# data[].attributes.body
Originally did not know anything about humans being placed in zoos outside of their existence. It's interesting to see how colonizers would put people of color in zoos in order to make them appear subhuman. We see this later in history as people start to defend owning enslaved people as their property over humanizing them. The human zoos also reinforce western and European white supremacy ideologies by both displaying in a sick manner that white people are more advanced than Indigenous people therefore superior to these people of color. The more they othered people of color and labeled them as exotic, the easier it became to instill white supremacy views in people to withhold a system of oppression by demonizing people of color and they could justify colonialism and neocolonialism as "saving" these people by providing civilization.

# data[].attributes.body
I have heard of freak shows and how they had dehumanized people for the sake of entertainment, however, I did not know the nefarious origins of circus’ and how these were racially charged.Through reading Gopal and other sources, we have been learning about the many justifications for colonization that imperialistic nations turned to. The use of racist pseudoscience to classify certain groups as inferior was used to justify these exhibitions. This represents the true definition of dehumanization. A powerful quote by a professor in the University of Johannesburg touches upon this, ““In order for a savage to exist, the one who is accused of being so must accept that they are” ”. Labeling these humans as savages due to their own ignorance and greed parallels that of what we have learned about British opinion of their colonies.

# data[].attributes.body
While I was watching this one documentary, the one thing that stood out to me was just how much of an issue objectifying humans was. The freak shows specifically hit home for me because my favorite movie, The Greatest Showman was based on Barnum's Circus which this documentary showed the true side of. Overall I have opened my eyes to the horrific sides of racism and enslavement and how it has impacted not just the people who were directly involved, but their descendants as well.

# data[].attributes.body
After watching the film I feel as though I have come away with a better perspective on western culture and how it was framed around racism in the past. I had no idea that things which are seen as innocent now, such as zoos, had such a racially charged past. I hate to see how these were used as a form of dehumanization and put Indigenous and African American people at the same level, or even lower than animals. I think that this may have been a way to justify colonization in the past, but I find it extremely important to learn about this and educate ourselves on the past implications of things we do today.

# data[].attributes.headline
If you asked me what a human zoo was prior to this documentary I would  have probably responded with, what? Because if I'm being completely honest I knew nothing of the human exhibitions nor the human zoos that existed in Europe and the US throughout the 19th century. This documentary showed me how widely accepted this extremism was, made me compare the past with todays events, and let me see the affects of the slave trade in terms of the individual reinstating  the brutality of the enslavement process in my mind.  This documentary also made me curious on neo-colonialism and the affects it has on countries negatively affected by the slave trade.

# data[].attributes.subject
If you asked me what a human zoo was prior to this documentary I would  have probably responded with, what? Because if I'm being completely honest I knew nothing of the human exhibitions nor the human zoos that existed in Europe and the US throughout the 19th century. This documentary showed me how widely accepted this extremism was, made me compare the past with todays events, and let me see the affects of the slave trade in terms of the individual reinstating  the brutality of the enslavement process in my mind.  This documentary also made me curious on neo-colonialism and the affects it has on countries negatively affected by the slave trade.

# data[].attributes.body
I had never heard of human zoos before watching this documentary so it was very shocking to hear about the humiliation and horrible situations these people had to live in. This just goes to show that there are so many dark sides to colonialism that we never hear about. When I watched this documentary I was reminded of dialogism. In Gopal’s book they describe how  dialogism was used to raise sympathy and anticolonial sentiments in the metropolitan areas. But I feel like these human zoos had almost like the opposite effect. Depicting these people as savages probably justified colonialism in the eyes of the people who saw these shows.

# data[].attributes.body
I honestly didn't know that human zoos existed. I think it was very wrong and immoral, especially since it was a way to prove to mass populations that colonization was ok. I knew that "freak shows" existed, but I had no idea how awful they were to Indigenous people around the world. The support that governments gave to these shows and zoos was really awful to hear, although it is real history. This made me think of the theme of colonizers claiming to help communities that were not like them, such as Indigenous communities throughout hundreds of years. Also the theme of generations of carried trauma by oppressed people we talked about with our guest speaker Leroy. This documentary added to my knowledge and examples of that trauma when they showed the reactions of descendants seeing the images and stories of their relatives.

# data[].attributes.body
I had exactly no knowledge about what human zoos were. I think the zoos were a horrific, but effective way for western countries to rationalize their abuse of Indigenous and African people. These zoos probably worked to support the concept of colonizers 'helping' BIPOC, because they were forced to be displays, like some sort of trophy or anomaly. This dehumanizing experience reinforced the racial hierarchy with vigor, as it forced BIPOC into these cruel, humiliating circumstances, over which they had no control, and which to the spectator did look animalistic. Watching the documentary also made me think about a recent phenomenon: the casual use of words like 'exotic', or 'savage', and the romanticization of their connotations. People don't often think of the negative effects of these words, but when put in the context of human zoos, it is quite clear how charged those words actually are.

# data[].attributes.body
I knew a little bit about human zoos/circuses before watching the video. While I was aware of why it was awful, I didn't know the full extent of what the indigenous groups were put through.  Looking back on what we've learned so far this year, this is just another example of how colonizers would humiliate the people who were native to the land. The people who were put in the human zoos were humiliated and treated as "savages." They were put on display for other people to see and in doing so, this essentially stripped them of their humanity and reduced them down to animals. To think that this practice was normalized is disgusting. How could it be normal to strip human beings of their rights and use them as a show? I think this needs to be talked about more. I don't think enough people know about just how awful these "human zoos" were.

# data[].attributes.body
The Colonial Crimes Documentary showed one of the many tactics that western countries used to dominate and dehumanize the so called "uncivilized" places and peoples they conquered. It displayed a time period in which Western countries such as France and the US put indigenous or African people on display in what was called "human zoos". This was mainly to justify colonization as it showed just how "savage" these indigenous people were, even though what they were doing was staged and their back stories were given to them by the people who captured them. These zoos were very successful in making western people believe that they were doing these indigenous people a favor by colonizing them. Another horrific aspect to these shows and tours was that many of the people put on display, which is already horrendous enough, died from some type of disease of sickness that they got from these strange foreign lands. That meant that they likely never made it home to pass on their stories or to regain their freedom. Towards the end of the documentary it infuriated me that these people were deemed "savage" and unable of most "civilized" things until western countries needed them to help out in the war. The hypocrisy within that is just insane and I thought this was an interesting quote that talked about that, "You cannot glorify the civilizing mission of colonization and at the same time exhibit fake savages".

# data[].attributes.body
This documentary showed another way colonial nations systematically dehumanize and oppress indigenous peoples by using their perception of colonization as a means to “civilize” what they deem “uncivilized” peoples. However, through Western and European efforts to spread their empire through colonization, we find that it is the European and Western powers who are the real savages. Using the language of empire, stories of these individuals’ experiences are suppressed and withheld from the public and their own families. At the same time, these people were exploited for the sake of entertainment. I also find it very ironic that the second these Empires needed indigenous peoples aid in the war other than to provide entertainment, they are immediately given “civilized” status to be at the colonial nation’s service.

# data[].attributes.body
The Colonial Crimes documentary presented by DW Documentary highlighted the time period of which humans were classified as exotic animals and put into zoos. Throughout this period in the 19th to 20th centuries children, women, and men were put 'on display' as a way of supporting a hierarchy of races. The efforts made by these zoos or exhibits were considered successful as the exoticism of people who were different than them had fascinated them for some time. Many aspects of this documentary connect to or discussion of the justification of colonization. For example, with Insurgent Empire we discussed how the British justified colonization through imperialism and other efforts as many other countries world wide did. Though not talked about in the video, I was able to dig a little deeper and find that there are human zoos of the 21st century, thus showing the horrific affects of human zoos today. Just one example is reclusive Jarawa Tribe live on India's Andaman Island (Human Zoos: A Shocking History of Shame and Exploitation).

“Human Zoos: A Shocking History of Shame and Exploitation.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/human-zoos-a-shocking-history-of-shame-and-exploitation.

# data[].attributes.body
I honestly knew very little about Human Zoos prior to watching the documentary. We know how the colonizers considered everyone they conquered to be "inferior and savages". They really went to great lengths to convince themselves and everyone else of their beliefs. They purposely tried to hide the fact that the people in these shows were actors. They completely dehumanized them and this is a common theme we see in colonialization but it was particularly extreme and sickening in this case. I personally have never been to a carnival or circus but my perspective is completely changed now that I know the origin of these sick entertainment events.

# data[].attributes.body
Initially, I held limited knowledge about human zoos and their significance. The Colonial Crimes documentary compiled various stories of these 'displays' of human 'exoticism'. These exhibits are incredible symbols of the colonial era and the transition from the 19th to 20th century. The stories are generally suppressed by all involved parties even though they solidified the theorized hierarchy of races, justified colonial and imperialist domination of European powers, and clearly labeled the root of racism, the concept of savagery. Their historical purpose is disturbing, but not unexpected as the Western World went to immense lengths to support their claims of racial superiority and to explain their mission to conquer foreign lands.

# data[].attributes.body
Prior to this documentary I was unaware of the extent of human zoos. We have talked in class about how colonies would dehumanize indigenous groups, and this is exactly what occurred with human zoos. What I learned from this documentary is how far colonies would go in order to provide entertainment to their people. Colonial groups were so driven by proving this "savage" concept that they completely disregarded that these indigenous groups were human beings. Overall what I have taken away from this video is that events like this should be talked about more, because the indigenous groups still feel unrest to this day about the ancestors they lost, and the embarrassment that they have felt in society.