>> Editor Casey Stinnett wrote afterwards of the offending paragraph: "Perhaps had Thomas Jefferson written it as 'Native Americans at a challenging stage of cultural development' that would have been better. >>
Seems racist as well. Not from Jefferson, but from the editor. The only real “challenge” was that the colonies wanted their land and resources and were willing to do anything it took to get them.
Jefferson was racist, trying to mask that with language may be hard.
The closest thing I can come to is just admitting one is racist or awareness of your own projections.
“The native Americans are a strong mirror for our own disowned savageness. For the way in which our disconnection from Self and has lead to a quest for power and resources which have blinded us to the common humanity we share with all peoples. Our inability to resolve the savageness we harbor towards our own humanity within us leaves us no choice but the futile attempt to destroy its reflection in those we project it upon.”
I'm fairly certain that you could even automate the transformation of text such that it remains essentially the same without triggering any bots.
Edit: This isn't a comment on whether or not Jefferson's evaluation of his and the natives' cultures was valid or correct.. but what I gather from your comment, is that you're implying any such value judgement is "racist" ("culturist"?).