Final answer:
Europeans misconceived the labor and land use practices of indigenous populations, failing to recognize their value and complexity, leading to a belief that these populations did not 'work' by European standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that many Europeans believed the indigenous populations of New Guinea and other regions did not "work" based on European standards of labor and property ownership. This belief stemmed from European misconceptions about different forms of labor and land use that were practiced by indigenous peoples. Europeans often failed to recognize the complexities and value of the societal structures and economies of indigenous populations, instead viewing them through their own cultural lens which emphasized property ownership and formalized labor systems. This misperception was part of a larger pattern of misunderstanding and underestimating native cultures during the era of European colonization.
The subject of labor and the indigenous population ties directly into the history of European colonization and the impact it had on native peoples. The European colonists brought with them notions of land ownership and labor that clashed with the communal and sustainable practices of many indigenous cultures. Additionally, Europeans viewed African labor as more desirable due to Africans' resistance to certain diseases that devastated Indigenous populations and the inability of already enslaved Africans to escape unfamiliar terrain.