I am ashamed I watched all the movies. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Is it offensive to write about a wendigo? - Quora The legend of the wendigo has long been associated with real-life problems like insatiable greed, selfishness, and violence. Shock factor aside, it's especially eye-catching in that it isn't necessarily a result of being desperate for food. Native Americans shouldn't be a "niche," and neither should women, LGBT people, or people of color. Until Dawn: On Representation, the Horror Genre, and the Illusion of The wendigo -- a creature from Native American myth -- carries powerful symbolism and is presumably sufficiently mysterious to keep enough audience members guessing at its motives and abilities. 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. PDF Baring the Windigo's Teeth: The Fearsome Figure in Native American "[39] Lockhard's ideas explain that wendigos are an expression of a dark aspect of human nature: the drive toward greed, consumption, and disregard for other life in the pursuit of self-aggrandizement. And I accept that the Wendigo can symbolize for them that exploitation. She states that the wendigo symbolically represents three major concepts: it is the incarnation of winter, the embodiment of hunger, and the personification of selfishness. 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. Political correctness started out as one thing, a good thing. Curbing cultural appropriation in the fashion industry with - WIPO The heroes of books I read, movies I watched, and games I played almost exclusively looked like me when I was growing up, people I could easily identify with. Im glad, because I dont believe that it is. 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. My basic rule is simple: be respectful. Return to Article Details Culturally Conceptualizing Trauma: The Windigo in Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road (Not to put too fine a point on it, but you should totally go buy my novella. But I do know the actual description of it. 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. Seems to me a great deal of what people write about in fantasy stories is borrowing from other cultures & nations & communities. The Windigo had a knife and he'd cut the boy on the hand to see if he was fat enough to eat, but the boy didn't get fat. Indigenous peoples have seen culturally . 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]. 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. I have to look! So, now I realize, what the hell was I doing, thinking I could write about Native American folklore with anything approaching honesty? I mentioned above that I was guilty of doing the same thing. View of Culturally Conceptualizing Trauma: The Windigo in Joseph - UNB On the other hand, "The Wendigo" is one of the first representations of the windigo by 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). Their visitations speak to the inseparability of human experience National identity is irrelevant to this borderless horror. 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. Cultural appropriation: what does it mean and why is it such a If I can draw my own version of a Chinese dragon, or my own version of angel or demon, I can draw a wendigo. Sacred creatures? [40][41] Joe Nazare wrote that Blackwood's "subtly-demonizing rhetoric transforms the Wendigo from a native myth into a descriptive template for the Indian savage."[42]. So yeah, if anyone could offer any insight/information, thatd be appreciated. 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. That will depend on who you ask. BLACKPINK. You dont have to be of Afro-Caribbean descent to talk about, write about, or make movies about zombies. And we merely follow".[38]. Aye, I love wendigos. America is the symbol of inclusion, so as part of the American culture we embrace foreign influences in our society. One time long ago a big Windigo stole an Indian boy, but the boy was too thin, so the Windigo didn't eat him up right away, but he travelled with the Indian boy waiting for him till he'd get fat. No it isn't cultural appropriation, as long as it is researched and accurately presented in the story. 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. The Wendigos are the ultimate antagonists of Until Dawn. (the proceeding statement may contain some levels of sarcasm.). 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. I'm all for respecting other people's cultures, but straight up trying to tell people they can't respectfully depict a fictional creature because it's ,,stealing" or ,,evoking the creature" or something is just way too overboard. Cultural appropriation Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com Character can be mean, evil or complete asshole but you still should be respectful while writing said character. 8.1.2014. Wendigo) from its cultural context and its movement by non-Indigenous creators (a large majority being white) into a space of the horror genre that displays negative or antagonistic qualities. 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. Okay, dont anybody get me wrong. Wendigo - Flesheater of the Forests - Legends of America 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. Cultural appropriation is a bullshit term made up by people who feel some bizarre psychological need to make up reasons to punish themselves. It's just fiction, I thought. "To the people present, it was suspected that Moostoos was becoming a 'Whitego', an insane person capable of murdering and cannibalism.41 To the natives without jails or asylums, there was only one thing to do. Cookie Notice What Is Cultural Appropriation? | Britannica identity. I would refuse to be shackled by political correctness. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. That taste of human flesh, which out of that rose the wendigo.. [clarification needed] The ceremony, known as wiindigookaanzhimowin, was performed during times of famine, and involved wearing masks and dancing backward around a drum. 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. This was the end of this Giant Windigo. Privacy Policy. So, thanks, Dave! In 1661, The Jesuit Relations reported: Every Culture Appropriates - The Atlantic But I do notice that Eyre stopped short of saying colonialization is the origin for the Wendigo legend. arent cryptids thing. 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. 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. Thank god I am not from USA, where this seems to be an issue. These bonnets are symbols of warrior achievements and are the equivalent of military medals. 12 Culturally Appropriative Words and Phrases To Stop Using Today "[37] This application allows Native Americans to describe colonialism and its agents as wendigos since the process of colonialism ejected natives from their land and threw the natural world out of balance. Now neither Christian culture is by any means endangered to become a minority (although some US Bible Belt hate preachers consistently claim so) nor is Chinese culture, so both are out of ansatz here. J.K. Rowling, author of the absurdly-popular Harry Potter series (of which I'm a massive fan), recently waded into controversy with her four-part "Magic in North America" series, which outlines the Potterverse's American history. The Witherell House and the Cult of Weird, Movie Review: BIRDS OF PREY (And the Fantabulous Inclusion of Victor Zsasz and a Hyena). Beyond Forbes, other Native American thinkers have also used wendigo stories to present critical perspectives on various social problems and call for their resolution. 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. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. Payals, or anklets, are meant to symbolize the arrival of a wife into her husband's house. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. But Native Americans shouldn't be a "niche," and neither should women, LGBT people, or people of color. Cultural appropriation is the use of a people's traditional dress, music, cuisine, knowledge and other aspects of their culture, without their approval, by members of a different culture. Let's stop dancing around this ugly truth: Right now, Katy Perry is pop culture's most prominent purveyor of racist cultural appropriation. The line between what differentiates cultural appropriation from cultural appreciation can be razor-thin, not to mention highly . You dont have to be French to love the Phantom of the Opera. When did "cultural appropriation" become a concept? The Windigo also has the power to turn humans into cannibals who suffer the same . spellings (see Colombo 2) but is most commonly rendered as Windigo, Wendigo, or Witiko. Exactly!! By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. and our 11 Culturally Appropriative Halloween Costumes You Should - Bustle Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. And they are worth considering including in one's classroom teaching. That's just pulling a potential explanation out of my ass, though, I have no idea if its accurate or not. Dressing up as a cultural stereotype is never, ever OK. Cady Heron once remarked that, "in the real world, Halloween is when kids . :)Looking to buy some stickers or look at some pictures of my art or my other things? 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 These things feel formulaic, quantitative, mathematicbalancing equations and subtraction. This form of cultural appropriation is deeply intertwined with systemic and institutionalized racism rooted in capitalism. 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. 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 . City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Whether you understand it fully or not, cultural appropriation is a real thing and a real problem. #wendigokin on Tumblr First, he gives definitions of the key concepts of "appropriation" and "arts," and delimits his investigation as one concerned with "cultural" appropriation. 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. Myeesquatis was holding the other leg and we were praying. 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. Wendigo | Myths and Folklore Wiki | Fandom [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]. If I don't, I'll never know what it is I'm so angry about! Pet Sematary is an important cultural artifact thanks to King's widespread popularity and recognition as a horror writer. Just as the vampire and werewolf do not belong exclusively to people of European descent and the Mummy doesnt belong to Egyptians. Is it Cultural Appropriation if I have a Wendigo character. 1. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Doing so is an honorable endeavorbut only if we actually do our homework first. I wouldn't be offended if someone dressed as a stereotypical Scottish person whatever that looks like lol. 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. 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. It was already here. [58] Several of these creatures also appear in the game's cover art.[59]. When I got over my initial bout of self-defensiveness, I realized I was totally wrong. That's an easy solution and I still keep my freedom to create. They travelled too much. Most sensible thing said ever. BTW, I love rainbow farting unicorns! Why are wendigos seen as offensive? : r/NoStupidQuestions - reddit "Today, many believe the crows to be . 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? Cultural appropriation or appreciation? - @theU - University of Utah It's fine for colonized Indians to incorporate European fitness . What is cultural appropriation, and how does it differ from cultural The name comes from the animal's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. 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. He ultimately was granted a pardon but died three days later in jail before receiving the news of this pardon. No they ain't. Cultural appropriation, feel like a real blur to me but I never worry about it I feel it can dampen the creative process. Romantic scholar and documentarian Emily Zarka, also a professor at Arizona State University, observes that two commonalities among the indigenous cultures of Algonquian language family speakers are that they are situated in climes where harsh winters are frequent and may be accompanied by starvation. Key elements of culture include: language art,. They got Thor and Loki all wrong and what the hell? Further, cultural appropriation often occurs as the backwash of colonization, and contributes to widening existing divisions and perpetuating patterns of historic dispossession and oppression. Created by the writer Steve Englehart and artist Herb Trimpe, the monster is the result of a curse that afflicts those who commit acts of cannibalism. Is it cultural appropriation for a white author to use a Native Differing thinking is one of the cherished assets of democratic cultural pluralism. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #culturalappropriation, #cultureappropriation, #culturalappropiation, # .