Caliban was there first.

Caliban is a very similar character to that of the native peoples, when it comes to who has (had) the power. Just as the natives made it to America first (hence the term ‘natives’) and were taken over by white men and women, Caliban arrived at the island in Shakespeare’s story first and foremost, and still he was overruled. As “Cultural Studies: Postcolonialism, African-American Criticism, and Queer Theory” points out, “the other—that is, any person defined as “different from,”.” Somehow, Caliban was seen as “different,” and thus he was vulnerable [to becoming subject to anyone who believed he could have the higher power over Caliban]. Therefore, just as the native peoples allowed themselves to become subject to the white men and women, Caliban allowed himself to become a subject of Stephano’s.

Caliban claims such things to Stephano as “I do adore thee” and “I’ll show thee every fertile inch o' th' island. And I will kiss thy foot. I prithee, be my god.” Okay, well that’s nonsense. Caliban was obviously there first, and he could do whatsoever he pleased. And here he is, probably the only one who knows what every nook and cranny beholds upon the island, and he is just giving it away. (Mind you, within some of those nooks and crannies are freshwater springs, probably the most sacred places on the island…since, well, they’re on an island.) Yet, Caliban is mindless enough to give it all up  because he now worships this Stephano guy. Well, his loss, for giving up all that knowledge to who is now evidently a higher power.

See the parallel? Who ran our land before we did? The Native Americans did. Who runs it today? We do (the white people). Why is that? It is because the Native Americans ultimately gave us the “power.”