Social Darwinism—the wrongful application of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to the human species: claiming that certain races of human beings are naturally more “selected” for (European) civilization and that others are naturally less “civilized”
Animism (from the Greek “anima,” meaning “soul”)—a broad term for any belief system that claims that all/most elements of Nature (clouds, trees, animals, humans, stars) have “spirits” or souls, and one must properly respect the souls of all living creatures in order to live in harmony with the universe
Protectorate—an imperial system wherein native peoples help maintain the “protector country’s” (mother country’s) laws and authority by exerting dominance over other native peoples
Assimilate—the process of making one group/person more similar to another—an assimilated person/group therefore maintains something of the traditional culture, but also demonstrates the “new” culture as well
Paternalism (from Latin for “father”)—treating other adults as if they are children: taking away their rights “for their own good” to improve their “growth” and “upbringing” and punishing them if they “misbehave”