What does "bring fire to the natives" mean?

We're having a discussion about this phrase, and we can come up with two possible meanings, but we're not sure which one is the more right. Does it mean to provide a group with something they already know about or desperately need?

Also, does anyone know the history of it?

Solution 1:

This is probably a reference to the story of Prometheus, who gave mankind the gift of fire in Greek mythology. In most versions of the story, mankind either has not discovered fire or has had it taken away from them, possibly because the gods don't want humans to develop skills and technologies that could make them a threat. Disobeying Zeus, Prometheus steals fire using a makeshift torch and brings it to mankind, showing them how to cook their meals and so forth. Things generally do not go well for Prometheus after that, but mankind benefits from the gift forever after. Several other cultures have remarkably similar myths, according to Wikipedia.

This would suggest that "bringing fire to the natives" means giving people something, possibly a material thing but especially vital knowledge or enlightenment, that they desperately need.

Solution 2:

For the last 30,000 years or more every tribe of humans has had fire. This is why the expression "They think they're bringing fire to the natives" (or savages) is a phrase that describes the attitude of technological companies who don't believe their customers know anything about anything. This site explains why the '"bringing fire to the savages" sales and marketing model' is not a good idea.

In most of the sites linked in the answers to this question, the phrase is indeed being used ironically. However, on a few of the sites, the writers seem to have completely missed the irony, and are using the phrase at face value (i.e., that bringing fire to the natives is a good thing, rather than telling people something they already know about). Somehow, I'm not surprised by this.

Solution 3:

I don't know the history of it, but the usage in this article suggests that it means "the natives" don't know about fire.

It sounds insulting to me, as though one is heroically imparting some modern technology on backwards, ignorant people, but it might simply imply that one is providing a basic, useful tool to a group that hasn't yet discovered its existence.

This is a new one to me. I'm interested to know what others have discovered.