Take Action

Indigenous peoples around the world face countless challenges, not the least of which is how they are described by outsiders.

Since the colonial era, terms like savage, stone age, and primitive have been used to reinforce the misconception that indigenous cultures are backward and frozen in time. This depiction is both incorrect and incredibly dangerous. It promotes the idea that so-called "primitive peoples" are inferior to "the enlightened West," and has long been used as a pretext for depriving people of their land and other resources.

To help curb these problematic representations, learn about the inadequacies of the terminology and speak up when you see or hear offensive words and phrases in the media. You can draft your own letter to the editor or use Survival International's Stamp It Out campaign to send e-cards to the editors of articles or programs that rely on discriminating stereotypes.