Some call for a boycott of a “horrible and racist” film

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The new movie Avatar: The Way of Water is finally here. However, it looks like some Native Americans have decided to boycott James Cameron’s Avatar sequel.

Yu Begay, Navajo artist and co-chair of Indigenous Pride Los Angeles, tweeted about the campaign. With over 40,000 likes, the tweet begins with the following statement:

“Join Natives and other Indigenous groups around the world in boycotting this horrific and racist film. Our cultures have appropriated themselves in nefarious ways to satiate some complex 🏳 savior of man. No more blue face!

Do NOT watch Avatar: The Way of the Water

Join Natives and other Indigenous groups around the world to boycott this horrific and racist film. Our cultures have appropriated themselves in a harmful way to satisfy some 🏳 complex of the savior of man. No more Blueface! The Lakota are powerful! pic.twitter.com/NmHVU565u3

🌽Asdz T honaa🌽(She/She)🌽 (@asdza_tlehonaei) December 18

Of course, the drive to boycott Avatar dates back to the first film. In fact, the most recent boycott against the sequel was partly inspired by old comments made by James Cameron in 2010. Specifically, what he told The Guardian when discussing his efforts to oppose the hydroelectric dam at Belo Monte:

I felt like I was 130 years back in time watching what the Sioux Lakota might have said at a time when they were pushed and they were killed and asked to move and received a form of compensation, Cameron began.

That was a driving force for me in writing Avatar, I couldn’t help but think that if they [the Lakota Sioux] had had a window of time and they could see the future and they could see their children committing suicide at the highest suicide rate in the country because they were hopeless and they were a society with no way out, which is happening now, they would have fought much harder.

Here are some tweets recently posted in response to James Cameron’s old comments:

James Cameron apparently created Avatar to inspire all of my deceased ancestors to fight harder. Eff right away with that savior complex, mate. And everyone, please go see a real native movie instead of that misappropriated blue trash. https://t.co/XndxXm3B1d

Dr. Johanna Brewer (@deadroxy) December 17, 2022

Eww, way to blame the victim and not reflect on your own position/privilege. I saw the original avatar; was annoyed that people celebrate history without thinking about how many Indigenous nations today are struggling to do so.

Support Indigenous storytellers, not white saviors https://t.co/wStYTEIUvr

Lydia Jennings, Ph.D. (@1NativeSoilNerd) December 17, 2022

Avatar was a white savior story at its core and James Cameron said the Lakota should have fought harder with the foresight that their descendants would all be suicidal. I won’t see the new one. He does nothing for Native Americans but sucks in oxygen for himself at our expense https://t.co/A1Lp5rw66f

Brett Chapman (@brettachapman) December 17, 2022

maybe donate the avatar money to indigenous communities. you took our land, then our children, then our skin. can’t you see it’s *always* manifest destiny in action?

Kelly Lynne DAngelo ✨ (@kellylynnedang) December 17, 2022

Additionally, Autumn Asher BlackDeer has provided an innovative response by compiling a list of films by Indigenous filmmakers. As her caption states, she made the list of everyone who doesn’t “want to watch the colonial movie glorifying blue people.”

You don’t want to watch the colonial film glorifying the blue people? Instead, watch these sci-fi movies made by real Indigenous people who tell our own stories. 🧵

Dr. BlackDeer (@DrBlackDeer) December 16, 2022

You couldn’t pay me to watch #Avatar, created by a racist white man with a white savior complex (and who can’t write shit). Do you want to support a guy who says something like that? pic.twitter.com/86AbkBobl4

David A. Robertson (@DaveAlexRoberts) December 21, 2022

I already had no use for the Avatar movies. much more difficult. pic.twitter.com/bw9Liy3m2B

GREEN (ndnviewpoint) (@mahtowin1) December 17, 2022

Many people also encountered issues with the film’s casting. Specifically, as stated in an open letter via Instagram, they believe that certain cast white actors like Na’vi are an act of “colonialism.” They also started calling him “Blueface”. As further explained, they believe they should be the actors to portray the Na’vi if those characters are based on indigenous cultures.

“We should have been the ones whose faces and voices appeared on the screen,” the open letter begins. “We are the experts at portraying our hurt, our suffering and, most importantly, our resilience.”

“White people being outsiders based on real indigenous peoples,” the letter continues, is “true colonialism.”

every character developed here is played by white people.

it’s just “it’s not red/black if we make them blue: the film”. such a dirty racist puncture. pic.twitter.com/83QnqS5jR9

🛸johnny🛸 (@dumpstercryptid) December 16, 2022

You gotta give it to yt people for finding a loophole to appropriate black and indigenous cultures and cast white people into those roles by making them blue aliens 😭

Lemon_boy🐀 (@Lemon_boy89) December 20, 2022

avatar 2 is boring and racist towards natives and blacks at the same time please 😭

LIA (@liacesp) December 23, 2022

avatar 2: still racist and white savior but looks pretty i guess 🤷🏾‍♀️

MissContrary (@half_light) December 22, 2022

Avatar 2 somehow feels even more racist than the first. Still super racist.

St. Coeur D’astronaute (@coeurastronaute) December 22, 2022

If you remove all parts of Avatar 2 that aren’t squeaky or racist, you’re left with just a talking whale.

Happy Cat 🔜 ANW (@AlleyCatCore) December 21, 2022

is avatar 2 not just white ppl cosplay like native ppl fantasy

googldnd (@gazyae) December 23, 2022

Avatar 2 made me realize that people don’t pay attention when watching movies, because how do so many of you only realize now that Avatar is based on African/Indigenous people fighting against colonization, they make it very obvious in the movies down to the white flavor

KM10. LM N. (@estrellamabiz) December 23, 2022

Avatar: The Way of the Water was directed by James Cameron. He wrote the screenplay alongside Josh Friedman. Cameron produced the film alongside Jon Landau. The film’s cast includes Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement and Kate Winslet.

Avatar 2 is currently playing in theaters. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates as we have them.

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