Ed- Tiger?
-Don Subject: [ENTS] More on Avatar and environmental heroes Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2010 17:06:16 -0500 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] I have been following the discussion about Avatar with considerable interest. There is quite a range of opinions [but this is a good thing]. I have to admit that the plot almost seems like a rip-off of “Dances With Wolves”; a friend of mine made a reference to the film being similar to Pocahontas. In spite of this I’m still very fascinated and enthralled by the story. There were some references made on the list to Sigourney Weaver’s role as the scientist. If you want to follow through on this thread, there are any number of ethical questions that can be discussed. Was it right to create an Avatar in the first place? Now that you have created it, what is its purpose? It may have been done with good intentions, but, as the story evolves, those good intentions were hijacked. And after you have studied a culture, a people, a society, etc. what right do you have to make any changes to that culture? What precautions to do take to keep change from mushrooming into something ugly? Some of the right-wing reviewers were cautioning people about the “hidden messages” of the film: it is anti-war, anti-imperialism, anti-corporation, anti-consumerism, pro-environment, etc. I don’t think these messages are hidden. I think they’re quite obvious. If you walk out of the theater and can talk about nothing other than the computer animation, special effects and the “exotic” love story, you have missed a big chunk of the film. When the military commander tells Jake Sulley that he has been given “corporate approval” for Jake’s new legs, isn’t this a statement as to how we treat our injured veterans, whether it is in mind or body? I love Jake’s line when he realizes he is on the wrong mission: “They are not going to trade what they have for lite beer and a pair of blue jeans”. To protect the Na’vi, Jake realizes that he needs to protect the environment and that brought to my mind other environmental heroes. Here are three that I would like to mention. The first in Dian Fossey (1932-1985). Fossey was a leading researcher in the field of primates focusing her work on the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. She was killed by unknown assailants and the case (technically) is still open. Sigourney Weaver played Fossey in the film Gorillas in the Mist (Is there a hidden message here?). The second is Dorothy Mae Stang (1931-2005). Stang was an American-born, Brazilian sister of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur order. She was murdered in Anapu, a city in the Amazon basin of Brazil. Stang was a fearless advocate for both the poor and the environment. Arrests have been made, people have been sentenced, but the outcome is still pending. There was a documentary film made of her life entitled “They Killed Sister Dorothy” narrated by Martin Sheen. My third environmental hero is Julia Butterfly Hill (1974- ). Hill stayed in a redwood tree for named “Luna” for a remarkable 738 days in order to keep it from being cut down. Fortunately, she is still among the living. One other person I would like to mention is William McIntosh (1775-1825) also known as McIntosh of the Creeks. I don’t know if he was an environmental advocate as such, but he was an unusual example of a multi-racial person who went “native”. McIntosh was the offspring of a British officer and a Creek woman. His father took off very early and didn’t leave a forwarding address. Since his mother was of Creek blood, he was readily accepted into the tribe and became an important chieftain. BTW, you can read bios of all these people in Wikipedia. So I would like to start a thread on environmental heroes. Who would you nominate for our “Environmental Hall of Fame” and how do we make these people as well know to the American public as Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods and the latest winner on American Idol? Ed Nizalowski Newark Valley, NY -- Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141665/direct/01/ -- Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected]
