tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post5800422161822358211..comments2024-02-10T18:19:36.406-08:00Comments on Newspaper Rock: Noble savages in AvatarRobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01478763837213733775noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-15623296099291803642010-09-26T06:41:39.508-07:002010-09-26T06:41:39.508-07:00My comments could apply to any indigenous tribe on...My comments could apply to any indigenous tribe on Earth or another world, Anonymous. They're not just about Native Americans.<br /><br />The "it's just a movie" argument is weak to the point of nonexistence. If you don't think movies influence our perception of Native people, you don't know what you're talking about.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01478763837213733775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-55750247268185907892010-09-26T06:36:38.195-07:002010-09-26T06:36:38.195-07:00From what I've read, Cameron doesn't know ...From what I've read, Cameron doesn't know much about Indians. I'm guessing he doesn't know anything about Tecumseh, Blue Jacket, or the Shawnee.<br /><br />But people have called <i>Avatar</i> "<i>Dances with Wolves</i> in space" and "<i>Pocahontas</i> in space." "Shawnees in space" is kind of the same idea.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01478763837213733775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-89469408239374918152009-12-26T14:21:24.481-08:002009-12-26T14:21:24.481-08:00I came across your post when searching the web for...I came across your post when searching the web for correlations between the Tecumseh story and Avatar. On first viewing, it seems as if Cameron has combined the myth of the Shawnee chief Blue Jacket (where a white man joined the Shawnee and became one of their greatest war chiefs--a myth that has since been proved just that by DNA evidence) and the story of Tecumseh (the signs to the appointed one, the event that proves his appointment and the gathering of the tribes for collaborative warfare against a common enemy. The only difference between these stories and Avatar is Avatar is in space and in the end, the indigenous people have some help the Shawnee didn't have. <br /><br />The movie is visually amazing--I have to give it that, but I'm already thinking of it as "Shawnees in Space." I'm really surprised noone has called him out on this yet.The Queen of the Wild Frontierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07127405122550536607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-9855289755039141452009-12-25T21:07:00.888-08:002009-12-25T21:07:00.888-08:00"Rob, you'd think a white guy co-opting a..."Rob, you'd think a white guy co-opting an "other" culture to feel better about himself would be a subject close to your heart."<br /><br />I go look for those photos of Rob in an eagle-feather head-dress attending pow-wows under his other name "Wise Hawk".dmarkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07269773990064736457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-25526472979363400152009-12-23T17:52:54.119-08:002009-12-23T17:52:54.119-08:00Rob, you'd think a white guy co-opting an &quo...Rob, you'd think a white guy co-opting an "other" culture to feel better about himself would be a subject close to your heart.<br /><br />Also it's a fictional science fiction cartoon. It doesn't have to line up exactly with every nuanced detail of the Europeans' colonization of the Americas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-33743047371609831842009-12-22T21:30:23.499-08:002009-12-22T21:30:23.499-08:00Rob, I came straight here to see what your take on...Rob, I came straight here to see what your take on Avatar had been after getting back home from seeing the movie. Arrgh. Points well made, similar to my initial take. I'll give it a little thought and post myself, with a link here.DB Dowdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15883323769581256192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29769707.post-37837948012576645102009-12-22T13:38:21.631-08:002009-12-22T13:38:21.631-08:00"Ferngully" was pretty bad: I can't ..."Ferngully" was pretty bad: I can't imagine anyone would be thinking that there would be a wave of nostalgia for it.<br /><br />Yes, the "savages" (the word is used a lot!) are noble. There's no bad-guy Na'vi. Not even anything like the pure evil Pawnee of "Dances With Wolves". There's conflict among them, and opposing Na'vi characters at time, but none could ever be called a villain.dmarkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07269773990064736457noreply@blogger.com