Paynter, Francis 1992 Still Life for Woodpecker. Oley, PA: Bullfrog Films. Notes: VHS, color, 28 mins. ISBN: 1560294485. More information:
	Reviewed 08 Jun 2005 by: Raymond A. Bucko <bucko@creighton.edu> Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
	Medium:	Film/Video
	Subject Keywords:	Forest ecology Old growth forests - United States Forest conservation Woodpeckers

ABSTRACT:    Using a Ktunaxa (Kootenay) creation myth to introduce the ecological relationship between healthy old growth forests in British Columbia and the survival of the pileated woodpecker, this film continues a long-honored tradition of associating Native peoples with ecology and nature.

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     Still Life for Woodpecker begins with an ancient native myth‚ in a First Nation language that I assume is Ktunaxa (sometimes spelled as Kookenai or Kootenay), a voice continues the narrative in English, telling the story of the creation of the world. Animals and birds come together and decide to create humans. The pileated woodpecker, the flicker and the sapsucker are sent to look after the humans, making sure that they have a suitable environment for their survival. The film turns on the symbol of the pileated woodpecker, a species that itself indicates a healthy forest ecology. The film then explains the ecological connectedness within old growth forests, commenting on life of the woodpecker, the destruction of its habitat, and attempts to restore the health of the forest and protect this beautiful species.

     Those interested in Native American culture might be disappointed that no Native people appear in the film (beyond the voice). There is no description of Ktunaxa culture, past or present, nor any Native political, religious or economic contexts. The images are of the forest itself, its destruction by machinery, and the two non-Native people who are working to preserve the woodpeckers‚ÇÖ and their environment. The story is beautifully filmed, and the narrative is engaging - albeit a bit simplistic.

     What is interesting about the film is its potential as a subject for an anthropological content analysis. High school and college students who are interested in culture rather than nature might find the contextualizations made by the film director and writers a telling bit of Western cultural projection onto the canvas of Native Americans. Note that the appeal for ecological sanity in this film is made through a Native myth, in accordance with the notion of a mystical connection between ecology and Native peoples; this connection was made very early in Native-White encounters and continues to the present. Native peoples are assumed to be part of the natural world, unlike White cultures. Students might well be urged to look closely at that assumption by considering clashes between Native peoples and the larger ecological movement, particularly over such volatile issues as Makah whale hunts and Inuit seal hunting.

     Bullfrog‚ÇÖs website mentions that the film has a study guide however there is no link to such a guide and the review film did not come with a guide. Recommended by the filmmaker for ages 5 to adult.

     The Ktunaxa Tribe lives in British Columbia. Kootenai within the United States belong to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Their ancestral territory included areas of Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Washington, and Montana. Most scholars classify the Kootenai language as an isolate while Sapir and Haas maintain the language is related to both Algonkian and Salishan stocks. The film also provides an entrȨe for a discussion of Native languages and their importance. The film pointedly tells the story first in a Native language.

     Bullfrog has produced a second ecologically orientated film, River Spirits, filmed in the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy of British Columbia that introduces another part of the Ktunakxa creation myth, the story of Yawo'neck (Yawu?nik).

     Notes:

     Ktunaxa Tribe web site: http://www.ktunaxa.org/

     Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes web site: http://www.cskt.org/

     Details about the film River Spirits: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/228.html

     Details about the Yawo'neck creation myth:http://www.ktunaxa.org/who/creation.html>http://www.ktunaxa.org/who/creation.html

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To cite this review, the American Anthropological Association recommends the following style:

Bucko, Raymond A.
2005 Review of Still Life for Woodpecker. Anthropology Review Database. June 08. Electronic document, http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/cgi/showme.cgi?keycode=1052, accessed February 9, 2010.

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(available online: http://wings.buffalo.edu/ARD/)