Evaluating the Avatar film franchise through a decolonial lens: Indigenous representation communicated as Popular Culture

Abstract

The objective of this master thesis is to evaluate representations of Indigenous communities in the blockbuster films Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and in what way Indigenous representation may influence decolonial conversation in society. This project will feature qualitative analysis and an interpretivist approach as it explores targeted themes using a decolonial lens. Themes to be explored include environmental justice and activism, space and place-based relationship significance, and white savior complex in the Avatar film franchise. Utilizing discourse analysis, these themes will be examined using examples in the films and how they illustrate and intersect with real-life Indigenous communities. Additional sources used for discourse analysis include media interviews and court documents from the film franchise's Director and Creator James Cameron. The research project also cites the economic, social, and political relevance of the Avatar films and evaluates in what ways power is then communicated through popular culture as a medium and popular culture as a tool.