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The Western view of native people is a cliched mixture of misinformation. The prevailing view has often been that indigenous peoples were merely obstacles to the onward march of progress. Even now the echoes of history remain strong.<br/><br/>Today, however, the lands of indigenous peoples are the new frontier full of the raw materials coveted by industrial society. This new colonization recalls the old: the same impetus to 'civilise' exists today in the minds of political leaders, World Bank officials and transnational corporations. Yet it is an ill-disguised bonanza with no thought for the long-term effects on the land, or the people who live there. Only the elimination of the colonial relationship itself can lead to a partnership of cultures.