I just want to start off by calling out the hypocrisy of people who claim ancient aliens gave people from older times their technology and knowledge. When our indigenous people share their history and culture many scientists and outsiders will dismiss it as ignorant. They usually will add that they will need to validate our claims because we are making them up, or they are folk tales. Not only are our identities as native people questioned but our credibility is too. However, when people who have PhD’s or scholar titles, or none at all like Erich von Doniken who has no credibility or scientific background makes claims that discredits us suddenly it’s believed and people will support him for their own agendas. Because we’re so ignorant and primitive we couldn’t possibly know anything right?

The video starts off in the most ridiculous way implying that somehow there are people who are trying to keep secrets from the public which is why artifacts and archaeological sites are being destroyed in the Middle East. They also claim that Central America is being deliberately held in a chaotic state on purpose. It’s insulting because our countries are suffering not because some ridiculous notion of trying to hide evidence or because it might be a “forbidden zone.” They are in the condition they are in because we are still being colonized and exploited. It’s just offensive that the History Channel would literally apply zero history knowledge to what they’re saying. Not only do they attempt to take all credit by saying that ancient astronaut theorist suggested discoveries before they were excavated.

Much of their hypothesis and claims are based on questions. They ask them but don’t bother answering, and if they do it’s manipulated to fit their narrative. Our Maya culture is literally being exoticised by people who don’t care for it other than to benefit and fit their own narrative. They speak about our culture and people as if it were dead when we’re still here, it is disturbing and frustrating. They constantly say “our” as if it belongs to them. In Chariots of the Gods, Van Doniken writes “I should like to be generous and I am willing to postulate that the primitive artists were unskilled and portrayed the figures in this rather crude way because it was the best they could do. But in that case why could the same primitive cave-dwellers depict animals and normal human beings to perfection? So it seems more credible to me to assume that the ‘artists’ were perfectly capable of drawing what they actually saw.” (pg. 41) Not only does Von Doniken drop several slurs used for native people. He conveniently mentions many times that there would’ve been more evidence for ancient astronauts in many scripts and artifacts that are already destroyed. In fact his argument is based around drawing and art. Which he interprets as depictions of aliens by the people who saw them. Early white explorers couldn’t explain our “primitive” technology, agriculture, and culture. So they utilized their racism, and limited scientific knowledge to create inaccurate explanations which is exactly what Erich von Däniken is benefiting from.