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. I really just want to learn about how to appreciate aspects of cultures that I am not included in respectfully. It has become something else altogether. 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 have this character in a webcomic I want to write who is a Wendigo. The Wendigo happens to be part of my own (Anishiinaabe) cultural heritage. Film, a lot of Natives and people in general don't even like saying the word itself. 0000006529 00000 n 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. 0000004651 00000 n Marvel Comics pay tribute to classic Monsters. x\o7a_h ss+yHL$eW}gfw)$/D !;n*+v}}uSU|.&-y 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. hb```b``Ub`e``s`g@ ~+ a1fm{s/K5N9MHd@*2Ey]#B}>x,&ucrnhm:HkN=_B }Wzp.S#WCXi;dRa ,.0H*. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. 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 . Although well-documented in Western literature, the windigo spirit of stories like . HeyYaIQ 21 days ago. Posted by Europeans may well have behaved like Wendigos when they invaded the Americasthey didbut they didnt bring the Wendigo with them. xref 1. It can serve as a metaphor explaining any pattern of domination by which groups subjugate and dominate or violently destroy and displace. She is Native American. For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! 0000010400 00000 n By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. That taste of human flesh, which out of that rose the wendigo.. 0000008549 00000 n Only assholes think thats offensive. 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 . The Windigo also has the power to turn humans into cannibals who suffer the same . It was already here. (Anything that isnt outright vandalism isnt likely to harm the statue at all, but I wouldnt dare do anything disrespectful around it. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Usually, the appropriating culture is in a relation of domination to the appropriated culture. 0000003976 00000 n 0000004071 00000 n 0000001546 00000 n And besides that, it never hurts to include your sources. 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. Now that I have a major problem with. This articlescross-media analysiscovers television, film and game media;Teen Wolf(201117),Supernatural(200520), Bruce WemplesThe Retreat(2020) and SuperMassive GamesUntil Dawn(2015). Only those entitled to them should wear them. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. s\&|5T!JN04hy'I0 1pv=~0-K$k}xSK"g:O*ox&zGa13(YXzy_{v-N^!c@[H 246 33 4. The concept of cultural appropriation began well enough, but just like everything else woke culture political correctness, it's gone way too far. If you do go as a specific person, avoid figures of religious or cultural significance to a particular group to which you do not belong. 0000007047 00000 n There, he uses the cannibalistic wendigo as a metaphor for the behaviors and attitudes central to patterns of social domination visited upon his own people in the Americas and subjugated peoples everywhere. How stupid to think otherwise. 9'b_X~~@0CKYO~8yOK9I$^I>t 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. +9*]aty``mZm/[= ${2R{!g=b{B,L0R2"T]IDa. So yeah, if anyone could offer any insight/information, thatd be appreciated. <<410561E535828C4ABA4EA5627C70A225>]/Prev 78716/XRefStm 1365>> media has really misconstrued the original lore and importance of the w*ndigo to Indigenous culture. Privacy Policy. It has no place in the world of Folklore and monsters. Ill admit, my initial reaction was very dismissive. We do the same thing with a lot of mythological creatures. 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 Facing History and Ourselves combats racism and antisemitism by using history to teach tolerance in classrooms around the globe. The windigo is a Native American spirit belonging to the Algonquian tribes of North America and Canada. These new narratives that white people make fail to acknowledge that the wendigo, and the Indi. With teepees, Im not sure I get it. 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. Vol. 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. Not only is it not offensive, I LOVE seeing references to wendigos in popular culture! I analyze the way the windigo are represented in Western literature and argue that Native American spirits should belong to the cultures they originate from. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. Smith and Fiore detail that, among the Cree and northernmost Ojibwa, it is a feared creature because it is understood as both a 'mythic character' and as a threat to humans (2010: 68). As much as I would love to tell everyone to just read her sources and then be able to understand everything better, I just don't think that's realistic for most people(because they are not easily accessible to most, and I don't think that was her intention by including these in her description. 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. 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. Answer (1 of 8): Yes, unless actively researched with proper resources and talked to with First Nation folks as proof-readers. To Helheimr with it! 0000005554 00000 n You dont have to be French to love the Phantom of the Opera. Abstract. This space is not for debate. Dollightful's Wendigo Doll - Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation? The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Le Guin, to the science-fiction universes of Delany and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond. As a concept, wendigo can apply to situations other than some Native American-European relations. There's nothing wrong with drawing the popular concept of a wendigo monster, or drawing any monster with antlers, and calling it a wendigo. Cultural appropriation is the co-optation of elements, customs, or practices of one culture by another culture without acknowledgment or consent. 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. I have named this observation of the Wendigothe Caveless Creature phenomenon. teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. And I accept that the Wendigo can symbolize for them that exploitation. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Scan this QR code to download the app now. so im sort of clueless how reddit works and made an account for this, so bare with me. Windigo is a malevolent manitou or spirit whose insatiable appetite for human flesh can never be satisfied. wendigo cultural appropriation [26][27] During the winter of 1878, Swift Runner and his family were starving, and his eldest son died. For more information, please see our 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. 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. 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 dont know who originally posted it, or where. 0000008020 00000 n 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 paper concludes that employing the Wendigo as a caveless creature is a common practice within horror as it easily creates a villain for white protagonists to defeat repeatedly. Check it out here:https://youtu.be/fHE4fkvUpWMI really just made this video to express how I am currently feeling about the wendigo doll situation and the questions I have about it. 7 (2020): Ghosts and Cultural Hauntings. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 0000020040 00000 n 0000000016 00000 n We should show proper respect to our Cryptids at all times, and Im rightfully righteously indignant at the thought of anyone doing otherwise with Mothman. 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. symL,JyvCq;[H~! i don't think there should be any 'canceling' of Wendigoon or whatever, but definitely something should be said. 0000001705 00000 n Im just struggling to understand the significance of it. Dollightful's Apology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW-KBzKWvrUTo clear up the addition that I made even more, I think that it would be pretty important for the information on this topic to be easily accessible to her viewers. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. When the soldiers reach Ives' cave, Boyd and Reich investigate. When you comment on, Asian American and Pacific Islander History, Race and Membership in American History: Eugenics. endobj 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. 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. 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. After thinking about it more, I think I get it about the wendigos. You must be here to either learn more about social justice or answer questions from a social justice viewpoint. spellings (see Colombo 2) but is most commonly rendered as Windigo, Wendigo, or Witiko. MORTUI VELOCES SUNT! It may be used to justify calling. Cookie Notice The windigo is a Native American spirit belonging to the Algonquian tribes of North America and Canada. By Christian Chiakulas, Contributor Writer, musician, activist, single father from Chicago. 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. 0000005304 00000 n 0000003862 00000 n 1 0 obj This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. His line of questioning effectively asks what if the monstrosity we face is actually not an otherworldly presence but our all too human selves?. Participate in good faith. Archived post. 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 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. 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. Just as the vampire and werewolf do not belong exclusively to people of European descent and the Mummy doesnt belong to Egyptians. Please report rule violations. Stolen Spirits: The Appropriation of the Windigo Spirit in Horror Literature. 0000011489 00000 n 0000012532 00000 n Cultural appropriation consists of borrowing something from another culture in mockery or thoughtless misuse. 0000013308 00000 n Posts and comments should be substantive, and assertions backed in fact or personal lived experience. Indigenous, The Wendigo may be a figure from American Indian mythology, but it belongs to all of humankind. stream % Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. In the course of the transformation from human to wendigo, the person exhibits increasing selfishness, violence, hunger, and greed particularly for human flesh. But I do notice that Eyre stopped short of saying colonialization is the origin for the Wendigo legend. endobj 17spaz 2 yr. ago 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. 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. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge and our (A friend sent this screenshot to me, along with the info, because he knows how much PC-ism pisses me off. Sponsored by Ball State University Libraries. 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 . 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). But as far as cultural appropriation and the Wendigo goes, dont you daredont you DAREtry to take our monsters away from us, PC wankers! 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. 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. 2 0 obj 0000015547 00000 n %PDF-1.7 Finally, it's just not that hard to do two minutes of. i enjoy his content, but the w*ndigo is part of a closed religion and is supposed to be a lesson about human greed and selfishness, not a cannibal monster story. Welcome to Facing Today, a Facing History blog. 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. In the course of the transformation from human to wendigo, the person exhibits increasing selfishness, violence, hunger, and greedparticularly for human flesh. Mythologynote my use of the capital M to convey that it is far more than just some made-up stories; it is stories containing deeper spiritual truthsbelongs to all of humanity. %%EOF Scan this QR code to download the app now. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 endobj 0 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? My basic rule is simple: be respectful. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. it's just something thats been bothering me so i thought it'd come to reddit to see what other people thought. Native Americans, Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. And whoever!). i love the videos uploaded to youtube and try to keep up with posts, so this is by no means a bash at Wendigoon. These bonnets are symbols of warrior achievements and are the equivalent of military medals. That's just pulling a potential explanation out of my ass, though, I have no idea if its accurate or not. the origins don't even depict the w*ndigo with deer antlers, but a human with bitten off lips. 0000001365 00000 n For resources: http://reddit.com/r/SRSDiscussion/wiki/required. 0000003465 00000 n Have you encountered wendigo stories in films, television shows, or books? 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. And they are worth considering including in ones classroom teaching. Thats just asking for trouble.) 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). If so, what did you think about it? Theres something else. And were on the right side, thats what were working on but sometimes you get that cannibal tendency. No one can try to stake a singular claim to it. %PDF-1.4 % Hunchman, K. N. (2020). Scan this QR code to download the app now. Copyright 2022 Facing History & Ourselves. 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. 0000005961 00000 n U%.CI$ FKe{CiV/\Lg1DD$A!=FHD6 EInw^9qkCh&1rvR'`{7X wEB7Az~q0n8 t)$xh1rQJ,p>O/$-J)'OTk|m9(k|6U g/-JU;WM}7d5)V.yX=Qu,TDI+CA_5U|nH$WK7G3-aYaqeV2jWQV6C6OY"W5?x;f_27j3Y)/G`j|e9NHCp+-r4g7D? c! I believe that the Wendigo is far older than that, far more primal. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. i don't know if anyone has talked about this, but i have a special interest in Native American culture, history, etc. Driving down a dark quiet highway in Southern Manitoba, a man sees someone bent over on the side of the road. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 0000023412 00000 n however, the w*ndigo originates from spiritual beliefs held by Indigenous peoples. 0000009954 00000 n 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. Turning on 246 0 obj <> endobj During a panel at YES! I'm just struggling to understand the significance of it. Okay, dont anybody get me wrong. 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). Cookie Notice <> 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. Privacy Policy. 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. 0000009484 00000 n I have always felt a distinct emotional connection to it, in fact. 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. J.K. Rowling's Cultural Appropriation Should Be A Lesson To White Writers Native Americans shouldn't be a "niche," and neither should women, LGBT people, or people of color. As it so happens, I am currently working on a project involving a Wendigo, so this is personal to me. 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. For more information, please see our Early folklore described them as tall and impossibly emaciated humanoids with sharp incisors and a heart of ice. 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. 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.