The Noble Savage Analysis

There are two primary views of indigenous people by outsiders. One is that they are lazy, that the injustices they faced in the past are so long gone that any negative circumstances they face are brought about by internal as opposed to external factors. The second view, the noble savage view is nearly opposite in intention, but similarly problematic. It holds indigenous people in high regard but fails to see them as contemporary people in a modern world. Instead, they are seen as a part of the geological and ecological landscape, unchanging, and unaffected by modern life. It is clear that both of these views are problematic because they align completely with the two basic types of racism, the first being inequality, prejudice, and discrimination, …show more content…
The Noble Savage Myth is the belief that indigenous people are better than nonindigenous people because of their culture—or the outsider’s understanding of their culture rather—and more specifically for their perceived ability to live in peaceful coexistence with nature and outside of corrupting western influence (Kent, 1). In a way, the fascination surrounding the “Noble Savage,” is a form of orientalism, a term used to describe the way the Western world mystifies the East, seeing it and the people who live there as separate and “other” (Nair-Venugopal, 3). Popular culture about indigenous people portrays them as spiritual, attuned to nature, and living sustainably in harmony with the land. This belief may be rooted in truth, however it is largely perpetuated and exaggerated by the media. This glorification yet generalization of the relationships between indigenous people and their land shows that even seemingly benign stereotypes are problematic because they invalidate and ignore people who do not fit this stereotype, in this case the many indigenous people who do not fit this stereotype because they live modern lives in urban settings. “They see what they see on TV and think ‘that’s what Aboriginal people are’ and, if you don’t fit into that, you’re not Aboriginal” (Korff, …show more content…
Oliver asks us to reject the damaging beliefs that indigenous people are some how inferior to nonindigenous people and that indigenous people are somehow “other” than nonindigenous people because of their culture or their connection to the land. The solution he suggests is to actively engage with indigenous people to learn about their culture and dispel negative stereotypes. Oliver says, “if you stood by our sides and simply just talked and if some of the times in our footsteps you walked, then maybe you’d see… instead you read articles, switch on the news and somehow through media the lies become truth” (Oliver). “Open your mind because perception is a lie. Learn what it is not to see with your eyes”