I have a character in a fantasy story coded as Pueblo/Zuni. I did lots of reading but I have 2 questions. First of all, is it better to be super detailed about the culture or should I just include a few broad identifiers in order to not overstep (I'm white). Also: feathers. I have not found any good sources about this. Is it ok to have a feather in his hair or no? Every time I try to research I just find these weird hippie websites that talk about native Americans like they're all the same.
Representing Pueblo/Zuni Peoples Respectfully
1- put in details that the culture has chosen to share with the world. Native tribes do share some parts of their culture according to their guidelines, and that material is usually okay to share. When in doubt, ask the tribe if x part is allowed to be redistributed by outsiders.
But, in general, when somebody Native publishes a story on the internet, that story is considered safe to share. Note how I specify on the internet because sometimes tribes will tell you things in person but it can never be transcribed in text.
Make sure it’s published by somebody genuinely Pueblo/Zuni, and that stuff is where you should base your research.
I’d personally rather more detail than less, because when you get too fuzzy with coding in fantasy then it can reinforce the concept that all Natives are the same— and you’ll be more likely to pull from your own biases. The more research you do and the more you refine the coding to be as close to that people as you can safely get it, the more likely you are to get good representation.
2- I’ve seen a few cultures be okay with feathers in hair. This isn’t to say all of them are, but the ones I interact with are. I’ll leave this part open for Pueblo/Zuni people to answer, since I’m very far removed from that region.
~ Mod Lesya
