But its none of your concern what turns someone on! As researchers, most of us are lost in a wilderness filled with Windigo, Skinwalkers and various other indigenous cosmological entities, and we need to recognize we have no idea what we are talking about. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The horror film Antlers adopts an old monster for its story, which serves as both a benefit and a hindrance. It really depends who you talk to. (Anything that isnt outright vandalism isnt likely to harm the statue at all, but I wouldnt dare do anything disrespectful around it. Cultural appropriation is a huge red flag that the brand has minimal diversity or representation behind the scenes," she explains. 9 Neil Jamieson-Williams Science Fiction Writer (part-time/now full-time) at Self-Employment (1977-present) Author has 1.7K answers and 1.1M answer views Updated 6 mo Ah, another Mike Wilson question If an idea has merit, it doesn't need protecting. We feed it because we don't know how else to live, and so we live disconnected lives watching the seasons change through windows . The Indians asked the Windigo if there was any fat on them. 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. To fully understand its consequences, though, we need to make sure we have a working definition of culture itself. . I'm not skilled enough to draw these (")> lolz. 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. What lips it had were tattered and bloody Unclean and suffering from suppuration of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption.[15]. See more. [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. 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. (A friend sent this screenshot to me, along with the info, because he knows how much PC-ism pisses me off. It's a really cool beast that I personally would like to see more in fiction. Lurking in the deep woods of the Northern United States and Southern Canada lies a mysterious and fearsome Native American monster, the Wendigo. [5], In his 2004 treatise Revenge of the Windigo on disorders and treatments of the behavioral health industry in the United States and Canada that are peculiar to indigenous people, James B. Waldram wrote,[34]. I always thought these are what cannibals are turning into. 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. I don't don't value cultural pluralism. However, when reading Magic in North America, it's hard not to get the sense that Rowling did not understand the thin ice she was treading on when it came to representation of Native Americans, nor did she make any effort to treat these themes with the weight they deserve. She annoys the hell out of me. For other uses, see, Graham, John Russell; John Coates; Barbara Swartzentruber; Brian Ouellette; ", harvcoltxt error: no target: CITEREFSchwarz1969 (, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, descriptive template for the Indian savage, corporate voracity, exploitation, and power, "Windigo: The Flesh-Eating Monster of Native American Legend", International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, "Windigo, the Ice Cannibal (Wendigo, Wiindigoo, Windgo, Windego)", "Relations des Jsuites contenant ce qui s'est pass de plus remarquable dans les missions des Pres de la Compagnie de Jsus dans la Nouvelle-France", "The Jesuit Relations: Travels and Expectations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New France, 16101791", "Love, and Death in Stephen King's 'Pet Sematary', "The In Character Interview with Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler", "Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler on writing an Indigenous horror story", "ANTLERS: GUILLERMO DEL TORO E SCOTT COOPER SVELANO IL SIGNIFICATO DEL WENDIGO", "Supernatural - Season 1, Episode 2: Wendigo", "Fallout 76 Creatures: Bethesda Tells Tales of the Wendigo", "The Wiitiko Psychosis in the Context of Ojibwa Personality and Culture", Seeing Wetiko: on Capitalism, Mind Viruses, and Antidotes for a World in Transition, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wendigo&oldid=1139431905, Legendary creatures of the indigenous peoples of North America, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Articles with text in Algonquian languages, Articles containing Proto-Algonquian-language text, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2022, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Articles with failed verification from August 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Teicher, Morton I. Strictly speaking, cultural appropriation is the adoption of some element of another culture -- food, language, practices, fashion, etc. Privacy Policy. creators (a large majority being white) . Cultural appropriation is a bullshit term made up by people who feel some bizarre psychological need to make up reasons to punish themselves. 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 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. It also includes the unauthorized use of parts of their culture (their dress, dance, etc.) People don't get offended on scotland's behalf over the common depiction of their national animal as a rainbow farting fairy horse. And they are worth considering including in one's classroom teaching. [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. Halloween is literally a holiday (most Americans see it as a good excuse to dress as a sexy cat or whatever, but there are actually still people left who believe it's sacred and who perform rituals etc for the holiday). 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. For this screenshot controversy, I am actually going to go over a video game for this. But overall I can't stand JKR. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. And you know what? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. The people who get offended over it, on behalf of someone else, are pathetically absurd. 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. 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? And we merely follow".[38]. [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. No they ain't. So, thanks, Dave! Why is indigenous culture suddenly more sacred than any other culture? It first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #162 (April 1973), and again in the October 1974 issue. This term only applies to a . He just gave the boy so much time to go there and back. Native Americans, Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. The use of the creature in horror stories . 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. Second, he determines the relevant issues as "aesthetic" and "moral," and then discusses the most prominent arguments that surround each type of appropriation. The Wendigo happens to be part of my own (Anishiinaabe) cultural heritage. 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. spellings (see Colombo 2) but is most commonly rendered as Windigo, Wendigo, or Witiko. For Indigenous peoples in Canada, cultural appropriation is rooted in colonization and ongoing oppression. In another unaware move made by a YG artist, mega girl group BLACKPINK, were recently called out for cultural appropriation. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. "Windigo Psychosis: A Study of Relationship between Belief and Behaviour among the Indians of Northeastern Canada." But, but, what if they're looking at something that erodes the moral fabric of civilization? I just posted a new video talking about cultural appropriation and art! are not cryptids, and don't even traditionally have deer skulls for heads. [12] Although descriptions can vary somewhat, common to all these cultures is the view that the wendigo is a malevolent, cannibalistic, supernatural being. So some may be fine if you draw it but don't say its full name. Wendigo) from its cultural conte xt and its movement by non-Indigenous . During a panel at YES! I am just reacting to what I read in this ridiculous PSA journal out there on Deviantart. Copyright 2022 Facing History & Ourselves. It springs from the well of the collective human unconscious, the communal soul. I would agree, only I am more likely to not care much even what an Algonquin cares about my monster character. 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. Climbing the totem pole. 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. Historically, deciding exactly what culture is hasn't been easy. 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. PSA: These 11 Halloween "Costumes" Will Always Be Offensive. Cultural appropriation takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way. I would not care much about what a statistically likely personally unrelated "woke" thinks about what Algonquin descendants may think about it, but only what Algonquin descendants. The legend of the Wendigo stems from Native American folklore, primarily in Algonquian-speaking tribes located in south and southeastern Canada, the Great Lakes Region, and northeastern United States. This year's Met Gala theme China: Through the Looking Glass was just begging for cultural appropriation, which led many starlets to play it safe with minimal references to China.Emma Roberts, however, earned herself Twitter backlash for wearing chopsticks in her hair.. Chopsticks in the hair is one of many broadly "Asian" styles tried on by Western dressers (for what it's worth . Only assholes think thats offensive. His line of questioning effectively asks what if the monstrosity we face is actually not an otherworldly presence but our all too human selves?. 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. Doing so is an honorable endeavorbut only if we actually do our homework first. I have always felt a distinct emotional connection to it, in fact. Exactly!! [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? In some artistic depictions, it looks similar to the pop-culture wendigo and even makes an appearance in The Witcher games but instead it's called a Leshen. I will draw whatever I feel like drawing. (1961). I'm just struggling to understand the significance of it. Just as the vampire and werewolf do not belong exclusively to people of European descent and the Mummy doesnt belong to Egyptians. 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. Thats just asking for trouble.) And whoever!). I have not always done so, and it appears that in this case, J.K. Rowling did not either. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. We enjoy liberties today that aren't even a freckle on the face of human history, and yet some individuals would go so far as to throw them all away because something offends them. 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. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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 a result, in 1907, Fiddler and his brother Joseph were arrested by the Canadian authorities for homicide. Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe. I do not know, nor can I. My basic rule is simple: be respectful. ". Shock factor aside, it's especially eye-catching in that it isn't necessarily a result of being desperate for food.
wendigo cultural appropriation