Writing over at Gizmodo, Jordan Maison takes a look at the character rennovation of the Tuskens in the first three episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, specifically in the Tusken-focused The Tribes of Tatooine, an episode which built on episodes of The Mandalorian and showed the Tuskens to be far more than the savage desert raiders we’ve long believed them to be but a sophisticated, structured tribe living off the land in the harsh climes of the Dune Sea.
The Book of Boba Fett’s second episode, “The Tribes of Tatooine,” not only shows a new side to the iconic character, but allows for a fresh perspective on the Tusken Raiders. The nomadic people of Tatooine have always been heavily influenced by Indigenous cultures, but the latest Star Wars series is taking them beyond the stereotype and providing genuine representation.
With over four decades of Star Wars stories, which seemed content to let the Tuskens maintain the “savage” stereotypes, I never imagined it would be something I’d see happen. Let alone done so competently. Too often in franchises that have become so ingrained in pop-culture to the point of reaching modern mythical status, most things try to maintain the status quo. This is especially true of what amount to lore for background characters.
I want to make something clear before I go on. Even as I speak from the perspective of a Native American, it’s important to remember we are not monoliths. I don’t claim to speak for all tribes, nor even for the majority of my own tribe. So don’t take this as the “Definitive Native Opinion on Boba Fett.” Beyond that, it’s crucial to acknowledge the influences behind Tuskens are pulled from many Indigenous cultures across the globe. There’s Māori in there aplenty, stemming from actor Temuera Morrison’s own background, but also a host of MENA (Middle East and North Africa) influences which shouldn’t be overlooked.
George Lucas himself said much of the Tusken look/design was based on the Bedouins, an Indigenous Arab tribe from the desert regions in North Africa. One of the driving ideas behind so many of the initial Star Wars designs stemmed from taking something recognizable, but altering it into something new. In A Gallery of Imagination: The Art of Ralph McQuarrie, Lucas explains, “You look at that painting of the Tusken Raiders and the banthas, and you say, ‘Oh yeah, Bedouins…’ Then you look at it some more and say, ‘Wait a minute, that’s not right. Those aren’t Bedouins, and what are those creatures back there?’”
We talked all things Tusken in Episode 122 of Making Tracks, where we looked at the historic presentation of Tuskens in A New Hope, The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones compared to how the Sand People are viewed today thanks to The Book of Boba Fett.
