The Vanishing Indian or Vanishing Indian Myth is a stereotype regarding the depiction of Indigenous people, generally in the Americas, although the concept is found elsewhere as well, that they either are extinct or are destined to go extinct.
[1] Another form is in the discussion of disappearance as inevitable, beginning this narrative in the early days of colonization.
[2] It is a common theme in the arts and media as well, that dates back to early colonial times.
[3][2] The vanishing Indian became a popular trope in American novels by the 1820s, exemplified famously by Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, as well as lesser-known works like Logan, a Family History by John Neal.
[4] A paper genocide occurs when members of a group are removed from all records, thereby validating the belief that the group is extinct and causing harm to further generations.