native people have always had a pulse on pop culture
December 6, 2019 1:59 PM   Subscribe

What happens when Indigenous people across Canada and the United States adopt Baby Yoda as one of their own? He gets placed in a cradleboard. Maybe wearing a ribbon skirt. He gets a pair of beaded earrings. He might even become a pair of beaded earrings. Since a new television installment to the Star Wars franchise, The Mandalorian, premiered on Nov. 12, the Baby Yoda character has been taking social media by storm.
posted by sciatrix (16 comments total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
 
I’ve been really enjoying Dr. Adrienne Keene’s Baby Yoda tweets! She’s retweeted quite a few and it really brightens my day to see each new one.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 2:44 PM on December 6, 2019 [4 favorites]


Baby Yoda is going to safe the world...
posted by Pendragon at 2:51 PM on December 6, 2019


Mod note: A comment and a reply deleted. It's okay to have this be a thread about good/interesting cultural aspects of what's in the link; we don't need another generic Disney Star Wars Arglebargle thread.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:03 PM on December 6, 2019 [9 favorites]




I know nothing about The Mandalorian but damn if that Electric Pow Wow Drum Baby Yoda isn’t the cutest thing I’ve seen today!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:31 PM on December 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


Hit post too soon. If you like that music it’s from A Tribe Called Red who are AMAZING and worth checking out.

Stadium Pow Wow featuring Black Bear

Sisters featuring Northern Voice
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:36 PM on December 6, 2019 [8 favorites]


An orphan taking in another orphan and going full Lone Wolf and Cub on the edges of a decaying empire. I reiterate - it resonates beyond the level of *adorbs*cute*. I happen to think that's an important, and good, aspect of this particular cultural phenomena as described in the link.

Also? Electric Pow Wow Baby Yoda is amazing but I think tiny tot dollars is my current favourite for sheer evocativeness
posted by mce at 4:43 PM on December 6, 2019 [5 favorites]


I didn't know Star Wars had a particular relevance among indigenous viewers, but it absolutely makes sense to me.

Baby Yoda is going to sell me this damn service, isn't he? I cannot resist him or the dynamic the Mandalorian has with him. Plus, every time I see him, I think about his possible mother, Yaddle, the world's simplest genderflip design--a spare wig on top of an extra Yoda head? What, was the workshop out of giant pink bows? And would it have killed anyone to make her name look like it belonged to an actual language by spelling it Yadal? No, no, sorry, it's Lucasfilm, there's no fighting with it.
posted by Countess Elena at 4:54 PM on December 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


I didn't know Star Wars had a particular relevance among indigenous viewers

Star Wars was the first major motion picture to be translated into Diné.
posted by palomar at 5:08 PM on December 6, 2019 [10 favorites]


I didn't know Star Wars had a particular relevance among indigenous viewers

I don't know how widespread it really is, but I've had a few tribal coworkers who were huge Star Wars fans.

I've been resistant to the baby Yoda excitement, but this article tipped me over into agreeing that it is indeed cute.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:27 PM on December 6, 2019


Plus, every time I see him, I think about his possible mother, Yaddle,

Wait, so Baby Yoda isn't Baby Yoda, but like, a cousin or something?
Well, that changes things.
posted by madajb at 12:55 AM on December 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


Wait, so Baby Yoda isn't Baby Yoda,

The Mandalorian takes place after Return of the Jedi, so no.
posted by Pendragon at 1:41 AM on December 7, 2019 [2 favorites]


Wait, so Baby Yoda isn't Baby Yoda, but like, a cousin or something?

The issue is there has never been a canon name for Yoda's species, and obviously "baby Yoda" is easier to say than "a baby of whatever species Yoda was".
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:54 AM on December 7, 2019


I should add that in the show, it's just referred to as "the kid" or "the child".
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:55 AM on December 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


Yes, other than the blink and you'll miss it appearance of the female Yaddle in the background of one of the prequels, Yoda is the only member of whatever species he is that anyone's seen. Therefore if you find one and are asked what it is, it's ...a baby Yoda.

I liked that Jenny Nicholson's pre-spoiler-embargo name for discussing the bébé on Twitter was Baba Yaga.
Implying (to me) that there's a cuteness spectrum, which runs from Baby Yoda at one end down to Baba Yaga at the other.
posted by bartleby at 9:24 AM on December 7, 2019 [4 favorites]


The Mandalorian takes place after Return of the Jedi, so no.

I've only seen the memes, so in my head I've been imagining a toddler version of Yoda's voice.

"New diaper, I need"

"Dropped my binky, I have"

"When teething you are, sleep as well you will not, hmmm"

To be honest, I'm going to stick with it, despite this revelation.
posted by madajb at 3:58 PM on December 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


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