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The Washing of Tears.
Written and directed by Hugh Brody.
Grades 11 and Up / Ages 16 to Adult.
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THE MOWACHAHT INDIANS have lived at Yuquot, on the southern tip of Nootka Island, B.C., for over four thousand years. British explorer Captain Cook visited the island in 1778. He was followed by fur traders who renamed the native village Friendly Cove. Spanish adventurers later visited the island and planned to use it for the centre of a new empire of the north west.
The theme of
The Washing of Tears is the near loss of the traditional
native way of life after the arrival of Europeans in North America, and
the recent rebirth of native culture. The video combines interviews with
natives about their loss with breath-taking shots of the ocean, footage
of whales sounding, and old photos of native whalers. There is no clear
explanation for the problems (illness, depression, alcoholism) that some
natives now face despite the renaissance of native
culture.
The lengthy
scenes of natives speaking about their problems are frankly boring. They
cover ground that newspapers, magazines, and other videos have been
discussing for years, and do not add anything to the larger population's
understanding of native issues.
The Washing
of Tears stresses the importance of native culture and traditions
to the peoples of the west coast. Scenes of natives dancing and
discussing their culture illustrate this point. The implication is that
without the renewed interest in native traditions, the Mowachaht would be
lost in the modern world, in the hustle and bustle of towns and cities.
Even with their culture to support them, however, there is a sense that
they have suffered a great loss.
The direction is
weak, however. Scenes change quickly without any explanation. For
example, at one point the viewer is suddenly in New York, and only
gradually realizes that the Friendly Cove natives have left Canada --
though there is no clear reason for this, until one sees them examining
artifacts in a museum, artifacts that presumably came from the west
coast.
The tape would
have benefitted greatly from an introduction. Since there is none, the
frustrated viewer must make assumptions and guesses. Without the brief
cover notes, The Washing of Tears would appear to be a
haphazard look at one small group of North American natives and how
Europeans changed their society. In all the video adds little to our
understanding of Canada's natives, their culture, or their problems.
Recommended with reservations.
Tom Chambers is a professor at Canadore College in North Bay Ontario.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cmeditor@mts.net.
Copyright © 1996 the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364