Final answer:
The idea that indigenous societies are unchanged is a misconception; they have evolved and adapted over time, maintaining traditional elements while integrating with contemporary society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The idea that indigenous societies are unchanged since early human history is a misconception. Early anthropological research propagated stereotypes such as the inability of Native peoples to digest alcohol, their perceived laziness, or their 'civilizational inadequacies' based on social evolutionary theories. These stereotypes are rooted in the ethnocentric views of 19th-century scholars like Lewis Henry Morgan who ranked civilizations hierarchically and has since been heavily refuted by contemporary anthropology. Indigenous societies have evolved and are in many ways hybrid societies integrating Indigenous and contemporary elements, adapting culturally while maintaining a core of Indigenous traditions. Globalization has also reached Indigenous communities, showing that there is an ongoing evolution influenced by external as well as internal factors. This dynamic change undermines the static view of Indigenous societies and recognizes their cultural evolution.