Critical Analysis: The Canary Effect and Settler Colonialism Primer

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Critical Reflection 1
The documentary "The canary Effect" and the reading "Settler Colonialism Primer" point out key similarities about colonialism. For many people today, colonialism is a subject of the past that should be forgotten to create a better future; however, as seen in the film and reading, colonialism, although a problem of the past, is something we should be constantly reminded of if we are to live as better people.
One of the issues raised in both the reading and the film is white privilege. In the film, Davey begins by exploring how white people's bullying and malicious mentality led to the persecution and killing of millions of natives. Despite exacting acts of genocide on natives, white people did not see any problem. They viewed themselves as superior and, therefore, any other race inferior. In the reading, Hurwitz and Bourque note that Europeans colonized half of the world because of this same mentality. To them, all other races were inferior and, therefore, could be exploited at any cost. The issue of racial superiority is one that people have had to deal with. However, the main problem is that it still exists to date.
White people, especially in the United States (U.S.), have been unable to let go of the idea of racial superiority. As seen in the film, due to embedded beliefs of racial superiority, the U.S. federal government has continuously neglected natives. Similarly, the U.S. government continues to exact its will on foreign nations, often le...