stopgirlhate: Using the term “spirit animal” is...

Feb 25

Using the term “spirit animal” is a form of cultural appropriation because it is adapted from the the culture of Indigenous Peoples. I believe it’s the Cherokee peoples specifically who believe in spirit animal guides or animal totems.

An Animal Totem is an important symbolic object used by a person to get in touch with specific qualities found within an animal which the person needs, connects with, or feels a deep affinity toward. (x)

However, more people who use the term “spirit animal” either don’t know or don’t care about what that terminology means to Cherokee peoples. Furthermore, it’s thrown around and attached to really random and unrelated things without any reverence for its intended usage. For example, when I see people use the term “spirit animal” on tumblr, it’s usually captioned under a gif of the person’s favourite television character.

Another part of the Cherokee tradition is wearing garments made from the spirit animal (feathers, furs) in order to feel a deeper connection to the spirit animal. The company Spirit Hoods appropriates this tradition by, well, just look at it. I would think it was harmless and unintentional if it weren’t for the product descriptions (full critique here). Btw, the website also sells feather earrings because apparently, “when a feather is adorned, an even stronger connection is made to the animal spirit” (x). They’re just lovely.