It's not even relative: it's ironic. The term is used ignorantly by the people outside the reservation. The 'Savage' cares for his mother and reads Shakespeare, something that people outside the reservation don't do any more.
It's clear that Huxley does not regard the 'Savage' as being savage.
Are you interested in matrix math, or were you merely trying to pass an exam?
Alternatively, if you are interested in matrix math, did the fact that you had to pass an exam make it harder to learn?