Avatar: the way of cultural appropriation and the white man’s burden

After mesmerizing audiences with its intricate lore and beautiful scenery, watchers worldwide have anticipated when they would get to return to the lush world of Pandora. Luckily, viewers would not have to wait long with the latest release of “Avatar: The Ways of the Water.”

The latest installment in the franchise follows the story of Jake Sully and his wife, Princess Neytiri, from the original 2009 film.

Jake finds himself as the new chief of the Omaticaya clan after fighting off Colonel Miles Quaritch and his forces from assuming control of the people of Pandora and its natural habitat.

Although the Avatar franchise has had one of the most successful runs in box office history, the latest installment initially seemed to have fallen short of its expected revenue. 

This could be because the latest addition to the franchise has been placed under a new light of criticism that wasn’t acknowledged as considerably as when the film premiered in 2009.

Many indigenous individuals have stepped forward to critique this movie on multiple issues, such as cultural appropriation, lack of indigenous representation, and romanticization of colonial and white savior tropes.

Although James Cameron draws inspiration for the Na’vi people from real indigenous tribes, many have stepped forward and called out the film director for cultural appropriation.

Many have noted that James Cameron brings together contrasting elements from various indigenous cultures, and has created his version of what he believes indigenous culture is. 

Not only does this invalidate many different tribes, but it also erases these tribes’ identities and generalizes them for audiences.

James Cameron has taken it upon himself to compress a vast and complex culture into what he thinks it is, which is merely a crumb compared to what indigenous culture truly is. 

Although this story has been heavily inspired by indigenous communities, the cast itself is made up of a majority of white actors. Not only does this film appropriate indigenous culture, but it also lacks indigenous representation. 

One of the film’s most extensive critiques has been how the movie itself is nothing more than romanticized colonialism that plays on tropes such as the white savior complex.

The main character, Jake Sully, is a human inhabiting the body of a Na’vi person who has been assigned the responsibility of bringing peace and safety to the Na’vi.

With this mere descriptor, one can immediately start drawing similarities between this portrayal of Jake Sully and the white savior complex, and how this film has also drawn inspiration from the conflicts between European settlers and Native American people during the colonial period.

Many indigenous individuals have spoken up on how watching this movie would be like watching one of the most heart-aching depictions of their culture’s history. Indigenous creators are also banding together to encourage audiences to support indigenous representation, whether it be through actors or creators.

Many are calling upon the world of Hollywood to learn from this sequel’s mistakes, and grow past this depiction of indigenous culture that plays on colonial and white savior tropes and romanticizes a very dark and cruel history.

By growing past these issues through proper acknowledgment and positive changes, the film industry can offer so much more to communities who have been wrongly depicted.