An American elementary school program from the 1970s, Man: A
Course of Study (MACOS), looked to the Inuit of the Canadian
Arctic to help students see their own society in a new way. At
its core was The Netsilik Film Series, an acclaimed benchmark of
visual anthropology from the National Film Board that captured a
year in the life of an Inuit family, reconstructing an ancient
culture on the cusp of contact with the outside world. But the
graphic images of the Netsilik people created a clash of values
that tore rifts in communities across the U.S. and revealed a
fragile relationship between politics and education. A fiery
national debate ensued between academic and conservative forces.
Through These Eyes looks back at the high stakes of this
controversial curriculum. Decades later, as American influence
continues to affect cultures worldwide, the story of MACOS
resonates strongly.