Indian burial ground trope was so successful in its early appearance, that others continued to use it as a reliable and lucrative plot device. The second theory contrasts an Indian burial ground to a marked cemetery; it is much easier to unwittingly stumble upon an unmarked burial ground than a cemetery, so screenwriters use the trope out of convenience. The third theory is that the trope grew out of deeply rooted racism toward Indigenous peoples and the belief that Indigenous people are evil and intruding upon the land that settlers stole from them. The fourth theory states that the people fear the unknown, and since most people knew very little about Indigenous cultures in the twentieth century, the American people became wary and superstitious towards them. The fifth and final theory argues that the Indian burial ground trope grew out of the excessive guilt of white settlers for the destruction of Indigenous peoples and cultures. In this theory, the Indian burial ground trope is a manifestation of the fear that Indigenous groups will seek retribution for the atrocities committed over the past several centuries. Other critics warn that stereotyping Indigenous groups results in ignorance and contributes to violence against these groups. See also Native Americans in film Race in horror films References Tropes American popular culture Amityville Horror films Native Americans in popular culture History of racism in the cinema of the United States Horror films