"The coming to appreciate the simple way of life and their appreciation for nature. I even recall a scene in DWW where they say a little thank you over their kill!"
It's is a reoccurring theme fung, because for indigenous cultures, all life is sacred. When they take a life for food, they thank the spirit of the animal they killed. I'm not a fanatic about it, but when I bow hunt, I do the same. Now, someone like Bon Jovi? That boy can rant on the subject. In fact I don't think he eats any meat that he hasn't taken with a bow.
For me, Avatar was very "Trippy". Being a former Marine, and a disabled Vet, was crazy enough. Add on the fact that I've worked at a Wilderness Survival School that had a Native American slant to it, and you get the idea.