In some traditions, humans overpowered by greed could turn into wendigos; the myth thus served as a method of encouraging cooperation and moderation. Idiots have just made a religion out of being racist about culture and only allowing genetic descendants to participate in cultures. The name comes from the animal's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. 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. Why is indigenous culture suddenly more sacred than any other culture? I have to look! J.K. Rowling's Cultural Appropriation Should Be A Lesson To White As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. Windigo psychosis may well be the most perfect example of the construction of an Aboriginal mental disorder by the scholarly professions, and its persistence dramatically underscores how constructions of the Aboriginal by these professions have, like Frankenstein's monster, taken on a life of their own. If it's so vulgar and offensive that many hate it, well they can just not look at it lmao - it clearly wasn't made for them. without permission. The Indians then killed him and cut him to pieces. First, he gives definitions of the key concepts of "appropriation" and "arts," and delimits his investigation as one concerned with "cultural" appropriation. Chippewa author Louise Erdrich's novel The Round House, winner of the National Book Award, depicts a situation where an individual person becomes a wendigo. Return to Article Details Culturally Conceptualizing Trauma: The Windigo in Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. I'm not skilled enough to draw these (")> lolz. It was already here. White authors should be able to write about non-white people. As a concept, wendigo can apply to situations other than some Native American-European relations. It only becomes cultural appropriation when an element of culture is adopted from a marginalized group without respect for its cultural meaning or significance or with the purpose of exploiting the culture This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. That borrowing and exchanging of cultural elements is what makes America the melting pot of the world. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. 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. Watch popular content from the following creators: Thorn (@shr00mermaid), Thorn (@shr00mermaid), Nuoance(@nuoance), MattHatterPlays(@matthatterplays), Aidan Mattis(@theaidanmattis) . It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. 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 have drawn my own version of golems too, and that is Jewish mythology. Students Vs. Mexicans: Cultural Appropriation - YouTube Is it Cultural Appropriation if I have a Wendigo character? No they ain't. On the other hand, "The Wendigo" is one of the first representations of the windigo by a creators (a large majority being white) . Dont like someones fetish? 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. But I do notice that Eyre stopped short of saying colonialization is the origin for the Wendigo legend. Wendigo | Unpublished Villains Wiki | Fandom The book's cul-tural importance granted it not one, but two movie adaptations, the first in 1989 and the second in 2019. These bonnets are symbols of warrior achievements and are the equivalent of military medals. I am so offended! And they are worth considering including in ones classroom teaching. 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. Film, C'est la maladie dont ces dputez furent atteints; et comme la mort est l'vnique remede parmy ces bonnes gens, pour arrester ces meurtres, ils ont est massacrez pour arrester le cours de leur manie. The e-book is here, and you can get a paperback copy here.). In addition to characterizing individual people who exhibit destructive tendencies, the wendigo can also describe movements and events with similarly negative effects. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. To fully understand its consequences, though, we need to make sure we have a working definition of culture itself. Seems to me a great deal of what people write about in fantasy stories is borrowing from other cultures & nations & communities. 12. If Hello Kitty and the Minions from Dispicable Me being considered acceptable Halloween costumes wasn't the exact point I stopped taking Halloween seriously as a holiday, Wendigos being considered a form of disrespectful "cultural appropriation" was. Certainly Navajo "skin walkers" are one of the more common Native American legends that non-native writers reference (the only other example I can think of that comes close is the Algonquin Wendigo), but like I said, it would be presumptuous of me to guess at Rowling's research style. 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. MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! [56], Various characters inspired by the legend, or named for it, appear in Role-playing video games, such as 2018's Fallout 76 by Bethesda Game Studios, where wendigos are featured as one of the cryptid enemies found in the area of Appalachia, mutated from people who consumed human flesh in isolation. Whether you understand it fully or not, cultural appropriation is a real thing and a real problem. It's taking those cultural. Basically, the word wendigo can also function as a symbol for gluttony and the image of excess. [23], What caused us greater concern was the news that met us upon entering the Lake, namely, that the men deputed by our Conductor for the purpose of summoning the Nations to the North Sea, and assigning them a rendezvous, where they were to await our coming, had met their death the previous Winter in a very strange manner. Exactly!! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Still though, Im not sure I fully get the Native American spirits(?) 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. [17] Therefore, wendigos are portrayed as simultaneously gluttonous and extremely thin due to starvation. 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. It also includes the unauthorized use of parts of their culture (their dress, dance, etc.) 11 Culturally Appropriative Halloween Costumes You Should - Bustle I hate that I am defending JKR but I think a lot of people don't really think about how the internet was in in the late 90s and what kind of content was on the internet. In an as-yet unpublished urban fantasy novel of mine, I basically did the same thing; I made a supporting character an Acheri, completely bungling any semblance of folkloric accuracy in my attempt to come up with a "cool" and "unorthodox" monster. The concept of cultural appropriation began well enough, but just like everything else woke culture political correctness, it's gone way too far. Dollightful's Wendigo Doll - Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation? 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. wendigos originate from spiritual beliefs held by Algonquian Indigenous peoples, whom are from the north eastern part of north america. Even before it went live, she was being criticized for her apparently blatant cultural appropriation of Native American folklore, and since publishing the criticism has only grown more pointed. Lots of stories have aped Native American folklore before her, including some of mine. 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. I will draw whatever I feel like drawing. Payals, or anklets, are meant to symbolize the arrival of a wife into her husband's house. In 1661, The Jesuit Relations reported: 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. [33], The frequency of Wendigo psychosis cases decreased sharply in the 20th century as Boreal Algonquian people came into greater and greater contact with European ideologies and more sedentary, less rural, lifestyles. Is it cultural appropriation for a white author to use a Native How stupid to think otherwise. Cultural appropriation by a dominant culture is harmful to underrepresented cultures because it reduces cultural significance and reinforces double standards. Latvians have their own version of Thor, so I probably should be offended, as well. 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. Cultural appropriation is a bullshit term made up by people who feel some bizarre psychological need to make up reasons to punish themselves. Not only is it not offensive, I LOVE seeing references to wendigos in popular culture! Only those entitled to them should wear them. 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. [51], Television series employing the figure include Teen Wolf, Supernatural,[52] Blood Ties,[53] Charmed,[54] Grimm,[55] and Hannibal, where an FBI profiler has recurring dreams or visions of a wendigo that symbolizes the titular cannibalistic serial killer. 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. The Wendigo is by far one of the most mysterious and feared monsters in not only in the Algonquian folklore which it is attributed to, but also other . A specimen of folk story collected in the early 20th century by Lottie Chicogquaw Marsden, an ethnographer of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in which a wendigo also exhibits tool use, an ability to survive partial dismemberment, and autocannibalism, reads:[19]. PDF Windigo manitou - Portland State University [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. Welcome to Facing Today, a Facing History blog. "This isn't going to be the last time a story like this emerges about cultural appropriation, and what it emphasises is how much we need more diversity, in all components of the fashion industry," says Lewis. 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. Doing so is an honorable endeavorbut only if we actually do our homework first. And were on the right side, thats what were working on but sometimes you get that cannibal tendency. I think it's okay because you're not trying to rewrite actual history or actual legend. We have to stop guarding cultures and subcultures in efforts to preserve them.. Archived post. Marvel Comics pay tribute to classic Monsters. 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. Windigo is a malevolent manitou or spirit whose insatiable appetite for human flesh can never be satisfied. The reason I chose this game is due to how this game has story in it, and I think it would fit this meme well for an analysis and review. In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. Some researchers argued that, essentially, Wendigo psychosis was a fabrication, the result of nave anthropologists taking stories related to them at face value without observation. DeSanti points to the 1999 horror film Ravenous as an illustration of this argument equating "the cannibal monster" to "American colonialism and manifest destiny". [11], This was the end of the wendigo is part of the traditional belief system of a number of Algonquin-speaking peoples, including the Ojibwe, the Saulteaux, the Cree, the Naskapi, and the Innu. I mean, I have native heritage, grew up with the culture and I even have a wendigo character in my own comic that's based on the pop-culture version with the elk skull and whatnot so I honestly don't see an issue with it but if you're really concerned then perhaps try a different monster called the Leshy from Slavic folklore? 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. What makes the wendigo any different from other culturally important mythological creatures like unicorns? Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. I would agree, only I am more likely to not care much even what an Algonquin cares about my monster character. [24], Although in many recorded cases of Wendigo psychosis the individual has been killed to prevent cannibalism from resulting, some Cree folklore recommends treatment by ingestion of fatty animal meats or drinking animal grease; those treated may sometimes vomit ice as part of the curing process. The Cambridge Dictionary, defines it as "the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture."And a lot of times, it is marked by a dominant culture taking from one that has been colonized and oppressed . Hah hah! In the 21st century, cultural appropriationlike globalizationisn't just inevitable; it's potentially positive. That taste of human flesh, which out of that rose the wendigo.. "[36] Out of equilibrium and estranged by their communities, individuals thought to be afflicted by the wendigo spirit unravel and destroy the ecological balance around them. I'm just glad I learned this lesson from her before actually getting my book published. Historically, deciding exactly what culture is hasn't been easy. In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. My basic rule is simple: be respectful. Apparently it's wrong to draw wendigos for Halloween But, but, what if they're looking at something that erodes the moral fabric of civilization? This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. In some cases, this entailed killing people with Wendigo psychosis. [57] In the 2018 first-person shooter video game Dusk, wendigos are enemies that remain invisible until they receive damage. 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. Thats just asking for trouble.) What I do think is not so great was it could have been something that was corrected for the films, where they do have access to people and the internet was more developed in the mid 2000s. 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. to tell a new tale. 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. arent cryptids thing. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. For Indigenous peoples in Canada, cultural appropriation is rooted in colonization and ongoing oppression. Myeesquatis was holding the other leg and we were praying. The Wendigo, also known as the Hollowed, was a type of Creature of Grimm that was proposed to appear in the animated webseries RWBY. Posted By : / actual instructions in flowcharting are represented in /; Under :nose exercise before and afternose exercise before and after If ANYTHING is disrespectful to woke (does not exist in the real world) culture then I say: DO IT - AND DO IT BIG!!! Here Are 5 Cultural Appropriating Outfits It's Time to Retire for Good Cultural appropriation: what does it mean and why is it such a 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. If so, what did you think about it? The cultural appropriation police answer the yoga and banh mi objections with a familiar counter-argument: it's about power. BTW, I love rainbow farting unicorns! And we merely follow".[38]. It was forbidden to resort to this practice, even out of desperation. 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). Europeans may well have behaved like Wendigos when they invaded the Americasthey didbut they didnt bring the Wendigo with them. Mistgod Edited Oct 11, 2020 Hobbyist Traditional Artist Apparently, wendigos are sacred creatures from several indigenous cultures. Cookie Notice 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. We do the same thing with a lot of mythological creatures. Why are wendigos seen as offensive? : r/NoStupidQuestions - reddit BLACKPINK. No one can try to stake a singular claim to it. 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. 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. 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. Questions on the Wendigo. : IndianCountry - reddit.com For more information, please see our 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. The legend of the Wendigo: an anthropological phenomenon of the Native But its none of your concern what turns someone on! 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. Draw/write what you want, I say. Okay, dont anybody get me wrong.
