Culture 9

Had these people been of an unfriendly temper, we could not by any possibility have escaped them, for our horses could not have broken into a canter to save our lives or their own. We were therefore wholly in their power, although happily for us, they were not aware of it; but, so far from exhibiting any unkind feeling, they treated us with genuine hospitality, and we might certainly have commanded whatever they had.

Charles Sturt (1849): Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia. London: T. and W. Boone. S. 76

Charles Sturt (1795-1869) was a so-called explorer in south-eastern Australia.

Europeans did not always describe "others" as cultureless. In addition, as in this quote, non-Europeans were often described as polite, friendly, hospitable, simple and good. These "noble savages" often served as role models for "civilised" Europeans (Hall 1992: 131f.). However, this paternalistic characterisation of “good primitive peoples" constituted a gross generalisation that did not allow for any individuality and only served Europeans in their own process of reflection. Nonetheless, these comparisons often held up a critical mirror to Europeans.

*Stuart Hall (1992): The West and the Rest: Discourse and Power. In: Stuart Hall & Bram Gieben: Formations of Modernity. Understanding Modern Societies: An Introduction. Trowbridge: Redwood Books, S. 275–320.

1844