This thesis examines the relationship between colonization and cannibalism, beginning with cannibalism as represented in colonial contact narratives. I address the tendency of the colonizers to presume cannibalism of the indigenous people with whom they come into contact, and how the assumption dictates the treatment of aboriginals by colonizing Europeans. Texts discussed in this light include The Tempest, She, Robinson Crusoe and the journals of Christopher Columbus. Additionally, I address the effects of colonization on the indigenous associations of cannibalism in conjunction with the evolution of the wendigo. To illustrate this evolution, I primarily draw on traditional oral stories alongside the works of Louise Erdrich and Winona LaDuke, including Tracks, Four Souls, The Round House and Last Standing Woman. To close, I demarcate the trend of American television shows to appropriate the wendigo, ascertaining a fundamental misunderstanding of indigenous cultural beliefs by American popular culture.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis examines the relationship between colonization and cannibalism, beginning with cannibalism as represented in colonial contact narratives. I address the tendency of the colonizers to presume cannibalism of the indigenous people with whom they come into contact, and how the assumption dictates the treatment of aboriginals by colonizing Europeans. Texts discussed in this light include <em>The Tempest</em>, <em>She</em>, <em>Robinson Crusoe</em> and the journals of Christopher Columbus. Additionally, I address the effects of colonization on the indigenous associations of cannibalism in conjunction with the evolution of the wendigo. To illustrate this evolution, I primarily draw on traditional oral stories alongside the works of Louise Erdrich and Winona LaDuke, including <em>Tracks</em>, <em>Four Souls</em>, <em>The Round House</em> and <em>Last Standing Woman</em>. To close, I demarcate the trend of American television shows to appropriate the wendigo, ascertaining a fundamental misunderstanding of indigenous cultural beliefs by American popular culture.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lietz, Michelle"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"English Language and Literature","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Abby Coykendall, Ph.D., First Reader","Lori Burlingame, Ph.D., Second Reader"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-03-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-03-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:06Z","subjects":["Folklore","cannibalism","colonization","windigos","English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/671","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Abby Coykendall, Ph.D., First Reader","Lori Burlingame, Ph.D., Second Reader"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lietz, Michelle"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-09-16T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English Language and Literature"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Folklore","cannibalism","colonization","windigos","English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/671"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis examines the relationship between colonization and cannibalism, beginning with cannibalism as represented in colonial contact narratives. I address the tendency of the colonizers to presume cannibalism of the indigenous people with whom they come into contact, and how the assumption dictates the treatment of aboriginals by colonizing Europeans. Texts discussed in this light include The Tempest, She, Robinson Crusoe and the journals of Christopher Columbus. Additionally, I address the effects of colonization on the indigenous associations of cannibalism in conjunction with the evolution of the wendigo. To illustrate this evolution, I primarily draw on traditional oral stories alongside the works of Louise Erdrich and Winona LaDuke, including Tracks, Four Souls, The Round House and Last Standing Woman. To close, I demarcate the trend of American television shows to appropriate the wendigo, ascertaining a fundamental misunderstanding of indigenous cultural beliefs by American popular culture.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Cannibalism in contact narratives and the evolution of the wendigo"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Abby Coykendall, Ph.D., First Reader","Lori Burlingame, Ph.D., Second Reader"],"dc:creator":["Lietz, Michelle"],"dc:date.available":["2016-09-16T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis examines the relationship between colonization and cannibalism, beginning with cannibalism as represented in colonial contact narratives. I address the tendency of the colonizers to presume cannibalism of the indigenous people with whom they come into contact, and how the assumption dictates the treatment of aboriginals by colonizing Europeans. Texts discussed in this light include The Tempest, She, Robinson Crusoe and the journals of Christopher Columbus. Additionally, I address the effects of colonization on the indigenous associations of cannibalism in conjunction with the evolution of the wendigo. To illustrate this evolution, I primarily draw on traditional oral stories alongside the works of Louise Erdrich and Winona LaDuke, including Tracks, Four Souls, The Round House and Last Standing Woman. To close, I demarcate the trend of American television shows to appropriate the wendigo, ascertaining a fundamental misunderstanding of indigenous cultural beliefs by American popular culture.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/671"],"dc:subject":["Folklore","cannibalism","colonization","windigos","English Language and Literature"],"dc:title":["Cannibalism in contact narratives and the evolution of the wendigo"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English Language and Literature"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:06Z"}