wendigo appropriation

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. teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. Is it cultural appropriation for a white author to use a Native Tell us about it in the comments. 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. You must be here to either learn more about social justice or answer questions from a social justice viewpoint. Now that I have a major problem with. PDF Windigo manitou - Portland State University J.K. Rowling's Cultural Appropriation Should Be A Lesson To - HuffPost 0000003862 00000 n U%.CI$ FKe{CiV/\Lg1DD$A!=FHD6 EInw^9qkCh&1rvR'`{7X wEB7Az~q0n8 t)$xh1rQJ,p>O/$-J)'OTk|m9(k|6U g/-JU;WM}7d5)V.yX=Qu,TDI+CA_5U|nH$WK7G3-aYaqeV2jWQV6C6OY"W5?x;f_27j3Y)/G`j|e9NHCp+-r4g7D? c! This articlescross-media analysiscovers television, film and game media;Teen Wolf(201117),Supernatural(200520), Bruce WemplesThe Retreat(2020) and SuperMassive GamesUntil Dawn(2015). Welcome to Facing Today, a Facing History blog. <<410561E535828C4ABA4EA5627C70A225>]/Prev 78716/XRefStm 1365>> 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. 246 0 obj <> endobj My Thoughts and Questions OllieOnyx 845 subscribers Subscribe 4.5K 119K views 2 years ago I just posted a new video talking. symL,JyvCq;[H~! For more information, please see our 0000000016 00000 n 0000012532 00000 n It may be used to justify calling. 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. In most traditions, the wendigo is human in origin and becomes a monster through a process that results either from acts of starvation-induced cannibalism or from possession by a spirit. For resources: http://reddit.com/r/SRSDiscussion/wiki/required. 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. 0000007477 00000 n Cultural appropriation of Native American culture | Plaid Line By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 0000001546 00000 n New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Wendigos, teepees and cultural appropriation : r/socialjustice101 - Reddit George warns those who are leaving about the Wendigo myth: anyone who consumes the flesh of their enemies takes their strength but becomes a demon cursed by an insatiable hunger for more human flesh. Cooper and del Toro made the conscious decision to tell the story of the wendigo in a way that is respectful to its Native American roots, which in turn helps make Antlers a more authentic horror film. This space is not for debate. x\o7a_h ss+yHL$eW}gfw)$/D !;n*+v}}uSU|.&-y wendigo cultural appropriation Political Correctness and the Wendigo | Werewolves Learn how your comment data is processed. Abstract. In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. +9*]aty``mZm/[= ${2R{!g=b{B,L0R2"T]IDa. As a creator, I believe it is my responsibility, the responsibility of any creator, if using characters that belong to a culture other than mine and exploring themes from that culture, to be accurate. 0000009056 00000 n And they are worth considering including in ones classroom teaching. A Creature Without a Cave: Abstraction and (Mis)Appropriation of the Usually, the appropriating culture is in a relation of domination to the appropriated culture. 0000012791 00000 n Wendigos, teepees and cultural appropriation I read some stuff yesterday saying that teepees are cultural appropriation and there was a long post about how wendigos aren't cryptids and how stories about them are cultural appropriation. With the comments turned off on Dollightful's apology video, I thought that maybe we could have some discussion here(if anyone ever sees this, anyway). 0000004651 00000 n From Stephen Kings Pet Sematary to the television series Hanibal, the flesh-eating image of the wendigo is often presented apart from its original cultural contexts where it carries deep moral significance. These bonnets are symbols of warrior achievements and are the equivalent of military medals. xref Dollightful's Apology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW-KBzKWvrUTo clear up the addition that I made even more, I think that it would be pretty important for the information on this topic to be easily accessible to her viewers. But as far as cultural appropriation and the Wendigo goes, dont you daredont you DAREtry to take our monsters away from us, PC wankers! A Creature Without a Cave | Reinvention: an International Journal of P\^$'$@YWSB;Td54BD?YH"'kh::a;Vqz&4|:>)xP2n |94NrOqE'6 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. 17spaz 2 yr. ago In the course of the transformation from human to wendigo, the person exhibits increasing selfishness, violence, hunger, and greed particularly for human flesh. 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).There, he uses the cannibalistic wendigo as a metaphor for the behaviors and attitudes central to patterns of social domination . i don't know if anyone has talked about this, but i have a special interest in Native American culture, history, etc. I have always felt a distinct emotional connection to it, in fact. Why the Wendigo is Not My Monster - Mysterious Universe 1 0 obj 0000020040 00000 n This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Only those entitled to them should wear them. 13 Cultural Appropriation Examples (2023) - Helpful Professor 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. 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. (A friend sent this screenshot to me, along with the info, because he knows how much PC-ism pisses me off. These new narratives that white people make fail to acknowledge that the wendigo, and the Indi. <> She's part of a group of young adults created in a lab (she's the only one who wasn't) who have these special abilities. endobj Scan this QR code to download the app now. Would getting a tattoo of the wendigo be cultural appropriation - Quora a lot of Natives and people in general don't even like saying the word itself. Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe. 0000005304 00000 n Have you encountered wendigo stories in films, television shows, or books? Stolen Spirits: The Appropriation of the Windigo Spirit in Horror His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 More Than Monsters: The Deeper Significance of Wendigo Stories 0000010400 00000 n Stolen Spirits: The Appropriation of the Windigo Spirit in Horror Literature. 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. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> 0000005961 00000 n Dollightful's Wendigo Doll - Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation? My Answer (1 of 8): Yes, unless actively researched with proper resources and talked to with First Nation folks as proof-readers. 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. This article analyses prominent examples of the Wendigo myth in modern North American horror media and the implications of misappropriation by non-Indigenous creators for non-Indigenous audiences. (Think Noah from . You dont have to be French to love the Phantom of the Opera. Is it offensive to wear a wendigo costume? For context I'm - Quora Film, stream 0000010971 00000 n It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. 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. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 9'b_X~~@0CKYO~8yOK9I$^I>t Im just struggling to understand the significance of it. 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. 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. Copyright 2022 Facing History & Ourselves. I really just want to learn about how to appreciate aspects of cultures that I am not included in respectfully. The concept of cultural appropriation began well enough, but just like everything else woke culture political correctness, it's gone way too far. 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). s\&|5T!JN04hy'I0 1pv=~0-K$k}xSK"g:O*ox&zGa13(YXzy_{v-N^!c@[H So, thanks, Dave! It's taboo to the Anishaabe people, but the common depiction of it in media is no where near the original frozen cannibal spirit that the legends are based off of. 278 0 obj <>stream She is Native American. Magazine with fellow environmental thought leaders, LaDuke said: Theres this conflict between the cannibals and Mother Earth, and its going on everywhere. 0000001705 00000 n Finally, it's just not that hard to do two minutes of. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge It has become something else altogether. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 0000002723 00000 n In most traditions, the wendigo is human in origin and becomes a monster through a process that results either from acts of starvation-induced cannibalism or from possession by a spirit. Mythologynote my use of the capital M to convey that it is far more than just some made-up stories; it is stories containing deeper spiritual truthsbelongs to all of humanity. The windigo is a Native American spirit belonging to the Algonquian tribes of North America and Canada. Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. Stolen Spirits | Digital Literature Review - Ball State University We do the same thing with a lot of mythological creatures. Privacy Policy. Western appropriation has long-lasting effects on the perceptions of Native American cultures by the average consumer and even scientific communities. 0000008549 00000 n It has no place in the world of Folklore and monsters. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Okay, dont anybody get me wrong. Ill admit, my initial reaction was very dismissive. Until Dawn: On Representation, the Horror Genre, and the Illusion of Beyond Forbes, other Native American thinkers have also used wendigo stories to present critical perspectives on various social problems and call for their resolution. ])yB\}OIZyY8 aA6Vo !C_D#!MYik.1>%'5ryZ*>fb=n#_dr;j5 { 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. In the course of the transformation from human to wendigo, the person exhibits increasing selfishness, violence, hunger, and greedparticularly for human flesh. I just posted a new video talking about cultural appropriation and art! I'm just struggling to understand the significance of it. 0000015547 00000 n Im glad, because I dont believe that it is. With teepees, Im not sure I get it. 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. 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. 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. As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. Kaitlin Smith on November 30, 2021. Those things, the predation on the Indians by Europeans, most certainly happened. Please report rule violations. My basic rule is simple: be respectful. The paper concludes that employing the Wendigo as a caveless creature is a common practice within horror as it easily creates a villain for white protagonists to defeat repeatedly. Posts and comments should be substantive, and assertions backed in fact or personal lived experience. Ravenous (1999 film) - Wikipedia The Witherell House and the Cult of Weird, Movie Review: BIRDS OF PREY (And the Fantabulous Inclusion of Victor Zsasz and a Hyena). Cultural appropriation consists of borrowing something from another culture in mockery or thoughtless misuse. This is a place to learn more bout Social Justice But I do notice that Eyre stopped short of saying colonialization is the origin for the Wendigo legend. 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. 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. 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. 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. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Although well-documented in Western literature, the windigo spirit of stories like Pet Sematary by Stephen King and The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood are stripped of their original context and are mere stereotypes of the cultures they originate from. And besides that, it never hurts to include your sources. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. Thats just asking for trouble.) Hunchman, K. N. (2020). As a concept, wendigo can apply to situations other than some Native American-European relations. 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. "@TheThiccholas @realcoolJAY They can't say Issa wendigo cus of cultural appropriation props to them buuuuuut also WENDIGO type energy sooo " Native Americans, Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. 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. they've been stripped of cultural context. 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. Driving down a dark quiet highway in Southern Manitoba, a man sees someone bent over on the side of the road. 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. MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! And whoever!). After thinking about it more, I think I get it about the wendigos. I have this character in a webcomic I want to write who is a Wendigo. Be supportive, this is a place for growth, not hostility. Why are wendigos seen as offensive? : r/NoStupidQuestions - Reddit Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Not only is it not offensive, I LOVE seeing references to wendigos in popular culture! and our 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. Posted by And were on the right side, thats what were working on but sometimes you get that cannibal tendency. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. It was intended to be a lesson on human greed and the damage it can cause. Smith and Fiore detail that, among the Cree and northernmost Ojibwa, it is a feared creature because it is understood as both a 'mythic character' and as a threat to humans (2010: 68). Wendigo - Wikipedia 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. 0000007047 00000 n 4. It springs from the well of the collective human unconscious, the communal soul. 4 0 obj the origins don't even depict the w*ndigo with deer antlers, but a human with bitten off lips. 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. 3. When the soldiers reach Ives' cave, Boyd and Reich investigate. One recurring theme across these storytelling mediums is the use of the wendigoalso spelled wtikoa monstrous figure from Algonquian mythology who exhibits an insatiable greed along with a desire for human flesh. spellings (see Colombo 2) but is most commonly rendered as Windigo, Wendigo, or Witiko. Just as the vampire and werewolf do not belong exclusively to people of European descent and the Mummy doesnt belong to Egyptians. <>/Metadata 266 0 R/ViewerPreferences 267 0 R>> %PDF-1.7 That's just pulling a potential explanation out of my ass, though, I have no idea if its accurate or not. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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). I know what cultural appropriation is but Ive not been as involved in social justice as I used to be and I guess its showing. So yeah, if anyone could offer any insight/information, thatd be appreciated. The windigo is a Native American spirit belonging to the Algonquian tribes of North America and Canada. 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. 0000013308 00000 n 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. and our 0000023412 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. Still though, Im not sure I fully get the Native American spirits(?) How stupid to think otherwise. Handle the characters and the story with respect. For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! arent cryptids thing. Appropriating the Wendigo | Werewolves Sponsored by Ball State University Libraries. :)Looking to buy some stickers or look at some pictures of my art or my other things? 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. 0000009954 00000 n 0000004071 00000 n o&g( Privacy Policy. By Christian Chiakulas, Contributor Writer, musician, activist, single father from Chicago. Found out that my Wendigo creature is insensitive. What should - Reddit This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 0000011489 00000 n MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! It was already here. 1. %%EOF The Wendigo may be a figure from American Indian mythology, but it belongs to all of humankind. Windigo is a malevolent manitou or spirit whose insatiable appetite for human flesh can never be satisfied. This article's cross-media analysis covers television, film and game media; Teen Wolf (2011-17), Supernatural (2005-20), Bruce Wemple's The Retreat (2020) and SuperMassive Games' Until Dawn . If so, what did you think about it? 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. 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. Early folklore described them as tall and impossibly emaciated humanoids with sharp incisors and a heart of ice. I believe that the Wendigo is far older than that, far more primal. 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. 7 (2020): Ghosts and Cultural Hauntings. Participate in good faith. appropriation that has troubled the exchange between Indigenous .

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