The Caveless Creature

Abstract

While many know the Wendigo as a fearsome monster from horror media, the Wendigo is an extremely powerful symbol and creature within Indigenous cultures. I rarely see the Wendigo depicted by an Indigenous artist, and wished to reclaim its fearsome image as a protector of our culture within a modern context. The Wendigo hunts in the woods, but if the forests burn, where does the Wendigo lurk? The Wendigo preys on unsuspecting white settlers. But if the white settlers destroy its home, have colonized the lands it belongs to, are they truly unsuspecting? I see the Wendigo as a creature of decolonization and a symbol that blends our traditions, our present and our future as Indigenous peoples.