rip the four nations

genuinely I do love katara and sokka as a representation of how Indigenous people can be written in a fantasy setting and it was nice to have something like that in a childhood that was spent consuming a lot of media set in fantastical worlds. however I think if those are the only fictional Indigenous characters you can name, especially like as an adult, you should really make an effort to also engage with stories that portray real Indigenous people and cultures in the real world

actually I’m going to add to this and say something that I know will be very controversial on tumblr but. if the only fictional Indigenous characters you as an adult can name in general are from solely children’s media, you should really make an effort to engage with a broader range of stories that portray real Indigenous people and cultures in the real world. sorry. I know this is a touchy subject. This isn’t meant as an indictment of adults who engage with children’s media overall. I just think those shouldn’t be, like, the only Indigenous characters you’re exposed to. respectfully. you’re going to be missing out on a lot of aspects of our stories, frankly. no matter how deep you think that story tailored to a child audience is. it very well may be. it was still written with children in mind first and foremost. please attempt to broaden your horizons.

and if I’m being really honest? once you’ve finished listing fictional Indigenous characters you’ve heard of? my challenge to you, white tumblr user, is to name at least one work of non-fiction (book, essay, documentary, etc) created by an actual Indigenous person. you’re allowed to use search engines you just have to name one. and then you have to engage with that work, if you haven’t already.

Mother and child.

And people say he doesn’t smile

not to get niche but its so important that it was tenzin who broke up with lin. especially for who they are we meet them. lin beifong, who we meet as an unflinching, unyielding force of a police chief, had her heart broken by tenzin, who we meet as a high strung air bender with control issues. lin beifong, a character who is by no means affectionate at the beginning, was broken up with. and it was so upsetting she trashed air temple island. it was so world-altering that they don't talk and haven't for over a decade despite living in the same city. it was so terrible that it took the reincarnation of his father to throw them back together. it was so awful and they missed each other. it was so horrible and they want to be friends again. it was so terrible and she sacrificed herself for his family. because they knew each other so deeply and it was so sweet that even in the bitter pain of a decade of contempt the love was still there.