Except that there, it was a savage LAND.
Yes, it reminds me of the 19th century European categorization of Africa as "The Dark Continent." The idea that Africa, particularly the congo, was "undiscovered" and "unexplored" (by Europeans). That it was mysterious, alluring and yet dangerous, and yes "savage" and "primitive" and in need of (European) civilization.
Early pulp literature took up and ran with these ideas, creating a fantastical version of Africa for rapt European readers. For example, in the novels of the extremely popular author, H Rider Haggard, whose stories told of lost worlds deep in the "heart" of Africa, underground and ruled over by tyrants and witches, but holding great and ancient treasure. Sound familiar?
Of course, as you probably know, this was accompanied by the real and quite horrific conquest of African territory by European powers, with Belgium and France taking the congo. Immortalized by Joseph Conrad's rapacious general Kurtz, who, in order to bring said "civilization" to the congo, thinks he must "exterminate the brutes!"
But surely these are old and old-fashioned ideas, right? Surely no 21st century person would still hold that African countries are "primitive" in the sense of not being contemporary and modern, or that African people are somehow immune to progress? Well, except here is French prime minister
Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007:
“The tragedy of Africa is that the African man has never really entered history. The African peasant has known only the eternal renewal of time via the endless repetition of the same actions and the same words. In this mentality, where everything always starts over again, there is no place for human adventure nor for any idea of progress” – Nicholas Sarkozy, the new French president in a speech to Africans in Dakar, Senegal, on 26 July 2007.
So, to bring this back around to Tomb of Annihilation and fantasy Africa in rpgs: it means that the use of terms like "primitive" and "savage" are not innocent, that the full meanings and connotations of those words point to a fairly recent and very disturbing history, one that continues to affect the fortunes of people around the world. It does not mean that fantasy Africa cannot be done correctly, or even that ToA or the pathfinder products are bad in this regard, but that exercising editorial discretion, which they should have done from the beginning with ToA, is prudent and helpful for anyone seeking to make an inclusive product.