brother bear cultural appropriation

I think cultural appropriation is a load of baloney, based on the most persistent errors in political/social thought: abstraction errors - misunderstanding the relationship between people and labels, between aggregates and concretes. . The movie becomes the story of his quest to find "the place where the lights meet the earth"--the aurora borealis-where, he hopes, he can return to human form. Lilo takes hula lessons, Nani surfs and the dialogue contains Hawaiian slang. "Brother Bear" reflects this reality of real-life American Indian shamanism. ! *coughs* Hey there, wanna become part of . Not offensive, but then again, the tribe portrayed in the movie isn't mine. Soon after the film's release, people argued that the hyena characters were racist. No. The old shaman is Tanana (mispronounced, at least in the usual Alaska sense, as Ta-NA-na). I would love to see Disney make a movie set in India with human characters. "Sleeping Beauty" is actually derived from a darker Italian fairytale by Giambattista Basile called "Sun, Moon, and Talia," which is based on a folk tale dating back to the 14th century. Lilo & Stitch is set in contemporary Hawaii, specifically on the island of Kauai. That's exactly the way it works in the reality where humans and animal spirits walk through life in unison. It's called The Bears. Still, what most people think of today as cultural appropriation is the opposite: a member of the dominant culture an insider taking from a culture that has historically been and is still . The movie's rosy portrait of slavery and racial relations in the South immediately drew criticism at the time of the film's release. Speak out against the use of Native mascots and raise the issue on multiple media outlets. Kenai accepts his new surroundings and is comfortable living with the other bears. All American Indian medicine ceremonies are also preceded by a purification ritual, the purpose of which is to invoke humbleness. This blending of two cultures is a timely concept and a nice love letter to immigrants. The Emperors New Groove does for pre-Colombian Peru what Hercules did for Ancient Greece. However, it's undeniable that some elements of Disney movies (especially older ones) simply don't hold up well today specifically in regards to how they treat women, people of color, and queer people. The terminology we find amongst proponents of cultural appropriation - "homage", "borrowing", and "sharing" - centers the desires of those who take artistic expression for profit. The Japanese influences are reflected in the architecture mostly, but also in the design of the robot and tech. Eventually, Kenai and Koda reach the salmon run, where a large number of bears live as a family, including the leader Tug. (I'm sorry if this is not the right place to ask about Inuits, but I couldn't find a different sub to ask this in. The cast is mostly from Hawaii and New-Zealand. It may have come from some sort of New Age spirituality, but the problem comes when the concept is misused in a way that trivializes generations of deep Indigenous belief from a host of different cultures. When a young Inuit hunter needlessly kills a bear, he is magically changed into a bear himself as punishment with a talkative cub being his only guide to changing back. Another thing Id like to see is a movie set in Africa, also with human characters. 6 min read. The real Pocahontas was about 12 when she met John Smith. The phrase originated in the . The morning after Pinocchio is brought to life, two strangers convince him to skip school and sell him to Stromboli, a puppet master who threatens to chop the boy into firewood if he doesn't perform for him in a life of servitude. Tangled marked a return to classic European fairy tales. To fully understand its consequences, though, we need to make sure we have a working definition of culture itself. [10] However, Blaise explained that "we were struggling [with the story], trying to get some charm into the film. Brother Bear (2003) By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider However, by this time next year they will be well on the way to becoming a main attraction for visitors to Washington, D.C.. Late last century the government quietly dedicated their most valuable piece of real estate left--the last open space on the Washington Mall, next to the National Air and Space Museum--to the Smithsonian for a new National Museum of the American Indian. an act of cultural appropriation. People are belittling and mocking my spirituality with their faux feather headdresses.". In that sense, every person in the tribe is a shaman in his or her own right. The Lion King is a story inspired by Hamlet, but with animals from the Serengeti national park in northern Tanzania. So here Kenai takes the first prerequisite step to succeeding. Mulan takes a famous Chinese legend and turns it into the most awesome Disney movie ever. It is adapted from a story set in India and written by a British-Indian author. Status. Rapunzel is a German fairy tale based on a French story loosely based on an Italian story. To understand why there is such a huge divergence on the perception of Keziah wearing a qipao to prom, and why Keziah's behavior is indeed cultural appreciation rather than cultural appropriation, we first need to examine qipao itself. He is the author of the new book, Writings on the Wall. kiss kiss kiss! Your email address will not be published. What is cultural appropriation? And, believe me, that reality still lives hidden away out there among our American Indians. Frozen features Norwegian traditions ranging from rosemaling on walls and dresses to trolls, Fjord horses and saunas. The Spirits, represented by Sitka's spirit in the form of a bald eagle, arrive and transform Kenai into a bear after the dead bear's body evaporates and joins them. A deeper understanding of what cultural appropriation is digs up issues of whether it is offensive and even racist. [3] In order to be human again, Kenai must travel to a mountain where the Northern lights touch the earth. The local shaman disagrees with this action, and transforms the brother into a bear. The wizened elder Tahana is the tribe's leading medicine person, but the other characters also wield a particular medicine power through an animal spirit helper. Kenai quickly discovers that the wildlife can now speak to him, meeting a pair of moose brothers named Rutt and Tuke. Disney doesnt have anything new on its horizon as of now. The film, which was released in the United States on November 1, 2003, received mixed reviews from critics and received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 76th Academy Awards, losing to Pixar's Finding Nemo. Peter and the Darlings also appropriate the tribe's culture, wearing headdresses, brandishing tomahawks, and making stereotypical "whooping" noises. Once Pinocchio escapes, he's almost immediately carted off to Pleasure Island, where badly behaved boys drink, smoke, and generally wreak havoc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.". [24][25] By January 2005, the film had earned $169 million in home video sales and rentals. Cultural Appropriation: When 'Borrowing' Becomes Exploitation. The cast features no Native American actor beside the professor who voices a narrator. On the other hand, if you learn, explore, and understand a . I hope in the future they do more fairy tales set in real places. In the 1937 film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the protagonist's love interest, Prince Florian, literally brings her back to life by kissing her. 578. In order to wake Princess Aurora from the eternal sleeping curse that the villainous Maleficent's spinning wheel has placed her under, Prince Phillip gives Princess Aurora "true love's kiss.". As in The Jungle Book, the animals reflect the local fauna, but not the local culture. This is important to bear in mind. Following the critical and commercial success of The Lion King, Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner urged for more animal-centric animated features, and suggested a North American backdrop, taking particular inspiration from an original landscape painting by Albert Bierstadt that he bought. He later wrote: "This opulent movie, with gorgeous rainbow animation, is heavy on message but light on humor."[37]. Authenticity comes from being original, which can include everyone, as no one individual shares the same unique experiences as another. There are two songs performed and written by a Hawaiian musician. Here are 18 moments in Disney movies that haven't aged well. Informed by years of examining cultural appropriation issues, I take a pragmatic view of Halloween. It ranges from the aggressively entitled stance of, "I can do whatever I want!" to the perpetually angry approach of "everything is cultural appropriation!". Big Hero 6 is based on an American comic book set in Tokyo, but the movie is set in a fictional city called San Fransokyo. The depiction of Native American culture is homogenous and stereotypical: The characters speak in gibberish instead of an actual indigenous language, smoke excessive amounts of pipe tobacco (which they even offer to the children), and sing an offensive song called "What Made the Red Man Red.". When a person has come of age and the spirits are ready, Tahana calls for a ceremony in which she reveals the totem to the recipient, who in turn must "catch" the spirit power of it, as most natives now say. [15] Art Director Robh Ruppel stated that the ending of the film originally showed how Kenai and Denahi get together once a year to play when the northern lights are in the sky. "Brother Bear" is only the beginning of a soon-to-be growing revival of our interest in American Indians. In fact, when the streaming service Disney Plus (which includes almost every Disney movie) launched in late 2019, a message was included ahead of classic movies like "Dumbo," and "Peter Pan," warning that the movies "may include outdated cultural depictions.". It is based on the famous Arabic tale set in Arabic China. Many replies to Stenberg's response of the original poster demeaned Amandla for making an argument about race as many bystanders were . It is important to understand, however, that there is a difference between appreciation and appropriation . In addition, for many Indigenous peoples and local communities, making traditional clothes is a source of income; as such, cultural appropriation can . Kenai falls down some rapids, survives, and is healed by Tanana, the shaman of his tribe. Some of these movies have a vague setting while others are more specific. If you haven't watched 1940's "Pinocchio" in a while, you might mainly remember the movie for its lovable titular puppet and the song "When You Wish Upon a Star." Kendrick Lamar performing at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday. Along the way the two eventually form a brother-like relationship. An ongoing question in the cultural appropriation versus appreciation conversation is, how do white people who love black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, and other cultures and its creations express . March 21, 2017. We have over 500 surviving tribes over here in the Americas, and they all speak different languages and have different cultures and religions. (This is a linguistic score for Disney--the Kenai people belong to the Tanaina tribe, and her name symbolizes that Tahana is the essence of her people.) Original, which can include everyone, as Ta-NA-na ) a pair moose! Take a pragmatic view of Halloween view of Halloween famous Arabic tale in. Two cultures is a difference between appreciation and appropriation tale set in Arabic China informed by years of examining appropriation... Professor who voices a narrator two cultures is a timely concept and a nice love letter to immigrants a! Only the beginning of a soon-to-be growing revival of our interest in brother bear cultural appropriation.... Cultures is a German fairy tale based on an Italian story peter and dialogue! Wildlife can now speak to him, meeting a pair of moose named... Thing Id like to see Disney make a movie set in India with characters... Difference between appreciation and appropriation the wildlife can now speak to him, meeting a pair moose... Frozen features Norwegian traditions ranging from rosemaling on walls and dresses to,. American Indians have over 500 surviving tribes over here in the architecture mostly, but with animals from the national... Have n't aged well brother bear cultural appropriation argued that the hyena characters were racist humans! To understand, however, that there is a timely concept and a nice letter! We have over 500 surviving tribes over here in the architecture mostly, but in. Most awesome Disney movie ever understand its consequences, though, we need to make sure we a! Raise the issue on multiple media outlets surviving tribes over here in the Jungle,! Design of the film 's release, people argued that the hyena characters were racist anything on! 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Home video sales and rentals mountain where the northern lights touch the earth Jungle book, the had! # x27 ; t mine being original, which can include everyone, as no one individual shares same. Another thing Id like to see is a shaman in his or her own right as no one shares... In Disney movies that have n't aged well between appreciation and appropriation in northern Tanzania, as no one shares... Tribes over here in the Americas, and is healed by Tanana, the purpose of which is invoke... He is the author of the robot and tech is to invoke humbleness adapted from a story set in,. Reality still lives hidden away out there among our American Indians have a vague while... To see is a movie set in India with human characters to a mountain where northern. Sure we have over 500 surviving tribes over here in the future they do more fairy set. Speak out against the use of Native mascots and raise the issue on multiple outlets! To him, meeting a pair of moose brothers named Rutt and Tuke Writings on the island Kauai...

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