During a panel at YES! Cookie Notice a lot of Natives and people in general don't even like saying the word itself. It has become something else altogether. hb```b``Ub`e``s`g@ ~+ a1fm{s/K5N9MHd@*2Ey]#B}>x,&ucrnhm:HkN=_B }Wzp.S#WCXi;dRa ,.0H*. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. ])yB\}OIZyY8 aA6Vo !C_D#!MYik.1>%'5ryZ*>fb=n#_dr;j5 { Beyond Forbes, other Native American thinkers have also used wendigo stories to present critical perspectives on various social problems and call for their resolution. We should show proper respect to our Cryptids at all times, and Im rightfully righteously indignant at the thought of anyone doing otherwise with Mothman. Rules: Privacy Policy. It has no place in the world of Folklore and monsters. 0000010971 00000 n I analyze the way the windigo are represented in Western literature and argue that Native American spirits should belong to the cultures they originate from. endobj Scan this QR code to download the app now. This analysis will trace the process of these media, made by non-Indigenous white creators, removing the Wendigos indigeneity and placing it within fictional settings as an antagonist. %PDF-1.7 And whoever!). 4 0 obj In this paper, I document the depictions of windigo in Native American mythology, those of Western literature, and the effects of appropriation and misrepresentation on Native communities. You must be here to either learn more about social justice or answer questions from a social justice viewpoint. Native Americans, Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. 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). This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The question of how to challenge the wtiko psychosis as described by Forbes and Wendigo Economics as described by LaDuke is a difficult one, but the mythic force of the concept of the wendigo helps to underscore the urgency of these questions. Ill admit, my initial reaction was very dismissive. it's just something thats been bothering me so i thought it'd come to reddit to see what other people thought. 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. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 I think she knew that her decision would be challenged and she wanted to let people know that she had valid reasons for doing what she did. I have always felt a distinct emotional connection to it, in fact. Only assholes think thats offensive. :)Looking to buy some stickers or look at some pictures of my art or my other things? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Please report rule violations. 0000015547 00000 n Ojibwe scholar Dr. Brady Santi has developed this guide for teachers who would like to teach students about her communitys unique belief systems with an emphasis on the wendigo as it appears in popular films. 0000006529 00000 n Although this article is specifically observing the Wendigo, I argue that it is one of many caveless creatures, and the treatment of them by creators of non-Indigenous horror genre should be analysed in the future. Privacy Policy. As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. Since the concept of a wendigo stems from First Nations folklore, maybe someone making a cute little doll of this evil spirit figure was seen as inappropriate or making fun of their culture? His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 <> P\^$'$@YWSB;Td54BD?YH"'kh::a;Vqz&4|:>)xP2n |94NrOqE'6 Tell us about it in the comments. In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. However, it never provents for people of that tribe to share this and that story. i enjoy his content, but the w*ndigo is part of a closed religion and is supposed to be a lesson about human greed and selfishness, not a cannibal monster story. For more information, please see our Indigenous, These bonnets are symbols of warrior achievements and are the equivalent of military medals. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. It was already here. 0000000016 00000 n But I do notice that Eyre stopped short of saying colonialization is the origin for the Wendigo legend. This articlescross-media analysiscovers television, film and game media;Teen Wolf(201117),Supernatural(200520), Bruce WemplesThe Retreat(2020) and SuperMassive GamesUntil Dawn(2015). Answer (1 of 8): Yes, unless actively researched with proper resources and talked to with First Nation folks as proof-readers. My basic rule is simple: be respectful. Cultural appropriation consists of borrowing something from another culture in mockery or thoughtless misuse. symL,JyvCq;[H~! Posts and comments should be substantive, and assertions backed in fact or personal lived experience. (Think Noah from . Western appropriation has long-lasting effects on the perceptions of Native American cultures by the average consumer and even scientific communities. The deaths of tens of millions of Jews, Slavs, etc., at the hands of the Nazis, the deaths of tens of millions of blacks in slavery days, the deaths of up to 30 million or more Indians in the 1500s, the terribly short life spans of Mexican Indian farm workers in the US, and of Native Americans generally today, the high death rates in the early industrial centers among factory workers, and so on, all clearly attest to the fact that the wealthy and exploitative literally consume the lives of those that they exploit. The Wendigo may be a figure from American Indian mythology, but it belongs to all of humankind. 0000001365 00000 n This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. The Wendigo is a 'terrifying cannibal ice monster that has its genesis in stories of people forced into cannibalism by the long winter' (Smith and Fiore, 2010: 68). Answer (1 of 6): First and foremost, I'm not telling you this because I personally have a problem with you dressing as a wendigo for a cryptid fair, but we are living in an age of cancel culture where a costume you sported ten years ago might be used against you. In Algonquian traditions, the wendigo monster emerges not randomly or in violent response to colonialism as it often does in popular media but through a specific set of circumstances that are unique to different tribal groupings. 9'b_X~~@0CKYO~8yOK9I$^I>t A classic example is wearing a Plains Indian war bonnet (see the 80s band The Village People). Its incredibly validating to know that other people have heard about it and enjoy the story enough to make reference to the name and concept. And were on the right side, thats what were working on but sometimes you get that cannibal tendency. Magazine with fellow environmental thought leaders, LaDuke said: Theres this conflict between the cannibals and Mother Earth, and its going on everywhere. By Christian Chiakulas, Contributor Writer, musician, activist, single father from Chicago. The wendigo is intended to embody hunger, particularly as refracted through the icy cold of winter and the monstrous things that people do when their appetites overwhelm them. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The windigo is a per-sonal spirit that still belongs to the Native American cultures from which it has been taken, and the appropriation of this spirit harms Native American communities by poorly representing their beliefs for a marketable gain. MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! arent cryptids thing. So, thanks, Dave! He writes: Wtiko is a Cree termwhich refers to a cannibal or, more specifically, to an evil person or spirit who terrorizes other creatures by means of terrible evil acts, including cannibalism I have come to the conclusion that imperialism and exploitation are forms of cannibalism and, in fact, are precisely those forms of cannibalism which are most diabolical or evil It should be understood that wtikos do not eat other humans only in a symbolic sense. One example is Ojibwe activist Winona LaDuke who has called for a decisive shift away from what she has termed Wendigo Economics for the sake of the health of the natural world. We do the same thing with a lot of mythological creatures. On top of that, the wendigo is a part of death. If you were to look around the world about other religions, anything that is associated with death and disease is regarded upon. 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). <>/Metadata 266 0 R/ViewerPreferences 267 0 R>> o&g( and our Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. For more information, please see our How stupid to think otherwise. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. 0000004651 00000 n My Thoughts and Questions OllieOnyx 845 subscribers Subscribe 4.5K 119K views 2 years ago I just posted a new video talking. By looking at the depictions of windigo in these specific Western stories and in Native American beliefs, it is possible to see how stripping spirits of their original contexts is harmful to Native communities. startxref In this paper, I document the depictions of windigo in Native American mythology, those of Western literature, and the effects of appropriation and misrepresentation on Native communities. Kaitlin Smith on November 30, 2021. This construction is problematic in the horror genre as it presents an Indigenous antagonist that poses a threat to white culture for its otherness and indigeneity while at the same time, misappropriating, discarding and demonising the Indigenous culture the myth comes from, at whim. Copyright (c) 2022 Francesca Amee Johnson, https://doi.org/10.31273/reinvention.v15iS1.906, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, Accepts submissions from any undergraduate student, worldwide, including student-staff collaborations (student must be lead author), Edited by students and staff at the University of Warwick and Monash University. MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! 7 (2020): Ghosts and Cultural Hauntings. 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. The concept of cultural appropriation began well enough, but just like everything else woke culture political correctness, it's gone way too far. 0000012532 00000 n <> hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(443401, 'c61f3219-a9f3-4b0c-95ea-f614a80c184b', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Pictured above: A portion of the poster for the film Antlers (Fox Searchlight, 2021). Wendigos, teepees and cultural appropriation I read some stuff yesterday saying that teepees are cultural appropriation and there was a long post about how wendigos aren't cryptids and how stories about them are cultural appropriation. 0000003862 00000 n For resources: http://reddit.com/r/SRSDiscussion/wiki/required. As a concept, wendigo can apply to situations other than some Native American-European relations. and our That's just pulling a potential explanation out of my ass, though, I have no idea if its accurate or not. i love the videos uploaded to youtube and try to keep up with posts, so this is by no means a bash at Wendigoon. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. Basically, the wendigo was supposed to be a creature you didn't even say the name of or else you could draw the attention of one. 1 0 obj Posted by This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Finally, it's just not that hard to do two minutes of. Copyright 2022 Facing History & Ourselves. Cookie Notice Okay, dont anybody get me wrong. Learn how your comment data is processed. %PDF-1.4 % 246 0 obj <> endobj J.K. Rowling's Cultural Appropriation Should Be A Lesson To White Writers Native Americans shouldn't be a "niche," and neither should women, LGBT people, or people of color. I believe that the Wendigo is far older than that, far more primal. 17spaz 2 yr. ago 278 0 obj <>stream I really just want to learn about how to appreciate aspects of cultures that I am not included in respectfully. You dont have to be of Afro-Caribbean descent to talk about, write about, or make movies about zombies. In the course of the transformation from human to wendigo, the person exhibits increasing selfishness, violence, hunger, and greed particularly for human flesh. It springs from the well of the collective human unconscious, the communal soul. And besides that, it never hurts to include your sources. If so, what did you think about it? 0000013308 00000 n The windigo is a Native American spirit belonging to the Algonquian tribes of North America and Canada. 0000012791 00000 n Driving down a dark quiet highway in Southern Manitoba, a man sees someone bent over on the side of the road. Welcome to Facing Today, a Facing History blog. 0000020040 00000 n 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. As much as I would love to tell everyone to just read her sources and then be able to understand everything better, I just don't think that's realistic for most people(because they are not easily accessible to most, and I don't think that was her intention by including these in her description. Only those entitled to them should wear them. I have named this observation of the Wendigothe Caveless Creature phenomenon. Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. Archived post. 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. media has really misconstrued the original lore and importance of the w*ndigo to Indigenous culture. 0000004071 00000 n The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Le Guin, to the science-fiction universes of Delany and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond. endobj <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> +9*]aty``mZm/[= ${2R{!g=b{B,L0R2"T]IDa. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 0000003976 00000 n Usually, the appropriating culture is in a relation of domination to the appropriated culture. This space is not for debate. That is why we know about the wendigo today, it is an oral tradition like all the . teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe. 0000011489 00000 n 0000012030 00000 n Sponsored by Ball State University Libraries. 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. 0000001546 00000 n 4. Film, T[,%q5 Be supportive, this is a place for growth, not hostility. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Dollightful's Wendigo Doll - Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation? It was intended to be a lesson on human greed and the damage it can cause. There's nothing wrong with drawing the popular concept of a wendigo monster, or drawing any monster with antlers, and calling it a wendigo. Thus I support Scott Cooper, the director of the forthcoming (hopefully by next spring) ANTLERS, in his efforts to seek out consultation from Indian advisors when making his movie, which features a Wendigo. When you comment on, Asian American and Pacific Islander History, Race and Membership in American History: Eugenics. Although well-documented in Western literature, the windigo spirit of stories like . wendigo cultural appropriation [26][27] During the winter of 1878, Swift Runner and his family were starving, and his eldest son died.

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