{"id":35,"date":"2017-11-16T10:55:47","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T15:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/postcolonialstarwars\/?page_id=35"},"modified":"2017-12-08T10:35:00","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T15:35:00","slug":"jeff-montoya","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/postcolonialstarwars\/anthology\/fall-2017\/jeff-montoya\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Montoya"},"content":{"rendered":"

Consider the Ewok<\/strong><\/p>\n

The battle for Endor was the decisive victory for the Rebel Alliance in the original Star Wars Trilogy yet it is unimaginable that the Rebels would have secured the victory without the help of the Ewoks, a species introduced in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi<\/em>. Leia was the first member of the Rebel Alliance to make contact with the Ewoks. The first meeting was tense and started with an Ewok aiming his spear at Leia, but she was able to de-escalate the situation by offering the indigenous warrior food. Soon after, the rest of the group are captured by the Ewoks and have less luck in making peace. C3PO helped the group avoid death by imitating their God. Under the guise of their sacred deity, the protocol droid convinces the Ewoks to join the Rebel cause.<\/p>\n

In an article titled \u201cUnderstanding Postcolonial Feminism in relation with Postcolonial and Feminist Theory<\/em>,\u201d Dr. Ritu Tyagi criticizes Western White Feminism for assuming \u201ca false sense of common experiences and goals.\u201d The same could be said for how the goals of the Ewoks are portrayed. It is implied that the Ewoks end goals are the same as the Rebels, painting the Battle for Endor as a fight between the oppressed and the oppressor, between the defenders of freedom and the evil empire. But, as we shall see, this is not the case and the problems the Ewoks face as a people are very different from those faced by the Rebels.<\/p>\n

The Ewoks have no good reason to join the Galactic conflict. The species has not advanced past the Stone Age and have no political involvement outside Endor. There is no mention of fighting between the Imperial soldiers and the Ewoks prior to the events of Return of the Jedi<\/em>. The commitment of the Ewoks\u2019 forces, the refuge provided to Leia and her squadron in the village, and the sacrifices of those lost in the ensuing violence only serve to benefit the Alliance while leaving the Ewoks worse off.<\/p>\n

The inclusion of the Ewoks in the\u00a0Rebellion\u2019s military campaign has many similarities with the alliances made with Native American tribes during The Seven Years War, known more famously in the United States as the \u201cFrench and Indian War.\u201d By examining these similarities, we can understand how the Ewoks fall victim to a system of oppression, in this case, perpetuated by the Rebel Alliance. It is important to note that there are a plethora of differences between the Ewok and Native American experiences. Native tribes had over a hundred years of contact with Europeans before the onset of the Seven Years War and alliances forged during the war were built on pre-existing relationships. The diplomatic machinations between the Iroquois and the two empires at war were multilayered and the political motivations within the Six Nations were complex and sophisticated. It is not the intent of this writing to simplify or reduce the rich and tragic history of Native Americans but rather demonstrate the overall pattern of Imperial, wartime politics in Return of the Jedi<\/em> and how it most likely leads to the subjugation of the Ewoks.<\/p>\n

There are of course many obvious, superficial similarities. Gabriel S. Estrada argues that the Ewoks are clear racist representations of Native Americans. Estrade states, \u201cThe Ewok lack of technology, superstitious worship of C3PO, and attempt to roast Han and Luke, play out classic stereotypes of tribal people as primitive low-tech inferiors.\u201d (Page 77) The Ewoks themselves were named after the Miwoks, a tribe native to the land where Return of the Jedi<\/em> was filmed. Han and Leia echo the British Officers who had brokered deals, as they too were white foreigners with high ranks bestowed upon them by their military, desperately needing allies. These are easy points to make, however, and as we delve deeper we see more troubling parallels become apparent.<\/p>\n

During The Seven Years War, both France and Britain learned that they would need the help of the local tribes to assure a victory. The importance of these alliances cannot be overstated. Britain was on the losing end for most of the war until extra efforts to secure relations with the indigenous forces were made. Having more Native allies gave Britain and their colonists valuable advantages aside from adding more numbers. Military resources would no longer be wasted frivolously on land disputes, allowing for a more focused campaign against the French and their allies.<\/p>\n

The Rebel Alliance did what was\u00a0necessary to gain a battlefield advantage; they used a weaker people to do their fighting for them and in turn, made sure the \u201cinferior\u201d civilization took the brunt of the negative impact of war. This isn\u2019t an attractive deal for the Ewoks, mirroring the deals made during the Seven Years War, they will be coerced into joining the fray.\u201d Francis Jennings, an American historian, wrote of the Native Americans entering the conflict; “The “war-loving Indian savages” most earnestly desired to keep out of the war and let the empires’ own troops fight it out.; only intense pressure, deception, and bribery drew them in.\u201d (Page 172) The Ewoks will find themselves similarly exploited.<\/p>\n

Examine how Leia started diplomatic relations with the Ewoks. When the situation became tense she turned the Ewok into an ally by offering him food. Leia, at this point in time, is a battle-hardened warrior who can easily take the furry creature armed with just a wooden spear. It can be interpreted that Leia\u2019s non-violent solution is a testament to her good nature and, as a representative of the Alliance, the moral righteousness of the Rebels. There is a more practical reason for peace then morality. Making peace with the confrontational locals could be a pragmatic military tactic used to avoid wasting time, effort, and resources fighting a strategically unimportant force. Colonists started relationships with the Iroquois by offering food and other supplies that were hard to come by during war. The Ewok that made first made contact ate Leia\u2019s offering with noticeable enthusiasm. One might argue that the Ewok genuinely enjoyed the food item, that perhaps it was delicious. That is very improbable since it was food brought to accompany a military\u00a0mission. It would have been designed to last for extended periods of time and provide necessary nutrition. In practice, these traits do not lend themselves to good flavor. That Ewok was most likely starving.<\/p>\n