Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

IV. Ethics
the only thing one can do is admire the
and
It does not, for example, suggest that
memory.
is a perpetrator to this passing, or an idea
there
justice, though maybe there is something
of
about how Indigenous communities are
criminal
off their lands. What is causing the
persecuted
away” that Nelson references? Is this
“passing
inevitable?
passing
International has been a fierce critic of
Survival
project, and has assembled an impressive list
the
objectors featured on its website, among them
of
of Indigenous communities around the
leaders
terms: Survival
Search
Jimmy Nelson’s
International
the critics is Nixiwaka Yawanawá, from
Among
Amazonian Yawanawá tribe in Brazil.
the
outrageous! We are not passing away but
It’s
to survive. Industrialized society is trying
struggling
destroy us in the name of ‘progress’, but we will
to
defending our lands and contributing to the
keep
tribal leader Benny Wenda made similar
Papuan
comments.
spokesperson Davi Kopenawa
Yanomami
to Nelson’s project as follows.
reacted
is not true that Indigenous peoples are about to die
It
We will be around for a long time, ghting for our
out.
living in this world and continuing to create
land,
children. our
Corry, director of Survival International,
Stephen
made the following similar argument.
has
reality, many minority peoples, especially
In
ones, are not ‘disappearing’: they are being
tribal
through ‘our’ illegal theft of their land and
disappeared,
… we are simply turning our usual blind eye.
resources.
critics’ perspectives are not told through
These
photographs, captions or descriptions in
the
They Pass Away”. Nelson responds that
“Before
is not an anthropologist or sociologist, that he
he
wants to take good photographs of beautiful
just
With the important political implications
people.
his work, and the politicization of Indigenous
of
minority issues in general, good intentions
and
not enough. In Chapter 10 we examine the
are
of Sharbat Gula, photographed as Afghan
case
by National Geographic photographer Steve
Girl
McCurry.
McCurry and Nelson appear to have had
Both
intentions, yet both have been criticized by
good
on behalf of minority groups. Both episodes
and
our curiosity about how identity, privilege,
invite
and aesthetics intersect in our present
culture
moment.
political
5
(Corry 2014)
world and prominent photographers.
Before they pass away
protection of the planet.
(Yawanawá 2014)
people are still strong and we ght for our freedom.
My
are not ‘passing away’, we are being killed … .
We
(Wenda 2014)
Figure 5.5
Nixiwaka Yawanawá, protesting against the exhibition
(Kopenawa 2014)
of Nelson’s work at London’s Atlas Gallery, wearing ceremonial
headdress along with Western casual wear, no less or more
“authentic” than Nelson’s representations
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