For centuries, nations have expanded geographically and economically by taking land and labor from indigenous people. One of the narratives used to justify this colonialist expansion portrays indigenous land and space as empty, simply there for others to occupy. This narrative is known as indigenous absence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kleinman and Kleinman write<\/a> that this kind of erasure is also applied to indigenous communities and families through the lens of health and suffering. For example, as in this Pulitzer prize-winning photo<\/a> taken by Kevin Carter for The<\/em> New York Times<\/em>, the media often portrays indigenous communities as if they are in a state of constant helpless suffering, leaving any local action, support or voices out of the narrative. This implies that indigenous communities and families cannot adequately help themselves and require outside intervention from a supposedly more qualified source. Colonizers then use this logic to pursue their goals under the guise of providing help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chris Sanders\u2019 Lilo & Stitch <\/em>illustrates the narrative of indigenous absence through its portrayals of Lilo\u2019s family, while using the presence of aliens (and a social worker) to advance this narrative and represent a justified state intervention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n