I really hate wading into a discussion like this, but I think @BoobTwinkler is struggling not to let their emotions get the better of them, and I happen to side with them. The original post was quite generic, not targeting any person or culture, and I quite understand why @BoobTwinkler felt that the response was disproportionate. From there, things have largely spiraled out of control from both sides when de-escalation should have been called for. Yes, there are things that they shouldn't have said or should have been expressed differently, but they have also large ackowledged that.
Globally, there are a number of cultures with belief in spirit animals, and that doesn't even touch on New Age beliefs and fantasy stories that have little connection to real-world mythology, nor the distinctions between the totem spirits of e.g. different Native American nations. When @2SpiritCherokeePrincess says that referencing a spirit animal is mockery of their people (pronoun corrected), this is also a denial of the many other cultures (such as those of the Ainu and indigenous Australians) that practice some form of spirit animal worship. The Term "spirit animal" is a generic term referring to any spirit that appears in the form of an animal and does not reference nor target any particular culture. Yes, you can make the argument that we use the term for Native American totemism because of colonialism, but you could equally argue that the early colonials used that term because it was what they were already familiar with from Old World cultural beliefs. Had the term "totem" (based on an Ojibwe word) been used, there would be a case for cultural appropriation, as this has a far more culturally specific meaning.
Yes, I did read the article on cultural appropriation that was linked, and I would love to take the time to tear apart its logical fallacies paragraph by paragraph. Sadly, life calls. I will, however, say that some of the articles it links for support do a much better job of distinguishing between totemism, animal spirits, and spirit animals. This one was an especially good read.
In summary, please bring the tempers down. Remember:
1. You own your feelings.
2. Not every post needs a response.
Disclosure: Yes, I do believe in nature spirits. These beliefs originated from my childhood in the English countryside and have nothing to do with Native American beliefs, so I imagine that the term "spirit animal" elicits a very different image for me than it does for @2SpiritCherokeePrincess. I have also "met with" an animal spirit, which was quite an intense experience. Yet, quite frankly, I feel less attacked by @BoobTwinkler's attitude than by that of @2SpiritCherokeePrincess. There is more than one side to this discussion, but it has, I feel, been treated as a very one-sided argument. Please rein it in before others are hurt by these thoughtless comments.
last edited at Nov 11, 2022 4:02PM
