The Cannibal Talking Head: The Portrayal of the Windigo “Monster” in Popular Culture and Ojibwe Traditions

• Published in: The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture
• Main Author: DeSanti, Brady
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress) 2015
• Subjects: Religious studies; Cultural Studies; Indian; First Nations
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jrpc.27.3.2938; https://utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/jrpc.27.3.2938

This article examines the windigo “monster” of Algonquian Indian traditions through the lens of popular culture. The cannibalistic entity remains a consistent antagonist in comic books, cartoons, movies, and television series. Each medium portrays components of the windigo and related phenomena with varying degrees of accuracy. And while the windigo continues to be a part of many different Algonquian-speaking Native American and First Nations cultural traditions, this article focuses primarily on Ojibwe understandings of the entity. Along with evaluating the windigo from a popular media perspective, particular attention is also given to situating the windigo in accordance with Ojibwe spirituality and their concept of mino-bimaddiziwin, a philosophy that encourages individuals to remain in balance and harmony with themselves and communities.