Final answer:
The idea that Europeans "civilized" Indigenous Peoples is known as the settlers' myth, which is part of the justifications for colonization. It ignores the sophisticated cultures of Indigenous Peoples, rationalizes oppression, and is associated with cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fallacy that Europeans "civilized" the "savage" Indigenous Peoples is referred to as d) the settlers' myth. This myth is part of a larger narrative used historically to justify the European colonization of lands inhabited by Indigenous Peoples, often depicting the natives as primitive or uncivilized to legitimize the takeover of their lands and imposition of European culture and social structures.
Historically, Europeans engaged in various forms of oppression against Indigenous Peoples, including acts that can be described as cultural genocide or ethnic cleansing. The impact of European colonization on native populations included the forced removal from their homelands, eradication of cultural practices, enslavement, and exposure to diseases like smallpox, diphtheria, and measles to which the Indigenous Peoples had no immunity.
Despite these atrocities, the notion perpetuated by Europeans that they were bringing civilization to the Indigenous Peoples is deeply flawed and ignores the complex, sophisticated societies that existed long before European contact. The idea of Europeans as civilizers is a dangerous stereotype that has long been used to rationalize the exploitation and oppression of native populations.