Quileute Nation sets Policies on Taping and Pictures

LAPUSH -- Ask before you snap.

The Quileute Tribal Council announced this week a new policy requiring that anyone who is not taking pictures solely for personal use must request permission from the council.

Even those snapping pictures or sketching artwork for personal use -- such as the Twilight fans who visit Forks and the Quileute reservation in nearby LaPush -- should ask the creator of the art for permission, the policy says.

According to the new policy, audio- and videotaping for personal use is not allowed at all by the council.

Commercial photography, sketching or drawing -- as well as video- and audiotaping -- are prohibited except by written permission of the council, the policy says.

Dancing and singing performances are not allowed to be photographed or taped.

"The modern Quileute tribe is charged with preserving and protecting the culture, traditions and natural resources handed down from our ancestors and which we will in turn hand down to our children," the policy said.

"As stewards of our culture, traditions and natural resources, we make this policy to ensure that the cultural rights of all Quileute people -- past, present and future -- are protected.

"The reason for this policy is to prevent misappropriation and misrepresentation of Quileute tribal culture," the policy says.

"The Quileute tribe, its people and its traditions can and have been misrepresented when images and sounds are taken and used without permission and understanding."

MSN.com offered a public apology to the Quileute tribe in January after shooting an unapproved video on the reservation.

The video included scenes of the cemetery and graves.

The video was posted Nov. 12 and was removed the same day.

The film crew shot images of the Tribal Council building, totem poles, First Beach, the Senior Center and the Quileute Cemetery.

The film was set to dark music and was filmed in an amateur documentary style.

For questions about commercial filming, photography or audio recording, phone Jackie Jacobs at 206-388-9200 or e-mail jj@ talentgroup.com.