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. The Wendigo, also known as the Hollowed, was a type of Creature of Grimm that was proposed to appear in the animated webseries RWBY. New replies are no longer allowed. Creative freedom is a beautiful luxury too many do not understand; it wasn't but a hundred years ago when art was said to have an objective hierarchy, and that was how it was for thousands of years. He wasn't dead. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. The cannibalistic forest creature is known for allegedly . 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? It first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #162 (April 1973), and again in the October 1974 issue. 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. 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. Political correctness started out as one thing, a good thing. The e-book is here, and you can get a paperback copy here.). Doing so is an honorable endeavorbut only if we actually do our homework first. I do not know, nor can I. wa, which may have meant "owl". 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. "Why is indigenous culture suddenly more sacred than any other culture?". The concept of cultural appropriation began well enough, but just like everything else woke culture political correctness, it's gone way too far. Indigenous peoples have seen culturally . You're absolutively spot on! Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe. It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. That, I would affirm, is truly and literally cannibalism, and it is cannibalism accompanied by no spiritually meaningful ceremony or ritual., More than a commentary on the life of wendigo stories amongst his own people, Forbes deploys the metaphor of the wendigo to advance nothing less than a critique of civilization at large and describes the violence that he argues lies at its foundation as one driven by a kind of wendigo psychosis. Why is indigenous culture suddenly more sacred than any other culture? (1961). We do the same thing with a lot of mythological creatures. 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. Mistgod Edited Oct 11, 2020 Hobbyist Traditional Artist Apparently, wendigos are sacred creatures from several indigenous cultures. As described by the Native American Cree legends, they were humans who have been mutated into cannibalistic monsters after being possessed by the Wendigo spirit, causing them to eat the flesh of other humans. I dont know who originally posted it, or where. 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. To Helheimr with it! Strictly speaking, cultural appropriation is the adoption of some element of another culture -- food, language, practices, fashion, etc. The wendigo is seen as the embodiment of gluttony, greed, and excess: never satisfied after killing and consuming one person, they are constantly searching for new victims. [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. Funny how it's only creatures from certain culture's folklore people get pissy over and not others. Those poor men (according to the report given us) were seized with an ailment unknown to us, but not very unusual among the people we were seeking. People don't get offended on scotland's behalf over the common depiction of their national animal as a rainbow farting fairy horse. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Pet Sematary is an important cultural artifact thanks to King's widespread popularity and recognition as a horror writer. And that's exactly the problem. In 1661, The Jesuit Relations reported: It's a term for what happens to people who for one reason or another turn to eating other people. For this screenshot controversy, I am actually going to go over a video game for this. [45] Wrist, the 2016 debut novel by First Nations horror fiction writer Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler (Lac Des Milles Lacs Anishinaabe),[46] combines the traditional Ojibwe legend with the author's ideas inspired by non-Indigenous writers like Anne Rice and Tim Powers. It too is cannibalistic; however, it is characterized as enlightened with ancestral insights. I just posted a new video talking about cultural appropriation and art! It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. That's just pulling a potential explanation out of my ass, though, I have no idea if its accurate or not. I mean yeah I see what your saying, personally I do research on what its about even if I don't use it in it's entirety. Western capitalistic expansion and cultural appropriation (see . The line between what differentiates cultural appropriation from cultural appreciation can be razor-thin, not to mention highly . I'm just struggling to understand the significance of it. From Stephen Kings Pet Sematary to the television series Hanibal, the flesh-eating image of the wendigo is often presented apart from its original cultural contexts where it carries deep moral significance. 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. 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. My Thoughts and Questions OllieOnyx 845 subscribers Subscribe 4.5K 119K views 2 years ago I just posted a new video. Posted By : / actual instructions in flowcharting are represented in /; Under :nose exercise before and afternose exercise before and after I really just want to learn about how to appreciate aspects of cultures that I am not included in respectfully. are not cryptids, and don't even traditionally have deer skulls for heads. Guillermo del Toro, producer of the film, developed the wendigo on the basis that the more the creature eats, the more it gets hungry and the more it gets hungry, the weaker it becomes. 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? In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. [26][27] During the winter of 1878, Swift Runner and his family were starving, and his eldest son died. A nice summary is found here: The concept of cultural appropriation emerged in academia in the late 1970s and 1980s as part of the scholarly critique of colonialism. For example, dressing up as a Native American while using redface and using the gaudiest, most elaborate costume you can think of (using the stereotypical feathered headress, tribal print tan clothing, holding a spear, etc.). No one can try to stake a singular claim to it. Clunky prose aside, this is the "noble savage" trope repurposed for Rowling's universe, with just a pinch of Magical Negro thrown in for good measure. That borrowing and exchanging of cultural elements is what makes America the melting pot of the world. https://www.deviantart.com/forum/community/complaints/2611618/. Create what you want; let the audience decide its fame. 1. The Windigo also has the power to turn humans into cannibals who suffer the same . Lipsitz, writing in the the 1990s, argued that cultural appreciation becomes cultural appropriation "when an element of culture is adopted from a marginalized group without respect for its . It's just fiction, I thought. 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. And they are worth considering including in ones classroom teaching. Thats just asking for trouble.) White authors should be able to write about non-white people. [13] They were strongly associated with winter, the north, coldness, famine, and starvation.[14]. "[37] This application allows Native Americans to describe colonialism and its agents as wendigos since the process of colonialism ejected natives from their land and threw the natural world out of balance. We feed it because we don't know how else to live, and so we live disconnected lives watching the seasons change through windows . Cultural appropriation means using a racial, religious, or social group's customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits without authority or right. BTW, I love rainbow farting unicorns! 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. I read some stuff yesterday saying that teepees are cultural appropriation and there was a long post about how wendigos arent cryptids and how stories about them are cultural appropriation. I have not always done so, and it appears that in this case, J.K. Rowling did not either. 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. I think if a Native American person were telling me not to speak about wendgos or name them out loud near them, I would comply, as I don't want to unreasonably make someone feel anxious or uncomfortable. On the other hand, "The Wendigo" is one of the first representations of the windigo by a Not so for anyone who isn't a straight, white male, and this trend in entertainment forces many people to seek out "niche" markets to find characters who look like them and are portrayed honestly and realistically. Privacy Policy. I know people who are absolutely terrified of them, branching out from their fear of deer. 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. Ojibwe scholar Brady DeSanti asserts that the wendigo "can be understood as a marker indicating a person imbalanced both internally and toward the larger community of human and spiritual beings around them. Jack committed suicide, but Joseph was tried and sentenced to life in prison. Sacred creatures? Shock factor aside, it's especially eye-catching in that it isn't necessarily a result of being desperate for food. Don't tell lies to those Indians." Discover short videos related to wendigo cultural appropriation on TikTok. Created by the writer Steve Englehart and artist Herb Trimpe, the monster is the result of a curse that afflicts those who commit acts of cannibalism. 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). 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. minority cultures deserve a higher level of protection from being put on display than mainstream cultures," Nah, https://forum.deviantart.com/community/complaints/2612415/, https://www.deviantart.com/comments/18/2611618/4878314665, (, literally "goat-sucker") is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas, with the first sightings reported in Puerto Rico. and 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. They went back again to see if he was dead. I wouldn't be offended if someone dressed as a stereotypical Scottish person whatever that looks like lol. Representation in media is crucially important, something I have become very aware of as I've grown older and consumed more entertainment. 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. Copyright 2022 Facing History & Ourselves. It shouldn't be bad thing if you don't mock culture, make sure to have all information you can ( read books from culture or ask someone who grew up with said culture if they are willing to teach you) but then again they aren't from your culture and unlike creatures like vampires they are a bit more closed i don't know is it good to use them. The "Dark Horse" singer . The boy told the Indians that the Windigo was near them, and showed them his hand where the Windigo cut him to see if he was fat enough to eat. Just as the vampire and werewolf do not belong exclusively to people of European descent and the Mummy doesnt belong to Egyptians. They're monsters. The Wendigo may be a figure from American Indian mythology, but it belongs to all of humankind. [21] The last known wendigo ceremony conducted in the United States was at Lake Windigo of Star Island of Cass Lake, within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota.[when? Magazine with fellow environmental thought leaders, LaDuke said: Theres this conflict between the cannibals and Mother Earth, and its going on everywhere. It sounds like you did research which is more that J. K. Rowling so I think yes? You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Windigo is a malevolent manitou or spirit whose insatiable appetite for human flesh can never be satisfied. You dont have to be of Afro-Caribbean descent to talk about, write about, or make movies about zombies. In their most recent music video for 'How You Like That', fans spotted a Ganesha idol kept on the ground, in the background of the music video. A classic example is wearing a Plains Indian war bonnet (see the 80s band The Village People). I have to look! 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. [20], Among the Assiniboine, the Cree, and the Ojibwe, a satirical ceremonial dance is sometimes performed during times of famine to reinforce the seriousness of the wendigo taboo. Idiots have just made a religion out of being racist about culture and only allowing genetic descendants to participate in cultures. Cultural appropriation by a dominant culture is harmful to underrepresented cultures because it reduces cultural significance and reinforces double standards. 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. There's nothing wrong with drawing the popular concept of a wendigo monster, or drawing any monster with antlers, and calling it a wendigo. The novel describes its primary antagonist, a rapist whose violent crimes desecrate a sacred site, as a wendigo who must be killed because he threatens the reservation's safety. I can't say for sure how much research Rowling did when writing her series, but others have pointed out that it doesn't seem like much. His line of questioning effectively asks what if the monstrosity we face is actually not an otherworldly presence but our all too human selves?. Unlike cultural appropriation, strategic anti-essentialism can be practiced by both minority cultures and majority cultures. [30], Fascination with Wendigo psychosis among Western ethnographers, psychologists, and anthropologists led to a hotly debated controversy in the 1980s over the historicity of this phenomenon. I would agree, only I am more likely to not care much even what an Algonquin cares about my monster character. You dont have to be French to love the Phantom of the Opera. Basil H. Johnston, an Ojibwe teacher and scholar from Ontario, gives a description of a wendigo: The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. Im glad, because I dont believe that it is. 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. .mw-parser-output .verse_translation .translated{padding-left:2em}@media only screen and (max-width:43.75em){.mw-parser-output .verse_translation.wrap_when_small td{display:block;padding-left:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .verse_translation.wrap_when_small .translated{padding-left:0.5em}}, Ce qui nous mit plus en peine, fut la nouvelle que nous apprismes ds l'entre du Lac, sauoir: que les deputez par nostre Conducteur, qui deuoient conuoquer les Nations la Mer du Nord, et leur donner le rendez-vous pour nous y attendre, auoient est tuez l'Hiuer pass, d'une faon estonnante. without permission.1 If an idea has merit, it doesn't need protecting. I can't even think about bank without getting mad, why did she need to make them like that..EVERY name is filled with stereotypes , well every name from minority .I don't even want to talk about Fantastic Beasts problems. There's too much variety of opinion on the question to obtain a consensus. 8.1.2014. [28] He eventually confessed and was executed by authorities at Fort Saskatchewan. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. After thinking about it more, I think I get it about the wendigos. 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. If I can draw my own version of a Chinese dragon, or my own version of angel or demon, I can draw a wendigo. It's like saying vampires are sacred. As a concept, wendigo can apply to situations other than some Native American-European relations. See more. I do not know whether Algonquin People indeed consider Wendigo depictions in mainstream media so culturally sensitive or taboo as the "woke" in your lead comment implied I would somehow doubt it but do not know for sure. The idea of getting down to the nitty-gritty came from the 18th century English slave trade, when nitty-gritty referred to the worthless debris left at the ship's bottom compartment after slaves had been evacuatedand evolved to include the slaves themselves. 11. The Witherell House and the Cult of Weird, Movie Review: BIRDS OF PREY (And the Fantabulous Inclusion of Victor Zsasz and a Hyena). The Wendigo happens to be part of my own (Anishiinaabe) cultural heritage. I am just reacting to what I read in this ridiculous PSA journal out there on Deviantart. J.K is weird for using name like that, it isn't hard to google names, i know she wrote books before internet was as "popular" as now, but i honestly doubt that she couldn't find name and surname of east asian person, she could of used names from either celebrity ( use surname of one and name of other or something like that), she could of used name from character from some book, there were ways of finding name that isn't bad as Cho-Chang, also i find it a bit weird that said character is in "smart" house, feels way to stereotypical for me. More Than Monsters: The Deeper Significance of Wendigo Stories, often presented apart from its original cultural contexts, At Facing History and Ourselves, we value conversationin classrooms, in our professional development for educators, and online. Other sources say wendigos were created when a human resorted to cannibalism to survive. The game I will be going over in this is Until Dawn, a horror game made by Supermassive Games, made . You're just making up a story. I'm all for respecting other people's cultures, but straight up trying to tell people they can't respectfully depict a fictional creature because it's ,,stealing" or ,,evoking the creature" or something is just way too overboard. 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. 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). [10], The Wechuge is a similar being that appears in the legends of the Athabaskan people of the Northwest Pacific Coast. Replying to @luciproletariatfox #culturalappropriation #wendigoon, #yeti #wendigo #voodoodoll #culturalappropriation, #duet with @firelotusthewitch #culturalappropriation #vvitchtok #vvitch #witchywoman #pagantok #norsepagan #norsetok #pagansoftiktok #pagancommunity, I am curious to hear the opinions of others on this one. She states that the wendigo symbolically represents three major concepts: it is the incarnation of winter, the embodiment of hunger, and the personification of selfishness. Europeans may well have behaved like Wendigos when they invaded the Americasthey didbut they didnt bring the Wendigo with them. As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. He said, "You bet there is, I have eaten lots of Indians, no wonder they are fat." Send them to Marvel. And you know what? We should talk about how Thor and Loki are cultural appropriation of Norwegian mythology. Draw/write what you want, I say. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. For more information, please see our Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. But I do know the actual description of it. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. I am so offended! The Wendigo (Also known as windigo, weendigo, windago, waindigo, windiga, witiko, wihtikow, and various other names including manaha) originates from Native-American legend, and is said to be a demonic half-beast as told by the Algonquian peoples along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. If ANYTHING is disrespectful to woke (does not exist in the real world) culture then I say: DO IT - AND DO IT BIG!!!
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