Appropriating the Wendigo As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. 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). 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. For more information, please see our 0000000016 00000 n When she was brought to the lab she already had the curse of the Wendigo but after she was "updated" she had visible antlers and could change her shape. This is a story shared not merely for entertainment but to reinforce the communal values that allow the communities in which this practice occurs to live well with one another and within their environments. Marvel Comics pay tribute to classic Monsters. 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. "@TheThiccholas @realcoolJAY They can't say Issa wendigo cus of cultural appropriation props to them buuuuuut also WENDIGO type energy sooo " 0000003862 00000 n Dollightful's Wendigo Doll - Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation? He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. 0000012030 00000 n Cultural appropriation consists of borrowing something from another culture in mockery or thoughtless misuse. You must be here to either learn more about social justice or answer questions from a social justice viewpoint. The Wendigo may be a figure from American Indian mythology, but it belongs to all of humankind. 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. 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). hb```b``Ub`e``s`g@ ~+ a1fm{s/K5N9MHd@*2Ey]#B}>x,&ucrnhm:HkN=_B }Wzp.S#WCXi;dRa ,.0H*. 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). 0000002723 00000 n 0000001546 00000 n I dont know who originally posted it, or where. In the course of the transformation from human to wendigo, the person exhibits increasing selfishness, violence, hunger, and greedparticularly for human flesh. 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. 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. So, thanks, Dave! Posted by defence-cultural-appropriation Cultural appropriation is defined by Britannica.com as "When members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way." Cultural appropriation is a growing topic in this country that when it occurs, or is discussed, often creates controversy. 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. 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). 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. appropriation that has troubled the exchange between Indigenous . 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. 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. 2 0 obj With teepees, Im not sure I get it. Windigo is a malevolent manitou or spirit whose insatiable appetite for human flesh can never be satisfied. The Witherell House and the Cult of Weird, Movie Review: BIRDS OF PREY (And the Fantabulous Inclusion of Victor Zsasz and a Hyena). 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. 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. So yeah, if anyone could offer any insight/information, thatd be appreciated. For more information, please see our <>/Metadata 266 0 R/ViewerPreferences 267 0 R>> By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 4. 0000004651 00000 n <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> I really just want to learn about how to appreciate aspects of cultures that I am not included in respectfully. 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. 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. Only assholes think thats offensive. I'm just struggling to understand the significance of it. 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 . 0000011489 00000 n 0000005304 00000 n Kaitlin Smith on November 30, 2021. Western appropriation has long-lasting effects on the perceptions of Native American cultures by the average consumer and even scientific communities. so im sort of clueless how reddit works and made an account for this, so bare with me. 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. 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. 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. His line of questioning effectively asks what if the monstrosity we face is actually not an otherworldly presence but our all too human selves?. 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. 0000003976 00000 n the origins don't even depict the w*ndigo with deer antlers, but a human with bitten off lips. Welcome to Facing Today, a Facing History blog. 0000009954 00000 n %PDF-1.4 % 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. Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. Learn how your comment data is processed. 0000001365 00000 n 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. Driving down a dark quiet highway in Southern Manitoba, a man sees someone bent over on the side of the road. i don't think there should be any 'canceling' of Wendigoon or whatever, but definitely something should be said. Here's some links:Website - https://thesierramistify.wixsite.com/thesierramistifyEtsy - https://www.etsy.com/shop/thesierramistify?ref=simple-shop-header-name\u0026listing_id=736195213Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesierramistify/Art Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesierramistify.art/- Music used in this video -Prime Beatz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkG3r3-ODOw 3 0 obj 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. Now that I have a major problem with. 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. Just as the vampire and werewolf do not belong exclusively to people of European descent and the Mummy doesnt belong to Egyptians. 0000010971 00000 n These new narratives that white people make fail to acknowledge that the wendigo, and the Indi. 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. 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. Scan this QR code to download the app now. During a panel at YES! To Helheimr with it! 0000008549 00000 n And whoever!). 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. <> If you do go as a specific person, avoid figures of religious or cultural significance to a particular group to which you do not belong. 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. 4 0 obj It was intended to be a lesson on human greed and the damage it can cause. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. startxref Early folklore described them as tall and impossibly emaciated humanoids with sharp incisors and a heart of ice. However, it never provents for people of that tribe to share this and that story. Okay, dont anybody get me wrong. Answer (1 of 8): Yes, unless actively researched with proper resources and talked to with First Nation folks as proof-readers. 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. 0000001705 00000 n 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.

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