Slogokonnor99| (COMMISSIONS OPEN!)

Hello, and thank you for reaching out about this!

Drawing inspiration from indigenous designs and patterns is a tricky subject that has already been quite heartedly debated in the ATLA fandom. Admittedly, I never got involved with that particular discourse, but it's made me aware of the thin line between culture appreciation and culture appropriation.

That being said, I don't belong to the many cultures that inspired ATLA, which includes the Inuit and Yup'ik people. I'm not a scholar, not a history buff, and most definitely not an authority on the matter. In short: I'm not an expert. I'm just someone who makes fanart as a hobby, and loves a fictional story inspired by rich, complex, and beautiful real life cultures.

I'm doing my best with what little actual knowledge I have, always trying to discover more and stay mindful of the boundaries that exist when dealing with certain subjects. My intention when searching for references and information is to appreciate and respect their original source as much as I can as an outsider from the other side of the world.

(These are not excuses. Ignorance is only a problem as long as you're not interested in learning, and that's not the case here.)

If I ever stray into accidental cultural appropriation; if I include something in my art that's inappropriate or forbidden; or if I offend anyone because I didn't know I was doing or saying something that could be taken as an offense in the first place—I apologize, and kindly ask to be made aware of the root issue so I can keep it in mind in the future.

I'm doing my very best to interact and create on the basis of respect, and I hope you, whoever might be reading this, extends the same courtesy in exchange.

In the subject of indigenous patterns, thank you for letting me know—I haven't checked X since this whole mess began and I posted a bunch of old art in a desperate bid for self-love. That being said:

Learning isn't a straight path. It's not as if one reads two articles and one research paper and suddenly they're an expert on the subject. You find new details and perspectives every day, or in time, and that's precious.

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I've only ever depicted one Water Tribe character with tunniit, which is a Yue design I placed together for the Tales Of The Couch AU. In-universe, the line down her chin is supposed to represent her family line (a single line for her father), while the three white dots on each cheek symbolize her connection to Tui, the Moon spirit. These tattoos are not meant to be a completely faithful depiction of real-life tunniit.

At the time, I knew kakiniit are deeply saturated with meaning, so I tried to think of how that could be used to explore Yue's character in-story, in-universe. When I became aware of the larger debate going on in the fandom regarding kakiniit (a closed practice with a rather complex history and cultural significance), I decided not to draw them again, in hopes of respecting that boundary.

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The patterns I use when depicting Water Tribe outfits draw inspiration from multiple sources, mainly the research I've made and the images I've found on Inuit and Yup'ik trim and decorative patterns, both in historical (photographs after contact, museum exhibitions, etc) and modern clothing pieces.

I suppose some of the shapes might resemble traditional kakiniit symbols, but I've never directly copied the tattoos or even the original designs. I've only ever taken inspiration from them, and tried to appreciate their beauty by making up my own designs to decorate their outfits.

If this process is in any way offensive or insensitive, please let me know—the last thing I want is for a thing I made with love and good intentions to hurt anyone.

If anyone has some knowledge/ideas/advice on what specific type of designs I should avoid, I'd love to read them! I'm always open to constructive criticism as long as it's respectful, and my creative self is always excited to learn more about different cultures and forms of representation.

If I should avoid any pattern, would you have a recommendation on what to use instead? Perhaps different trim designs that are okay for outsiders to be inspired by when making art, or shapes that aren't so deeply personal to native people.

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After I received this comment, I tried to delve deeper into the subject but couldn't find any more information than I hadn't already read. Perhaps it's just me not knowing how to best search for these things (despite my age, I'm awful at technology/social media).

And, well—I can't fix something if I don't know what the exact problem is. (Is it the Y shapes? The dotted lines? The geometrical designs?) Once I know what to change and what to change it to, I'll do it without problem, but I have no real way of making that happen right now unless I remove all patterns from future outfits, just to be safe. Which...is something I'm honestly a bit reluctant to do.

This is especially relevant now, given that I'm working on the Itijuk AU and, naturally, the Water Tribe features more heavily in it.

Likewise, there's two particular artworks (I think, there might be more) that do use the designs I've been using for years. These pieces have been finished for several weeks, which makes it rather difficult for me to edit them due to my particular work process. They'll still be posted and they'll still include those same patterns. I can only hope everyone understands why, and nobody comes after me (again) because of it.

[image id: a four-page comic. it is titled “immortality” after the poem by clare harner (more popularly known as “do not stand at my grave and weep”). the first page shows paleontologists digging up fossils at a dig. it reads, “do not stand at my grave and weep. i am not there. i do not sleep.” page two features several prehistoric creatures living in the wild. not featured but notable, each have modern descendants: horses, cetaceans, horsetail plants, and crocodilians. it reads, “i am a thousand winds that blow. i am the diamond glints on snow. i am the sunlight on ripened grain. i am the gentle autumn rain.” the third page shows archaeopteryx in the treetops and the skies, then a modern museum-goer reading the placard on a fossil display. it reads, “when you awaken in the morning’s hush, i am the swift uplifting rush, of quiet birds in circled flight. i am the soft stars that shine at night. do not stand at my grave and cry.” the fourth page shows a chicken in a field. it reads, “i am not there. i did not die” / end id]