Essay Final Draft

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Avatar Position Essay

Brett Rider

Introduction

The Na’vi in Avatar were treated similar to the way first nations people in North America were treated when the Europeans first arrived in North America.  In my paper I will talk about the significance of cultural contact, colonialism, ethnocentrism, and marginalization and how it was represented in the movie Avatar. 

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Cultural Contact

The way the Sky People interact with the Na’vi when they first get to Pandora was similar to the way the Europeans and First Nations people of North America interacted.  The Sky People are only there to get the resources, so they try to push the Na’vi away. 

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Ethnocentrism (White Man’s Burden)

The movie Avatar shows a lot of evidence of ethnocentrism.  The Sky People think they are better and are just there to get the resources.  White Man’s Burden is another example of ethnocentrism.  The Europeans thought that they needed to take care of the First Nations.  One way they did this was by having residential schools for natives.  They also did this in Avatar.  The Sky People think they are helping the Na’vi by doing this but really they aren’t. 

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Colonialism and Marginalization