Skip to main content

Spoiler alert: Avatar extends ‘settler fantasy’

Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington), left, and Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana) in 20th Century Fox’s Avatar.

Support strong Canadian climate journalism for 2025

Help us raise $150,000 by December 31. Can we count on your support?
Goal: $150k
$32k

In the first two weeks of its release, Avatar: the Way of Water raked in US$1 billion at the box office, already becoming the 33rd-largest grossing movie ever.

But when the original Avatar was released, critics likened it to Dances with Wolves as protagonists were military men damaged by war and imperialism, who turned to Indigenous peoples to “heal,” both “go Indian” by learning Indigenous languages, ceremonies and cultures, and both lead Indigenous peoples in successful battles against evil invaders, like saviours of Indigenous life.

Winnipeg Free Press columnist Niigaan Sinclair writes on how the sequel continues the “settler fantasy” as the Indigenous people in the film are, once again, unable to save themselves.

To read more of this column from the Winnipeg Free Press, click here.

This content is made available to Canada's National Observer readers as part of an agreement with the Winnipeg Free Press that sees our two trusted news brands collaborate to better cover Canada. Questions about Winnipeg Free Press content can be directed to [email protected].

Comments