Quote from: jhkim;831521On the topic of cultural appropriation without going into any one poster -

To my mind, the main problem is when mainstream mass-media portrayals of someone's culture drown out the portrayals by members of the culture. Like, for example, having the mass of Americans know Lakota culture through Dances With Wolves rather than through works by Lakota authors. Or when Indian-themed New-Age trinkets made in Singapore are outselling work by native craftsmen.

I'm working on a game scenario right now about Voodoo, so it's been on my mind.

I don't think one needs permission per se, but I definitely try to look for portrayals by people of a culture rather than by outsiders.

So recommend me some Lakota authors then.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sewing my Cultural Representative Notary Public costumes and designing my Seals of Approval as we speak. I will graciously accept only 15% of the proceeds, per (sub-)culture I represent. Any use of Latin script, electricity, or computing at any point during said creation is a nominal additional 2% per facet, until Jan 2016, as a new customer discount.

Anyone needs their forum post sanctioned for approval? I charge reasonable rates. I also wear many cultural hats (Heinz 57 American, baby!) — and they'll have details like felt stars and pompoms dangling from the trim.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;831526So recommend me some Lakota authors then.

Kevin Costner.  The Lakota made him an honorary member in response to his horrific act of whitewashing and cultural appropriation called Dances with Wolves.  Poor infantile brainwashed children.  If only they had a young, affluent, overeducated, underemployed white guy wearing sackcloth and ashes to fulfill his noblesse oblige and set them straight as to how Lakota should think and feel.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;831526So recommend me some Lakota authors then.

Assuming we're talking exclusively about RPGables in mythology & traditional culture, these are all lakota or dakota:

Myths from either Luther Standing Bear or Zitkala-Ša would be easiest to get, but their language is super dated. Content is decent, but I cringe at some aspects of the presentation. I suspect both could be easily found online for free.

Black Elk is better (his descriptions are vivid, and he gives things very D&D names like "the Soldier Weed of Destruction", etc.) but Black Elk Speaks has editor Neihardt and a sort of prefigured New Age agenda all over it. Unedited transcripts are better in that regard but may lose out in others.

On the anthro side of things there's Ella Cara Deloria, if interested in somewhat drier reading.

Note also that all of these are pretty old. The more modern sources I'm familiar with focus on more modern issues.

Quote from: antion;831571Assuming we're talking exclusively about RPGables in mythology & traditional culture, these are all lakota or dakota:

Myths from either Luther Standing Bear or Zitkala-Ša would be easiest to get, but their language is super dated. Content is decent, but I cringe at some aspects of the presentation. I suspect both could be easily found online for free.

Black Elk is better (his descriptions are vivid, and he gives things very D&D names like "the Soldier Weed of Destruction", etc.) but Black Elk Speaks has editor Neihardt and a sort of prefigured New Age agenda all over it. Unedited transcripts are better in that regard but may lose out in others.

On the anthro side of things there's Ella Cara Deloria, if interested in somewhat drier reading.

Note also that all of these are pretty old. The more modern sources I'm familiar with focus on more modern issues.

Thank you.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;831526So recommend me some Lakota authors then.

Lakota Woman, a memoir by Mary Crow Dog (now named Mary Brave Bird). Also inspired the TNT movie Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, starring Jane Fonda.

I read the book for my Native American Woman Studies class. It was a lot of fun (especially since there's moments of happiness instead of the seemingly unending sadness in my NA material). Interesting view of the '60s, and much needed primary source for the development of AIM, Alcatraz, & Wounded Knee siege.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;831526So recommend me some Lakota authors then.

Index of Native American authors by tribe at the Internet Public Library.

Quote from: CRKrueger;831680Index of Native American authors by tribe at the Internet Public Library.

This is an AMAZING resource. Thank you, thank you thank you!

Admittedly i'm not coming at this strictly from a Native American standpoint, but does anyone have any sources about spirit quests?

Quote from: Cryptofblood;831345If you think your excuse for cultural appropriation is "Freedom of Speech" then you're seriously deluded, since for one example White Supremacists also defend their Hate Speeches as "Freedom of Speech" as well which doesn't make the situation any different here.

Everyone should 100% support the Freedom of Speech for every racial supremacist from every ethnic group on the planet. "Hate Speech" is a bullshit term in a moronic attempt at censorship. Censorship never achieves anything positive.

If you do not support the right for your foes to speak freely and loudly and publicly, you don't deserve the right for your side to voice its opinions either, regardless how "right" you believe your side's opinion may be at this moment in time.

It means absolutely nothing to protect words you like.

Quote from: One Horse Town;831794Admittedly i'm not coming at this strictly from a Native American standpoint, but does anyone have any sources about spirit quests?

Not exactly real world based, but Glorantha does a lot of that. You might find something in any of the versions of Runequest or in some of the HeroQuest information on Glorantha.

Quote from: One Horse Town;831794Admittedly i'm not coming at this strictly from a Native American standpoint, but does anyone have any sources about spirit quests?

Yeah I'd agree that Stafford / Glorantha is gonna be most about that for gaming.

For just general stuff about vision experiences though the previously mentioned Black Elk Speaks has detailed descriptions of several visions. Below is a fairly representative piece from the "dog vision". Pretty heavy with Lakota symbols, but even without that layer it'll get you a good bit beyond "an animal showed up and we became ghost-friends forever" hokeyness.

Quote from: Black ElkAnd as I stood there looking, a vision broke out of the shouting blackness torn with fire, and I saw the two men who had come to me first in my great vision. They came head first like arrows slanting earthward from the long flight; and when they neared the ground, I could see a dust rising there and out of the dust the heads of dogs were peeping. Then suddenly I saw that the dust was the swarm of many-colored butterflies hovering all around and over the dogs.

By now the two men were riding sorrel horses, streaked with black lightning, and they charged with bows and arrows down upon the dogs, while the thunder beings cheered for them with roaring voices.

Then suddenly the butterflies changed, and were storm-driven swallows, swooping and whirling in a great cloud behind the charging riders.

The first of these now plunged upon a dog's head and arose with it hanging bloody on his arrow point, while the whole west roared with cheering. The second did the same; and the black west flashed and cheered again. Then as the two arose together, I saw that the dogs' heads had changed to the heads of Wasichus; and as I saw, the vision went out and the storm was close upon me, terrible to see and roaring.

Thanks!

I'm actively trying to avoid looking at anything Runequest while i do this, though, for gaming reference. I was thinking more along real life experiences, so thanks for the Black Elk link.

Quote from: Spinachcat;831800*Protects Hate Speech*

You just now reached a new low and pretty much shown your true colors here which you rather be accompanied by and be complicit to white supremacists rather than calling them out which somehow you label that as "censorship".

Then again Free Speech for whom I wonder? Also flagged for ableist language like "moronic".

Free speech does not grant immunity from criticisms.  Just because you say one thing, does not mean someone else cannot take a look at it and disagree.

And that's the final thing I will say on that.