Swift Water Place

Gr 9 Up—This brief documentary profiles archaeologist Douglas Anderson of Brown University. He has spent years on an Iñupiaq research site in northwest Alaska, where he and his team have discovered underground houses connected by tunnels. When human remains are found, work on the federally owned site must be stopped while permissions are obtained from the National Park Service and the living descendants of the Iñupiaq. While this film claims to be about this tribe, and it does prominently feature many Native people and showcase their culture, the overall focus, and praise, is bestowed on Dr. Anderson. The tension of whether the archaeological dig can continue after the discovery of the remains is quickly resolved, and thus what remains is a meandering look at a specific field site. A lot of information about best archaeological practices and Iñupiaq culture is shared, but it goes by quickly and often without full comment or explanation. The film waffles between being about Alaskan Native culture and archaeology field work.