is upset to receive the "bear of love" as his totem.
Incredibly, in this land of bears, the bear isn't an animal to admire
and emulate.

Bad: When a bear eats his fish, Kenai attacks it with rocks.
Provoked, the bear understandably fights back. Kenai's brothers come
to his aid, and Sitka sacrifices himself to save his siblings.

But the bear survives, and Kenai vows revenge. This flies in the face
of the typical Native view of animals as fellow beings. The bear
didn't do anything wrong until Kenai provoked it. It didn't kill
Sitka; Sitka chose to die.

Despite the bland Native religion and muddled message, the gorgeous
animation and engaging characters make "Brother Bear" a winner. The
competition is thin, but it may be the year's best Native-themed
movie. Rob's rating: 8.0 of 10.

For more criticism of "Brother Bear"--much more--go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/brobear.htm.

Artist on Board

A new artist, Amin Amat, is taking the reins of PEACE PARTY. He's a
graphic designer and comic-book illustrator who apprenticed with the
renowned Klaus Janson. You can learn more about Amin at
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/biograph.htm and see samples of his work
at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pp4sneak.htm. We look forward to
great things from him.

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics