Native Americans call for a boycott of Avatar 2

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Native American activists have called for a boycott of James Cameron’s new film Avatar: The Way of the Water. The Los Angeles Times writes about it. Navajo artist Yue Begay, chairwoman of the Indigenous Pride Los Angeles movement, which advocates for the rights and culture of Native Americans, called the blockbuster “terrible and racist.” Her post gained about 50 thousand likes and more than 12.5 thousand retweets.

Join Aboriginal and other indigenous groups around the world in boycotting this horrific and racist film. Our culture has been perniciously appropriated to satisfy some savior complex. No more blues! The Lakota people are strong! – Begay wrote on social networks.

Some commentators disagreed with Begay, saying they didn’t see anything outrageous or racist in the film. One of the users noted that the Na’vi, on the contrary, are portrayed nobly, and their “white savior” understands how wrong the ways of his people are and joins them.

Stanford student and Lakota representative Anpo Jensen urged not to watch Cameron’s film, attaching to the post the words of the director, said by him in 2010. Then Cameron came to the Amazon forests to support the local indigenous people who opposed the construction of the Belo Monti hydroelectric power station. There, the director said that he seemed to have returned 130 years ago, to a time when the colonialists brutally persecuted the Lakota, forced them out of their homes and killed them.

The same words of the creator of Avatar were remembered by the artist and Native American Johnny Jae. In his opinion, white people do the same as the main character of the film: create “avatars” of the indigenous people, infiltrate and manipulate their communities – pretend that they are more aware and present themselves as the only hope.