Decolonization of the Word 'Savage'

Decolonizing The Word Savage
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Decolonization of the word savage
When most people use the word savage today, they probably do not know its origin and what it means to some people. As a result, the term is loosely used in sports, music, fashion, and entertainment to advance agendas, much to the detriment of indigenous people. Every time the word savage is used, it becomes offensive to non-native people who understand the word's history. The word was used in reference to native Indians as people who were wild and could not be controlled through civilization laws. Even though it has been long since the age of colonization, the effects of using the word savage are equal to the use of the n-word on African-Americans.
Firstly, Catholic priests played a role in using the word as they used it to demonize the indigenous people so that they could be easily colonized (Horn, 2021). Europeans referred to India as the land of savages to refer to the indigenous people they found there during the period of colonization. The word has been used in ways that offend many people of indigenous origin. A major instance is when a French schoolbook described Indians as people who were crazy about war and would behave in horrifying ways even to children. The book's content is cruel to children by depicting some people as horrifying and adversely affects children of Indian origin.
The insensitivity in schools could even affect the morale of a student. Another example is given of a student who had an assignment that described savages, which prompted them to boycott the assignment. The word causes stigmatization in school because other students could refer to the Indian students as savages and hurt their morale and self-esteem. Subjecting a child to such stigmatization at a young a...