Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe. 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. As a concept, wendigo can apply to situations other than some Native American-European relations. the origins don't even depict the w*ndigo with deer antlers, but a human with bitten off lips. 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 . Marvel Comics pay tribute to classic Monsters. 246 0 obj <> endobj 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. 0000008020 00000 n 0000004071 00000 n 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. 0 Participate in good faith. 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. Copyright 2022 Facing History & Ourselves. 0000004651 00000 n 0000011489 00000 n Tell us about it in the comments. I'm just struggling to understand the significance of it. In the course of the transformation from human to wendigo, the person exhibits increasing selfishness, violence, hunger, and greed particularly for human flesh. It may be used to justify calling. 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 . 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. +9*]aty``mZm/[= ${2R{!g=b{B,L0R2"T]IDa. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. However, it never provents for people of that tribe to share this and that story. 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. Please report rule violations. You dont have to be of Afro-Caribbean descent to talk about, write about, or make movies about zombies. For resources: http://reddit.com/r/SRSDiscussion/wiki/required. 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. With teepees, Im not sure I get it. 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. endobj 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). By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. As I mentioned during our latest episode of the NYMG podcast, I've been playing Until Dawn, and the game has got me thinking about a few different things that I'd like to spend some time parsing through, like the game's representation of things like gender and race, how it is that the idea of choice seems to influence the way we think about these representations, and the manner in which . MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! Western appropriation has long-lasting effects on the perceptions of Native American cultures by the average consumer and even scientific communities. 4. 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. The Witherell House and the Cult of Weird, Movie Review: BIRDS OF PREY (And the Fantabulous Inclusion of Victor Zsasz and a Hyena). 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. Answer (1 of 8): Yes, unless actively researched with proper resources and talked to with First Nation folks as proof-readers. 246 33 0000023412 00000 n xref 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. Cookie Notice And besides that, it never hurts to include your sources. Native Americans, Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. If you were to look around the world about other religions, anything that is associated with death and disease is regarded upon. 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. In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. 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. however, the w*ndigo originates from spiritual beliefs held by Indigenous peoples. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. And whoever!). If so, what did you think about it? Scan this QR code to download the app now. 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. After thinking about it more, I think I get it about the wendigos. (Anything that isnt outright vandalism isnt likely to harm the statue at all, but I wouldnt dare do anything disrespectful around it. 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. Cultural appropriation is the co-optation of elements, customs, or practices of one culture by another culture without acknowledgment or consent. 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. Political correctness started out as one thing, a good thing. When the soldiers reach Ives' cave, Boyd and Reich investigate. ])yB\}OIZyY8 aA6Vo !C_D#!MYik.1>%'5ryZ*>fb=n#_dr;j5 { Handle the characters and the story with respect. endobj 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 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. Only assholes think thats offensive. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 9'b_X~~@0CKYO~8yOK9I$^I>t You dont have to be French to love the Phantom of the Opera. For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! 17spaz 2 yr. ago Scan this QR code to download the app now. it's just something thats been bothering me so i thought it'd come to reddit to see what other people thought. hb```b``Ub`e``s`g@ ~+ a1fm{s/K5N9MHd@*2Ey]#B}>x,&ucrnhm:HkN=_B }Wzp.S#WCXi;dRa ,.0H*. Be supportive, this is a place for growth, not hostility. 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). And I accept that the Wendigo can symbolize for them that exploitation. 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. That is why we know about the wendigo today, it is an oral tradition like all the . 0000009596 00000 n 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. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 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 teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. Film, Okay, dont anybody get me wrong. symL,JyvCq;[H~! Posted by 0000009484 00000 n 0000001705 00000 n Archived post. 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. It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. 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. When you comment on, Asian American and Pacific Islander History, Race and Membership in American History: Eugenics. 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. 3. 0000007047 00000 n 0000013308 00000 n i don't think there should be any 'canceling' of Wendigoon or whatever, but definitely something should be said. <>/Metadata 266 0 R/ViewerPreferences 267 0 R>> 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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? 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. 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. 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. Theyre revered spirits to the point where people wont speak their name so it must be frustrating when people are just like Oh yeah, I saw one of those, it was so spooky or have an aesthetic called wendigocore. Europeans may well have behaved like Wendigos when they invaded the Americasthey didbut they didnt bring the Wendigo with them. and our 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! Driving down a dark quiet highway in Southern Manitoba, a man sees someone bent over on the side of the road. a lot of Natives and people in general don't even like saying the word itself. P\^$'$@YWSB;Td54BD?YH"'kh::a;Vqz&4|:>)xP2n |94NrOqE'6 Only those entitled to them should wear them. 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. 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). 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. Privacy Policy. That's just pulling a potential explanation out of my ass, though, I have no idea if its accurate or not. Hunchman, K. N. (2020). 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. And were on the right side, thats what were working on but sometimes you get that cannibal tendency. Although well-documented in Western literature, the windigo spirit of stories like . I really just want to learn about how to appreciate aspects of cultures that I am not included in respectfully. 7 (2020): Ghosts and Cultural Hauntings. Stolen Spirits: The Appropriation of the Windigo Spirit in Horror Literature. "@TheThiccholas @realcoolJAY They can't say Issa wendigo cus of cultural appropriation props to them buuuuuut also WENDIGO type energy sooo " During a panel at YES! I just posted a new video talking about cultural appropriation and art! Learn how your comment data is processed. and our 0000006529 00000 n I have this character in a webcomic I want to write who is a Wendigo. Vol. s\&|5T!JN04hy'I0 1pv=~0-K$k}xSK"g:O*ox&zGa13(YXzy_{v-N^!c@[H <<410561E535828C4ABA4EA5627C70A225>]/Prev 78716/XRefStm 1365>> 0000012791 00000 n 0000001365 00000 n so im sort of clueless how reddit works and made an account for this, so bare with me. I have always felt a distinct emotional connection to it, in fact. x\o7a_h ss+yHL$eW}gfw)$/D !;n*+v}}uSU|.&-y 0000007477 00000 n She is Native American. We do the same thing with a lot of mythological creatures. 0000010971 00000 n 1. :)Looking to buy some stickers or look at some pictures of my art or my other things? Windigo is a malevolent manitou or spirit whose insatiable appetite for human flesh can never be satisfied. Just as the vampire and werewolf do not belong exclusively to people of European descent and the Mummy doesnt belong to Egyptians. It has become something else altogether. 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. 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. 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. endobj Western appropriation has long-lasting effects on the perceptions of Native American cultures by the average consumer and even scientific communities. 0000012030 00000 n 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. I dont know who originally posted it, or where. HeyYaIQ 21 days ago. 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. Turning on Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Ill admit, my initial reaction was very dismissive. 0000012532 00000 n His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 Cultural appropriation consists of borrowing something from another culture in mockery or thoughtless misuse. On top of that, the wendigo is a part of death. How stupid to think otherwise. 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. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. To Helheimr with it! 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 Christian Chiakulas, Contributor Writer, musician, activist, single father from Chicago. 0000001546 00000 n trailer So, thanks, Dave! Rules: 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. 0000000974 00000 n 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. But as far as cultural appropriation and the Wendigo goes, dont you daredont you DAREtry to take our monsters away from us, PC wankers! %PDF-1.4 % <> T[,%q5 Far from just being a monster in an escapist horror flick, Forbes and LaDuke demonstrate that the wendigo can help us grasp the horrors of our real world so we can be here now and, ultimately, work toward solutions. 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. Not only is it not offensive, I LOVE seeing references to wendigos in popular culture! Privacy Policy. This space is not for debate. 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. His line of questioning effectively asks what if the monstrosity we face is actually not an otherworldly presence but our all too human selves?. 0000008549 00000 n 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. 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. The windigo is a Native American spirit belonging to the Algonquian tribes of North America and Canada. 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. 0000010400 00000 n Early folklore described them as tall and impossibly emaciated humanoids with sharp incisors and a heart of ice. For more information, please see our You must be here to either learn more about social justice or answer questions from a social justice viewpoint. These new narratives that white people make fail to acknowledge that the wendigo, and the Indi. It was already here. 0000020040 00000 n Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. they've been stripped of cultural context. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. l Ca#!LzH{t+8W5 !2*_{)rgx-`]CTXSH($g 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. 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 believe that the Wendigo is far older than that, far more primal. Im glad, because I dont believe that it is. It has no place in the world of Folklore and monsters. This is a place to learn more bout Social Justice 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. wendigo cultural appropriation [26][27] During the winter of 1878, Swift Runner and his family were starving, and his eldest son died. % I have named this observation of the Wendigothe Caveless Creature phenomenon. So yeah, if anyone could offer any insight/information, thatd be appreciated. second baptist church las vegas live stream,
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