On w*ndigoag:

W*ndigoag/w*ndigo are sacred Algonquian spirits that have spread to other Anishinaabe cultures. They aren’t worshiped or whatever, they are feared.
They’re the physical embodiments of evil, the result of a person falling into the trap of greed and cruelty, usually in the form of cannibalism. Our fear not only stems from the spirits and the danger they pose to others, but also their implications and the constant reminder that anyone can become a monster if they allow themselves to.
They are not bipedal deer and I have no idea where that concept came from. Most traditional depictions show them as humanoid giants made of ice, usually with the body of the person they came from encased inside.
In some stories, they’re killed by people, usually via fire. In others, they can only be killed by luring them to a body of water and getting the attention of a water spirit to fight it.
There’s very, very few stories where the person can be saved. The transformation into a w*ndigo is not a reversible one, and the only real way to save someone from that existence is to free them with death.
We censor their names because, traditionally, we’re taught not to say them out loud in case we get the attention of one or summon one. This is especially important during winter or at night.
They are not benign spirits. They are not kind. They are not rational. They are evil and cruel, and their only desires center around killing and eating. They’re as rational and logical as a wild raccoon in the late stages of rabies.
You cannot work with them. They can’t be bound, and they definitely can’t be bought or sold. Do not trust any spirit who claims to be a w*ndigo and do not trust any spirit worker who tries to sell you one.
W*ndigoag are Algonquian and Anishinaabe spirits. Algonquian people are the authorities on them, other Anishinaabe people less so. Non-Anishinaabe Natives cannot say that appropriation of w*ndigoag is okay because that isn’t their culture and it’s definitely not their decision to make. You cannot give someone permission to use something that isn’t yours.
The use of w*ndigoag in non-Native media is appropriation. The only exception to this is in when the creators work with Algonquian people to make respectful and accurate depictions. You’ll be very hard pressed to find cases of this.
W*ndigoag are not cryptids because they are sacred spirits. Abrahamic angels are not cryptids. Japanese yokai are not cryptids. Vodou loa are not cryptids. Respect indigenous beliefs as legitimate spirituality instead of reducing our cultures down to bastardized stories.
If you aren’t Anishinaabe, you cannot be “wendigokin”. Appropriation of indigenous spirituality isn’t suddenly okay because your ~soul~ is an indigenous spirit. You are not entitled to our cultures or spiritual beliefs. Jfc.
“Wendigocore” is also bullshit, what the fuck is wrong with you all? Our sacred spirituality is not your ugly ass aesthetic.
(Left those uncensored because it’s a summer afternoon and I want people in those tags to see this. Fuck off.)
Anishinaabe people are not obligated to share our SACRED STORIES with outsiders in order for them to be respected. We don’t want you to make your depictions of w*ndigoag in your stories more accurate. We just want you to leave our cultures alone for once.

Now please stop sending me messages about w*ndigoag. I understand you all just want to learn but I am so fucking tired. I’ve answered these questions dozens of times and I need a break.

Don’t start discourse on this post. I am not in the mood for it.

If any Algonquian or other Anishinaabe people have corrections, hmu.

we-are-knight

This, incidentally, is why I said “-core” posts have lost any legitimacy on this site.

You kids cannot handle other people’s beliefs delicately.

starmancyrus

I have, on other platforms, had people message me because they know I’m from an Algonquian tribe, and try and get me to give them my blessing to use the W*, and everytime I’ve told them to kindly fuck off.

At anything I’d say if someone is claiming to be Algonquian but then uses things like “W*-kin” they are probably just saying they are Algonquian so that they can say stuff like that. Any glorification of the W* is very very bad, and speaking it draws it closer- thusly no one who’s actually from this culture is going to do that unless they’re *trying* to be a jackass and piss off their elders.

The thing with most of those bipedal deer depictions is that the only problem is that they call it a W*. Like we don’t have a problem with the design the problem is what you call it. Literally all you have to do is not call it a W*. Want a fursona that’s a deer with a skull head? Cool. Don’t fucking call it a W*.

That’s pretty much all I have to add. Also just in general don’t bug indigenous people about you wanting to use stuff from their culture. We really don’t appreciate it. You’re not getting our blessing if the vast majority of us have already publically said “don’t do that”. We’re not going to privately give you a “permission to appropriate our culture” card.

#important #cultural appropriation #character design #indigenous issues #indigenous cultures #indigenous groups #indigenous #north america #very long post #please do not derail #the only thing i advise against is calling jewish angels 'abrahamic'

izzyizumi reblogged

koushirouizumi

max1461

I was just thinking about how I don’t speak very good Japanese, but I speak more Japanese than most people in the world. And this will probably be true of almost any skill you practice even a little bit. There are many skills out there and we each know only a small subset of them, so if you go out and decide to pick up a new skill you can end up better than 50%, 80%, maybe even 99% of the population pretty quickly. Another example is math. Like, when I’m around other math people, I feel like I basically know nothing. All of math is baffling to me. But realistically I know more math than basically every single person I meet in a non-academic context. So like.

If you are feeling bad about yourself this is a good thing to keep in mind. You’re probably better than most people at something. If you aren’t, you can become better than most people relatively quickly and easily just by giving something a go for a bit.

#important #japanese #language #education #math #mental health #language learning #not dgmn #fandom relevant #positivity #self acceptance #self compassion #please do not derail #ive been thinking about this again too #(especially because ive actually taken Japanese classes)#(there were some things I went back to watch 'raw' again but I realized recently I understood a lot more *now* than I did)#(even when watching things 'raw' as Younger Me)#(and even then I had basic enough understanding especially when watching series like Pokemon or Yugioh {Duel Monsters} 'raw')#(like recently I was watching entire 2hour+ long things raw and I was like 'Im actually understanding a lot more phrases now!!!')#(I still cant write kanji much at all but I can understand *hearing*+listening & for many people it seems even other way around sometimes)#(A mutual acquaintance I was in Japanese class with was that way too who was good with kanji but had a lot of difficulty speaking it)#(Math is more difficult for me personally but not for lack of attempting and whats said here is very good to remember)#(Instead of 'making fun of someone's {language} or {math} skills or whatever I think remembering concepts like this is Way Better)#i dont know who needs to hear this

izzyizumi reblogged

koushirouizumi

kipplekipple

I think some people are afraid to be kind. I think a lot of people thinking kindness means you're soft.

But when the world is chill and dark, kindness takes more strength than cruelty. When someone has suffered, has been locked out in the cold, and found kindness, and whetted it and forged it into a weapon...

Don't mistake kindness for softness. Don't confuse it for naiveté.

Some people are kind because they see the way the world is and they fight it every single day.

#mental health #mental health positivity #dgmn relevant #kindness #survival #compassion #compassion is not a flaw #important #good commentary #kindness is not unnecessary #please do not derail #not fandom #i dont know who needs to hear this #kindness is a choice

izzyizumi reblogged

koushirouizumi

jewish-kulindadromeus

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’ll scream it a million times:

ethnicity. has. nothing. to. do. with. your. birth.

Do you need another one?

OR ON SIMILARITIES. OR.

Yes! Ancestry plays a part in what ethnic groups you belong to!

But IT’S NOT ALL OF IT!

Here’s a THIRD!

OR. OR. OR.

Oh look at that! Ethnicity is more than ancestry! It includes ancestry but that is not it! What a shock!

We now have FOUR DIFFERENT TOP-RESULT SOURCES SAYING THAT WHILE ANCESTRY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ETHNICITY

IT IS NOT THE SOLE DETERMINING FACTOR

ergo

Converts to Judaism now share the National, Cultural, Language, History, Society, Religion, and oppression (because antisemites never have and never will distinguish between a convert and an ancestral-jew) with ancestral jews

thus

We. Are. Ethnically. Jewish.

End of Sentence.

You’re thinking of race. Race is defined by ancestry. And being Jewish isn’t a race, because we’ve always accepted non-ancestral people who put the effort in as members of the tribe.

Judaism has always welcomed converts and has always taken them in as full members of the nation of Jews and it has always been wrong to treat them differently which means that converts are ethnically Jewish.

THE CONVERSION PROCESS IS LITERALLY LEARNING THE CULTURE, HISTORY, SOCIETY, LANGUAGE, AND RELIGION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

WE ARE ADOPTED. WE IMMIGRATE. WE TRANSITION. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.

Sit your asses down. Sit all your asses down with your shitty, shitty, shitty takes. We experience antisemitism, we are fully Jewish, and we are ethnically Jewish. End of story.

Not all ancestral Jews look Jewish. Not all converts look Jewish. Some ancestral Jews look Jewish. Some converts look Jewish. Ethnicity =/= race and we’ve learned time and time again that there isn’t just one Jewish “look” and implying otherwise is racist as hell and ashkenormative.

If you mean “people with a Jewish upbringing” or “people with Jewish parents” may I introduce you to: saying people with a Jewish upbringing or people with Jewish parents. It’s always great to say what you mean! Clarity is important!

(((Digimon Is Forever)))

On w*ndigoag:

Now stop with your shitty takes and stop using ethnicity to mean race. Learn a thing and sit the fuck down.