Final answer:
Ngugi wa Thiong'o advocates for decolonization that returns land to Indigenous control and valorizes their traditions, countering the colonial narrative that has long suppressed native perspectives and justified exploitation under the pretext of civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the works of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, especially within 'Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature', colonizers must engage in a process of decolonization, which is not just about improving conditions for Indigenous people within the current system, but about fundamentally restoring land to Indigenous stewardship and revitalizing the cultural knowledge that comes with it. This aligns with scholar Adrienne Keene's assertion that decolonization involves Land Back as a first step.
Through the lens of authors like Mariama Bâ and the poem 'The White Man's Burden' by Rudyard Kipling, we discern that colonialism was veiled in the guise of bringing civilization to the conquered, while actually subjugating and exploiting them. Chinua Achebe might sum this concept up by noting how colonialism has shaped the narrative of history to favor the colonizer, often glossing over the exploitation and negative impacts on native societies. Indeed, colonialism's imprint on history writing serves as a reminder of the systematic inequalities and struggles faced by former colonies.