Only those entitled to them should wear them. They are afflicted with neither lunacy, hypochondria, nor frenzy; but have a combination of all these species of disease, which affects their imaginations and causes them a more than canine hunger. No one can try to stake a singular claim to it. [13] They were strongly associated with winter, the north, coldness, famine, and starvation.[14]. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #culturalappropriation, #cultureappropriation, #culturalappropiation, # . They travelled too much. As long as theyre not shoving their porn in your face let them be as Paul McCartney sung. Check it out here:https://youtu.be/fHE4fkvUpWMI really just made this video to express how I am currently feeling about the wendigo doll situation and the questions I have about it. I have always felt a distinct emotional connection to it, in fact. Ces pauures gens furent saisis, ce qu'on nous a dit, d'vn mal qui nous est inconnu, mais qui n'est pas bien extraordinaire parmy les peuples que nous cherchons: ils ne sont ny lunatiques, ny hypocondriaques, ny phrenetiques; mais ils ont vn mlange de toutes ces sortes de maladies, qui, leur blessant l'imagination, leur cause vne faim plus que canine, et les rend si affamez de chair humaine, qu'ils se iettent sur les femmes, sur les enfans, mesme sur les hommes, comme de vrais loups-garous, et les deuorent belles dents, sans se pouuoir rassasier ny saouler, cherchans tousiours nouuelle proye, et plus auidement que plus ils en ont mang. Oh yeah, Marvel. I would advise anyone, however, who feels that way about my choice to create art or literature based on a wendigo, to simply avoid my gallery and writing. I really just want to learn about how to appreciate aspects of cultures that I am not included in respectfully. There's also Wendigo psychosis. If Hello Kitty and the Minions from Dispicable Me being considered acceptable Halloween costumes wasn't the exact point I stopped taking Halloween seriously as a holiday, Wendigos being considered a form of disrespectful "cultural appropriation" was. People can appreciate and draw as many wendigo and other scary monsters as they like, it's all entirely fictional and doesn't hurt anyone. Theres something else. Cultural appropriation takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way. In 1973 a character inspired by the wendigo appeared in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Without really understanding the conflict here, it seems like the issue is not people illustrating the creature, but using it as a creepy Halloween themed prop. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. It has no place in the world of Folklore and monsters. That's just pulling a potential explanation out of my ass, though, I have no idea if its accurate or not. Other sources say wendigos were created when a human resorted to cannibalism to survive. [24], Although in many recorded cases of Wendigo psychosis the individual has been killed to prevent cannibalism from resulting, some Cree folklore recommends treatment by ingestion of fatty animal meats or drinking animal grease; those treated may sometimes vomit ice as part of the curing process. In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. [44], Contemporary Indigenous works that explore the legend include the 1995 novel Solar Storms by author and poet Linda K. Hogan (Chickasaw), which explores the stories of the wendigo and incorporates the creatures as a device to interrogate issues of independence, spirituality, politics, an individual's relationship to the family, and as a metaphor for corporate voracity, exploitation, and power - all viewed as a form of cannibalism. In an as-yet unpublished urban fantasy novel of mine, I basically did the same thing; I made a supporting character an Acheri, completely bungling any semblance of folkloric accuracy in my attempt to come up with a "cool" and "unorthodox" monster. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. [clarification needed] The ceremony, known as wiindigookaanzhimowin, was performed during times of famine, and involved wearing masks and dancing backward around a drum. The Wendigo, also known as the Hollowed, was a type of Creature of Grimm that was proposed to appear in the animated webseries RWBY. Mythical being in Native American folklore, "Windigo" redirects here. So for some woke culture types it's considered a form of disrespectful cultural appropriation to make your own Halloween monster or character based on a wendigo. I'm just glad I learned this lesson from her before actually getting my book published. So for some woke culture types it's considered a form of disrespectful cultural appropriation to make your own Halloween monster or character based on a wendigo. No they fucking aren't. It also includes the unauthorized use of parts of their culture (their dress, dance, etc.) I believe cultural appropriation is Only when someone of another 'race' or culture creates something and passes it off as if it is authentic. Only assholes think thats offensive. You dont have to be French to love the Phantom of the Opera. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. My tongue and my brain do not speak the right language. For this screenshot controversy, I am actually going to go over a video game for this. Facing History and Ourselves invites educators to explore our case study Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools, particularly our reading "Culture, Stereotypes, and Identity" which features reflection questions surrounding some of the stereotypical media representations that we touch upon at the beginning of this essay. The heroes of books I read, movies I watched, and games I played almost exclusively looked like me when I was growing up, people I could easily identify with. Even in the face of ongoing cultural appropriation and erasure, wendigo stories are but one reflection of the survivance, wisdom, and brilliance of Native peoples. After thinking about it more, I think I get it about the wendigos. Mexicans: Cultural Appropriation PragerU 3.01M subscribers Subscribe 85K Share 2.2M views 4 years ago What is cultural appropriation? We have to stop guarding cultures and subcultures in efforts to preserve them.. And FWIW, I've read stories that disturbed me & even disgusted me but the author has the right to tell their story whether I like it or don't. I have to look! A specimen of folk story collected in the early 20th century by Lottie Chicogquaw Marsden, an ethnographer of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in which a wendigo also exhibits tool use, an ability to survive partial dismemberment, and autocannibalism, reads:[19]. Native Americans shouldn't be a "niche," and neither should women, LGBT people, or people of color. Marvel Comics pay tribute to classic Monsters. Windigo psychosis may well be the most perfect example of the construction of an Aboriginal mental disorder by the scholarly professions, and its persistence dramatically underscores how constructions of the Aboriginal by these professions have, like Frankenstein's monster, taken on a life of their own. And how many would have known that in the past - and even now - the originators of the cornrows, the headdresses, the bindis, would have been persecuted for wearing them? The Wendigo happens to be part of my own (Anishiinaabe) cultural heritage. (1961). I mentioned above that I was guilty of doing the same thing. In a report from the Contemporary Folklore conference covered in issue 388 of FORTEAN TIMES, the go-to magazine for all things paranormal, weird, or unexplained, a complaint is voiced about the cultural appropriation of the Wendigo, likening it to the sexualization of the Mothman statue in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. They heard the Windigo calling the boy. I wouldn't be offended if someone dressed up as a stereotypical native american even though my great grandma was half blackfoot native american. The latest addition to this lineup of wendigo tales is Scott Cooper and Guillermo del Toros horror film Antlers (2021) in which a Native American character provides some brief exposition before the story centered around a white community contending with the monster begins in earnest. Discover short videos related to wendigo cultural appropriation on TikTok. It will survive on it's own. Appropriating the Wendigo As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. Certainly Navajo "skin walkers" are one of the more common Native American legends that non-native writers reference (the only other example I can think of that comes close is the Algonquin Wendigo), but like I said, it would be presumptuous of me to guess at Rowling's research style. Privacy Policy. As a concept, the wendigo can apply to any person, idea, or movement infected by a corrosive drive toward self-aggrandizing greed and excessive consumption, traits that sow disharmony and destruction if left unchecked. One time long ago a big Windigo stole an Indian boy, but the boy was too thin, so the Windigo didn't eat him up right away, but he travelled with the Indian boy waiting for him till he'd get fat. Now that I have a major problem with. Differing thinking is one of the cherished assets of democratic cultural pluralism. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. The idea that diversity and representation can be addressed simply through a "balance between four guys and four girls" or through the removal of "traditional phallic stabbing" troubles me. There's too much variety of opinion on the question to obtain a consensus. MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! Latvians have their own version of Thor, so I probably should be offended, as well. I am so offended! In another unaware move made by a YG artist, mega girl group BLACKPINK, were recently called out for cultural appropriation. My basic rule is simple: be respectful. Wendigo psychosis is a fascinating condition with a storied history. It sounds like you did research which is more that J. K. Rowling so I think yes? She annoys the hell out of me. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. There, he uses the cannibalistic wendigo as a metaphor for the behaviors and attitudes central to patterns of social domination visited upon his own people in the Americas and subjugated peoples everywhere. With the comments turned off on Dollightful's apology video, I thought that maybe we could have some discussion here(if anyone ever sees this, anyway). I don't don't value cultural pluralism. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. That's an easy solution and I still keep my freedom to create. What I do think is not so great was it could have been something that was corrected for the films, where they do have access to people and the internet was more developed in the mid 2000s. Funny how it's only creatures from certain culture's folklore people get pissy over and not others. Cultural appropriation can be defined as the "cherry picking" or selecting of certain aspects of a culture, and ignoring their original significance for the purpose of belittling it as a trend. Wendigo) from its cultural context and its movement by non-Indigenous creators (a large majority being white) into a space of the horror genre that displays negative or antagonistic qualities. If I don't, I'll never know what it is I'm so angry about! Maybe ask a person of Chinese heritage. ][22][failed verification], In historical accounts of retroactively diagnosed Wendigo psychosis, it has been reported that humans became possessed by the wendigo spirit, after being in a situation of needing food and having no other choice besides cannibalism. Shock factor aside, it's especially eye-catching in that it isn't necessarily a result of being desperate for food. Indigenous, Cultural appropriation consists of borrowing something from another culture in mockery or thoughtless misuse. are not cryptids, and don't even traditionally have deer skulls for heads. Cookie Notice It springs from the well of the collective human unconscious, the communal soul. This term only applies to a . Draw/write what you want, I say. Political correctness started out as one thing, a good thing. Eat what you want to eat, tattoo yourself with whatever you want to tattoo yourself with, wear what you want to wear, and let those ove Continue Reading More answers below Now time to go back and make some changes. People were not really using Google until the 2000s and that kind of info might have not been available in the 90s. These bonnets are symbols of warrior achievements and are the equivalent of military medals. It only becomes cultural appropriation when an element of culture is adopted from a marginalized group without respect for its cultural meaning or significance or with the purpose of exploiting the culture One day they came to an Indian village and the Windigo sent the boy to the Indian village to get some things for him to eat. (Anything that isnt outright vandalism isnt likely to harm the statue at all, but I wouldnt dare do anything disrespectful around it. Dollightful's Wendigo Doll - Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation? [49][50] In the 2021 film The Inhuman (L'Inhumain) the arrival of a wendigo symbolizes inner turmoil after a character turns his back on his Indigenous heritage in the pursuit of material success. Pet Sematary is an important cultural artifact thanks to King's widespread popularity and recognition as a horror writer. "Today, many believe the crows to be . In Ojibwe, Eastern Cree, Westmain Swampy Cree, Naskapi, and Innu lore, wendigos are often described as giants that are many times larger than human beings, a characteristic absent from myths in other Algonquian cultures. [28] Given that he resorted to cannibalism so near to food supplies, and that he killed and consumed the remains of all those present, it was revealed that Swift Runner's was not a case of pure cannibalism as a last resort to avoid starvation, but rather of a man with Wendigo psychosis. But I do know the actual description of it. Those things, the predation on the Indians by Europeans, most certainly happened. Though these misrepresentations of the wendigo beg for critical interrogation, the wendigo stories of Algonquian peoples offer a window into the endurance of cultural resources used to transmit significant moral values, and underscore the power of Native people using these stories to engage in social critique. Even before it went live, she was being criticized for her apparently blatant cultural appropriation of Native American folklore, and since publishing the criticism has only grown more pointed. In addition to denoting a cannibalistic monster from certain traditional folklore, some Native Americans also understand the wendigo conceptually. [11], This was the end of the wendigo is part of the traditional belief system of a number of Algonquin-speaking peoples, including the Ojibwe, the Saulteaux, the Cree, the Naskapi, and the Innu. Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe. This form of cultural appropriation is deeply intertwined with systemic and institutionalized racism rooted in capitalism. One does not need to delve very deeply into the annals of American film, television, and literature to find an array of caricatured depictions of Native American peoples and a distortion of their knowledge. Cultural appropriation is the use of a people's traditional dress, music, cuisine, knowledge and other aspects of their culture, without their approval, by members of a different culture. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Even in the face of ongoing cultural appropriation and erasure, wendigo stories are but one reflection of the survivance, wisdom, and brilliance of Native peoples. These things feel formulaic, quantitative, mathematicbalancing equations and subtraction. One of those advisors I just mentioned, Chris Eyre, had this to say of the Wendigo: They [meaning Native peoples] truly, truly believe in it, because it represents greed and colonialism when we first came to the shores of what is now America, and pillaged all of their resources and forced them [into] cannibalism. I'm just struggling to understand the significance of it. The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation; its desiccated skin pulled tautly over its bones. WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS (www.evilcheezproductions.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/evilcheezproductions), specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. Cookie Notice I am just reacting to what I read in this ridiculous PSA journal out there on Deviantart. The reason I chose this game is due to how this game has story in it, and I think it would fit this meme well for an analysis and review. There's nothing wrong with drawing the popular concept of a wendigo monster, or drawing any monster with antlers, and calling it a wendigo. Dollightful's Apology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW-KBzKWvrUTo clear up the addition that I made even more, I think that it would be pretty important for the information on this topic to be easily accessible to her viewers. [16] Whenever a wendigo ate another person, it would grow in proportion to the meal it had just eaten, so it could never be full. See more. The legend of the Wendigo is, in fact, one of the oldest manifestations of a taboo peculiar to most human societies, and which was already widespread among Anglophone tribes: cannibalism. Lurking in the deep woods of the Northern United States and Southern Canada lies a mysterious and fearsome Native American monster, the Wendigo. But as far as cultural appropriation and the Wendigo goes, dont you daredont you DAREtry to take our monsters away from us, PC wankers! While Bieber's locs may be perceived . I mean, I have native heritage, grew up with the culture and I even have a wendigo character in my own comic that's based on the pop-culture version with the elk skull and whatnot so I honestly don't see an issue with it but if you're really concerned then perhaps try a different monster called the Leshy from Slavic folklore? It's taking those cultural. [47], Other creatures based on the legend, or named for it, appear in various films and television shows, including Dark Was the Night, Ravenous , The Lone Ranger (2013),[48] and the 2021 film Antlers by Scott Cooper, where the wendigo is portrayed as a deer-like creature with a glowing heart that moves from person to person with a never ending hunger. J.K. Rowling, author of the absurdly-popular Harry Potter series (of which I'm a massive fan), recently waded into controversy with her four-part "Magic in North America" series, which outlines the Potterverse's American history. Most sensible thing said ever. Is it Cultural Appropriation if I have a Wendigo character. In contrast to modern horror stories that appropriate the wendigo as a plot device, Forbes implies that what actually ought to be terrifying to us is that we live in societies enveloped in violence and exploitation that we struggle to identify as such. The Wendigos are the ultimate antagonists of Until Dawn. For more information, please see our The Windigo had a knife and he'd cut the boy on the hand to see if he was fat enough to eat, but the boy didn't get fat. This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. [29], Another well-known case involving Wendigo psychosis was that of Jack Fiddler, an Oji-Cree chief and medicine man known for his powers at defeating wendigos. Some controversial new studies question the syndrome's legitimacy, claiming cases were actually a product of hostile accusations invented to justify the victim's ostracism or execution."[35]. Posted By : / actual instructions in flowcharting are represented in /; Under :nose exercise before and afternose exercise before and after In some traditions, humans overpowered by greed could turn into wendigos; the myth thus served as a method of encouraging cooperation and moderation. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Sacred creatures? This inspired an entire thread -->, Sucks to be these artists I guess. But I do notice that Eyre stopped short of saying colonialization is the origin for the Wendigo legend. I can write whatever fiction I want, and draw whatever I want. As a concept, wendigo can apply to situations other than some Native American-European relations. With its bones pushing out against its skin, its complexion the ash-gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the Wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. 1. When you comment on, Asian American and Pacific Islander History, Race and Membership in American History: Eugenics. Europeans may well have behaved like Wendigos when they invaded the Americasthey didbut they didnt bring the Wendigo with them. The moral lessons contained in wendigo stories are also used to support the task of social critique in the late Native American scholar Dr. Jack D. Forbes book Columbus and Other Cannibals: The Wtiko Disease of Exploitation, Imperialism, and Terrorism (1978). On the other hand, "The Wendigo" is one of the first representations of the windigo by a Film, I agree with some of it to a point, but disagree with most of it. The line between what differentiates cultural appropriation from cultural appreciation can be razor-thin, not to mention highly . And unfortunately for them, this isn't the first time. By Derrick Clifton. Historically, deciding exactly what culture is hasn't been easy. Idiots have just made a religion out of being racist about culture and only allowing genetic descendants to participate in cultures. Handle the characters and the story with respect. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. And I accept that the Wendigo can symbolize for them that exploitation. And that's exactly the problem. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. What makes the wendigo any different from other culturally important mythological creatures like unicorns? Still though, Im not sure I fully get the Native American spirits(?) But its none of your concern what turns someone on! So it seems to me like the objection might have something to do with an inappropriate mixing of religious contexts from two different belief systems. I am ashamed I watched all the movies. Thats just asking for trouble.) PSA: These 11 Halloween "Costumes" Will Always Be Offensive. spellings (see Colombo 2) but is most commonly rendered as Windigo, Wendigo, or Witiko. [31][32] Others have pointed to a number of credible eyewitness accounts, both by Algonquians and others, as evidence that Wendigo psychosis was a factual historical phenomenon. Cho isn't even only problematic character, Lavander changed her race (in movies, i'm not sure about books but still, Rowling could of said something). As a creator, I believe it is my responsibility, the responsibility of any creator, if using characters that belong to a culture other than mine and exploring themes from that culture, to be accurate. [40][41] Joe Nazare wrote that Blackwood's "subtly-demonizing rhetoric transforms the Wendigo from a native myth into a descriptive template for the Indian savage."[42]. Writer, musician, activist, single father from Chicago. [33], The frequency of Wendigo psychosis cases decreased sharply in the 20th century as Boreal Algonquian people came into greater and greater contact with European ideologies and more sedentary, less rural, lifestyles. I wouldn't be offended if someone dressed as a stereotypical Scottish person whatever that looks like lol. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I do know some natives believe you should not say or write its name because that may make it come or you may be infected and become it. After thinking about it some more, I understand that its a kind of It was okay for these kids to pretend to be Indians but not for these kids to actually be Indians thing but I saw someone claim that it was contributing to colonisation and the death of death of their culture and that felt a bit strong. The windigo, however, continues to seek revenge for this attempted scholarly execution by periodically duping unsuspecting passers-by, like psychiatrists, into believing that windigo psychosis not only exists but that a psychiatrist could conceivably encounter a patient suffering from this disorder in his or her practice today! He wasn't dead. But overall I can't stand JKR. Okay, dont anybody get me wrong. However, PCism taken to its extreme would say that neither Cooper, nor I, should be telling stories about Wendigos at all, since were not of aboriginal descent. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site.
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