I have to look! I can't say for sure how much research Rowling did when writing her series, but others have pointed out that it doesn't seem like much. And besides that, it never hurts to include your sources. Cultural appropriation is a huge red flag that the brand has minimal diversity or representation behind the scenes," she explains. Latvians have their own version of Thor, so I probably should be offended, as well. We do the same thing with a lot of mythological creatures. 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. Historically, deciding exactly what culture is hasn't been easy. You dont have to be French to love the Phantom of the Opera. Wendigo psychosis is a fascinating condition with a storied history. 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. The Wendigo, also known as the Hollowed, was a type of Creature of Grimm that was proposed to appear in the animated webseries RWBY. First, he gives definitions of the key concepts of "appropriation" and "arts," and delimits his investigation as one concerned with "cultural" appropriation. Exactly!! The windigo, however, continues to seek revenge for this attempted scholarly execution by periodically duping unsuspecting passers-by, like psychiatrists, into believing that windigo psychosis not only exists but that a psychiatrist could conceivably encounter a patient suffering from this disorder in his or her practice today! Posted by It is unknown if it would have been an entire species or a singular creature. Handle the characters and the story with respect. It has no place in the world of Folklore and monsters. Payals, or anklets, are meant to symbolize the arrival of a wife into her husband's house. I am ashamed I watched all the movies. If I don't, I'll never know what it is I'm so angry about! 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. "[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. The Wendigo (Also known as windigo, weendigo, windago, waindigo, windiga, witiko, wihtikow, and various other names including manaha) originates from Native-American legend, and is said to be a demonic half-beast as told by the Algonquian peoples along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. It was created by Mayuki . It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. Wendigo Cannibalism in Native American Folklore. This makes them so ravenous for human flesh that they pounce upon women, children, and even upon men, like veritable werewolves, and devour them voraciously, without being able to appease or glut their appetiteever seeking fresh prey, and the more greedily the more they eat. And some natives don't care at all. I believe that the Wendigo is far older than that, far more primal. 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. 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). Watch popular content from the following creators: Thorn (@shr00mermaid), Thorn (@shr00mermaid), Nuoance(@nuoance), MattHatterPlays(@matthatterplays), Aidan Mattis(@theaidanmattis) . 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. [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]. The wendigo is a terrifying presence that feeds on negative energy and human flesh, making it a natural addition to the horror genre. Indigenous peoples have seen culturally . appropriation, or - as I argue - misappropriation, of the Wendigo as a 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). People don't get offended on scotland's behalf over the common depiction of their national animal as a rainbow farting fairy horse. But Native Americans shouldn't be a "niche," and neither should women, LGBT people, or people of color. This was the end of this Giant Windigo. Representation in media is crucially important, something I have become very aware of as I've grown older and consumed more entertainment. I wouldn't be offended if someone dressed up as a stereotypical native american even though my great grandma was half blackfoot native american. In addition, for many Indigenous peoples and local communities, making traditional clothes is a source of income; as such, cultural appropriation can . Ten years later, "cultural appropriation" is no longer an obscure academic term . If you need to flag this entry as abusive. 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? 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. The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation; its desiccated skin pulled tautly over its bones. Mistgod Edited Oct 11, 2020 Hobbyist Traditional Artist Apparently, wendigos are sacred creatures from several indigenous cultures. The Indians asked the Windigo if there was any fat on them. 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 How dare they? This term only applies to a . In another unaware move made by a YG artist, mega girl group BLACKPINK, were recently called out for cultural appropriation. "Why is indigenous culture suddenly more sacred than any other culture?". And we merely follow".[38]. And were on the right side, thats what were working on but sometimes you get that cannibal tendency. 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. It never occurred to me that what I was doing might be offensive, because I've never even met a Native American person in real life. The cultural appropriation police answer the yoga and banh mi objections with a familiar counter-argument: it's about power. [20], Among the Assiniboine, the Cree, and the Ojibwe, a satirical ceremonial dance is sometimes performed during times of famine to reinforce the seriousness of the wendigo taboo. Blackwood's work has influenced many of the subsequent portrayals in mainstream horror fiction,[42][43] such as August Derleth's "The Thing that Walked on the Wind" and "Ithaqua" (1933 and 1941),[41] which in turn inspired the character in Stephen King's novel Pet Sematary,[42] where it is a personification of evil, an ugly grinning creature with yellow-grey eyes, ears replaced by ram's horns, white vapor coming from its nostrils, and a pointed, decaying yellow tongue. My Thoughts and Questions OllieOnyx 845 subscribers Subscribe 4.5K 119K views 2 years ago I just posted a new video. It also seems to me to be unacceptable for authors to be unable to use one (or more) of those characters/symbols/etc. So, thanks, Dave! It turned its hunger on the Americas, a wendigo so hungry that it consumes its own lips if there is nothing else for it to eat. to tell a new tale. But, but, what if they're looking at something that erodes the moral fabric of civilization? It shouldn't be bad thing if you don't mock culture, make sure to have all information you can ( read books from culture or ask someone who grew up with said culture if they are willing to teach you) but then again they aren't from your culture and unlike creatures like vampires they are a bit more closed i don't know is it good to use them. Cho isn't even only problematic character, Lavander changed her race (in movies, i'm not sure about books but still, Rowling could of said something). Not so for anyone who isn't a straight, white male, and this trend in entertainment forces many people to seek out "niche" markets to find characters who look like them and are portrayed honestly and realistically. Only those entitled to them should wear them. They went back again to see if he was dead. 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. Shock factor aside, it's especially eye-catching in that it isn't necessarily a result of being desperate for food. There's nothing wrong with drawing the popular concept of a wendigo monster, or drawing any monster with antlers, and calling it a wendigo. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. And whoever!). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. That will depend on who you ask. [44], Contemporary Indigenous works that explore the legend include the 1995 novel Solar Storms by author and poet Linda K. Hogan (Chickasaw), which explores the stories of the wendigo and incorporates the creatures as a device to interrogate issues of independence, spirituality, politics, an individual's relationship to the family, and as a metaphor for corporate voracity, exploitation, and power - all viewed as a form of cannibalism. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. I think every idea can be taken to an extreme and distorted to the point where it is ridiculous. In, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 02:58. Second, he determines the relevant issues as "aesthetic" and "moral," and then discusses the most prominent arguments that surround each type of appropriation. 12. 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. One day they came to an Indian village and the Windigo sent the boy to the Indian village to get some things for him to eat. It's taking those cultural. In addition to characterizing individual people who exhibit destructive tendencies, the wendigo can also describe movements and events with similarly negative effects. So, now I realize, what the hell was I doing, thinking I could write about Native American folklore with anything approaching honesty? Draw/write what you want, I say. They are seen as malevolent, cannibalistic, supernatural beings of great spiritual power . They heard the Windigo calling the boy. Wendigos specifically represent the very real threat of starvation and what moral depths a person will sink to to avoid starving to death in the hard, cold de Continue Reading More answers below KEY OOY As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. I do not know, nor can I. In theory, art and other cultural products are created for the. Sacred creatures? I will draw whatever I feel like drawing. Some controversial new studies question the syndrome's legitimacy, claiming cases were actually a product of hostile accusations invented to justify the victim's ostracism or execution."[35]. Idiots have just made a religion out of being racist about culture and only allowing genetic descendants to participate in cultures. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge It really depends who you talk to. 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. I agree with some of it to a point, but disagree with most of it. [29], Another well-known case involving Wendigo psychosis was that of Jack Fiddler, an Oji-Cree chief and medicine man known for his powers at defeating wendigos. You dont have to be of Afro-Caribbean descent to talk about, write about, or make movies about zombies. The film dives deep into cultural appropriation during those pivotal scenes in which the black crows help save the day for the titular flying elephant. Learn how your comment data is processed. There's too much variety of opinion on the question to obtain a consensus. I have not always done so, and it appears that in this case, J.K. Rowling did not either. No one said it were exceptional that way. It's fine for colonized Indians to incorporate European fitness . and our No it isn't cultural appropriation, as long as it is researched and accurately presented in the story. Character can be mean, evil or complete asshole but you still should be respectful while writing said character. The Indians then killed him and cut him to pieces. It's like saying vampires are sacred. Until Dawn logo. Oh yeah, Marvel. In my blind quest to represent everyone, all I did was reinforce the problem. Copyright 2022 Facing History & Ourselves. 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 that's exactly the problem. 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.
wendigo cultural appropriation