TJIF | Spirit Animal

Friday Forum

Dec 11

Tell Junipurr It’s Friday!

Update July 2021

Dear friends,

I’ve made a mistake.

I don’t remember when I first encountered the term “spirit animal.” Maybe middle school, during my online personality quiz craze (“What after-school snack are you?”, “Who’s your famous author twin?”)?

I assumed that the term meant an animal species for whom a person felt particular kinship. I didn’t give a thought to the origins of the term and thus remained ignorant.

This week I discovered that the term “spirit animal,” when used by people who do not identify as a member of First Nations and Indigenous people, can be problematic. I am far from an expert, but in my limited understanding: (1) this term has a sacred and specific meaning to the Indigenous Nations for whom it is a resonant concept. Using the term lightly and as a non-Indigenous person is cultural appropriation. (2) There is a colonialist history in America of dehumanizing and subjugating Indigenous people through misuse of terms like “spirit animal” and imagery that depict Indigenous people as “too” closely connected with animals (who, in this paradigm, are seen as inferior to humans).

Oof. I am embarrassed, and I’m sorry for perpetuating the misuse of this term.

My first impulse was to delete this post. After some internal debate, I decided to keep it because open dialogue, especially when it is uncomfortable but necessary for learning and social progress, is more important than my desire to erase my mistake.

So, if you have perspectives or feelings you’d like to share on this subject, please do in the Comments section below. Also, if you know of any good resources to learn more, please share your recommendations.

I am committed to building a respectful, engaging, and enriching community here at Junipurr Studio. Learning to be a better human — to one another, to the animals and other life forms with whom we share this Earth, to ourselves — is a continuous process.

Thank you for being here and a part of the journey.

Melody
3 July 2021

Ooooh yeah, it’s Friday, friends! Time to break out the party pajamas :)

How was this week for you? We had some ups and downs, tbh. I got swept under a wave of overwhelm and seasonal affective disorder. Wednesday night saw me laying on the floor while watching 10 episodes of Sister Sister reruns back-to-back and shook her head. Junipurr, on the other hand, has been living it up as a lap cat, but exclusively with her Favorite Parent (FP). Humph! But, as intuitive teacher Sheri Salata reminded us yesterday: “Your happiness is a gift to the world.” So, this weekend we are determined to emanate joy, and we hope you’ll join us .

Voilà a fun topic for this week’s cat parent forum: Who is Your Spirit Animal? Plus, some animal related gems from around the www.

Link Pack

The 2020 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. First of all, let’s take a minute to appreciate that such a thing exists. Us humans! Second, the finalists – THEY GOOD. Which ones are your favorite? I love the bears, the lions, the elephants, and the turtle who don’t give AF … mmmhmm! Tell ‘em, Terry the Turtle! ;)
I think we can all relate to this baby orphaned orangutan who burst into tears while learning to climb (a necessary survival skill for orangutans). Stepping outside of our comfort zone and learning new skills can be so overwhelming! Happy spoiler alert: Our little friend triumphs in the end.
Speaking of relatable, this baby elephant who got caught eating sugarcane & tries to hide behind a narrow pole is 100% me when FP asks if I’ve been eating cheetos.
P.S. Did you see this preliminary report from the Aquatic Life Institute on defining aquatic animal sentience and welfare? Considering that aquaculture is the “fastest growing food sector,” amounting to “2-3 trillion aquatic animals killed in the wild and 100 billion farmed” globally each year, it’s an uncomfortable but necessary topic to consider ….

Community Discussion Prompt:

Who is Your Spirit Animal? This is one of Junipurr and mine favorite topics to discuss. I'm convinced that elephants are mine (see above re eating sugar cane then trying to hide). Juni is more fickle. How about you? Which animal do you relate to? Bring on the visual aids and essays to let us know why!

p.s. If you are new (welcome!) or it’s been a minute, please check out the Community Discussion Guidelines :)