The motivation and method of colonialism hasn’t changed much in 800 years, but the psychology has. Where there was once little mainstream discomfort in murdering or enslaving indigenous peoples for their land, labor or resources, modern states today go to great lengths to portray industrial development as beneficial for native peoples.
Lacking an intercultural understanding, mainstream consumers often succumb to this modern mindset rooted in the colonial view that peoples living close to nature are ignorant and backward. While it is less productive for corporate state propaganda to characterize aboriginal peoples as heathens, the religious bias inherent in colonially-founded states lingers just below the surface of messages meant to discriminate if not demonize cultures that maintain sacred sensibilities.
As indigenous peoples on all continents fight for their lives against present day colonialism in the form of mines, dams, plantations and deforestation, they are often conflicted in how to proceed effectively against such formidable foes. Those that do succeed make use of The Power of Moral Sanction.
Indigenous Peoples are putting their bodies on the line and it's our responsibility to make sure you know why. That takes time, expertise and resources - and we're up against a constant tide of misinformation and distorted coverage. By supporting IC you're empowering the kind of journalism we need, at the moment we need it most.
