#which. considering Cogita and Volo are Celestica descendants. that would in fact still make em Ainu mirrors

[archersgaymerblog]

I was trying to find a clothing term that I’ve seen in traditional Ainu wear for the ID for the last lil comic I posted on my art blog (couldn’t find a specific term for the vests I’ve seen Ainu wear in photos!) but it sent me down a hole of looking into more Ainu backstory and the like. Found a really good interview from an Ainu woman, and I think I’ve mentioned the conspiracy theory before, but if anyone’s wondering why canon Volo is. Like that (weirdly… white).

It’s because there’s a literal conspiracy theory that the Europeans colonized Hokkaido first. Heavily disproven, but still taken as fact to some. So that’s fuckin fun I guess (huge sarcasm cannot stress enough)

IDs for the two images:

The first image states: “JD/RD: The Ainu have been depicted as "mysterious proto-Caucasians" unrelated to Japanese people. However, DNA research shows that Ainu are the direct descendants of the Jomon, the ancient people who created Japan's first culture and one of the world's oldest extant potteries. This means that the Ainu and present-day Japanese are biologically related. Would you comment?

The first image states: “JD/RD: The Ainu have been depicted as "mysterious proto-Caucasians" unrelated to Japanese people. However, DNA research shows that Ainu are the direct descendants of the Jomon, the ancient people who created Japan's first culture and one of the world's oldest extant potteries. This means that the Ainu and present-day Japanese are biologically related. Would you comment?

KD: The findings were only new to those who wanted to cling to the myth of a lost Caucasian tribe. Some anthropologists have reluctantly supported the theories that came into question because of DNA evidence. True scholarship is open to change, and the advent of DNA research was threatening for some. Other anthropologists knew DNA would revolutionize the field, and were excited by what that might mean. What has been done so far is only the beginning. I don't think that it is an exaggeration to compare DNA with finding out that the world isn't flat.”

The second image states: “Another origin myth that is losing credibility is the belief that the Ainu are some kind of lost tribe of Caucasians. The myth was created by early European scholars from the mid-nineteenth century, and because this was a respected view of Europeans, the myth can still be found as fact in some textbooks and reference books. There is some legitimate basis for the 'mistake.' The Ainu of the period looked nothing like the Japanese. The Ainu were muscular with skin tones similar to the darker French or Italians. They were very hairy, with thick and wavy hair, luxurious beards, and abundant body hair. Eye color was mostly brown, but could be 'bluish' or 'greenish,' no doubt a Russian influence. Most importantly, the very young were reported not to have the Mongolian 'blue' spot on their lower back. Today, because of intermarriage with the Japanese, the above features are not always present, but I have very thick wavy hair and in the summer I get a very dark tan, my eyes have a more European look, and my body build is somewhat muscular. For all these reasons during my youth I was subject to verbal taunts of "dojin." While the dictionary meaning is “native," it is often used as a pejorative term.”

END ID.]

#I will simply keep my volo redesign thanks a whole lot gamefreak #my dumb textposts #volo #altho learning about the jomon’s given me some new context for pla! #as the clans are meant to be mirrors to the Ainu and the celestica are an ‘ancient’ people perhaps they’re better meant to represent- #-the jomon who the Ainu are descended from? #which. considering Cogita and Volo are Celestica descendants. that would in fact still make em Ainu mirrors #but nah had to lean into the European conspiracy theory 🫠🫠🫠🫠 like bruh #there’s. a lotta issues with depictions of indigenous peoples and colonialism with PLA that many people have made better posts about #to me this is just another layer in what’s… a pretty iffy story. #I love the gameplay of pla. I love some of the themes it plays with. but it falls short in a lot of these discussions #which honestly makes me kinda sad cus I think there was a lot of potential there to really do something subversive. but nah. #colonizer group good and everyone has to follow their orders to a t or else. because they’re the good guys ya know #also the ancestral indigenous people of the land are depicted based on a disproven conspiracy theory rather than. who they /actually/ were. #long tags I’ve have two beers so now I have to hyperanalyze media meant for children I suppose #EDIT tumblr let me copy-paste things from my photos without fucking issue challenge #IM TRYING TO WRITE AN ID HERE!!!!!!!!!