Quileute exhibit says "We're not werewolves"

EXHIBITION:  Quileute separate fact from fiction for ‘Twilight’ fans

By Kara BriggsThe exhibition, “Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves,” is meant to provide a counterpoint to the popular “Twilight” series of books and movies, which fictionalizes the Northwest tribe and its origins. When the first movie came out in 2008, the Quileute’s one-square-mile reservation in a remote part of coastal Washington state instantly became a worldwide destination for tween fans.

But real Quileute have nothing in common with the werewolves that the movies interpret them to be, as 1,600 people who crowded into the Seattle museum this summer to see the tribe’s teens and adults perform their ancient wolf dances soon learned firsthand.

“After ‘Twilight’ came out, I got my ears pinned back by some of our elders,” said Ann Penn-Charles, a Quileute, who dances and shares her culture with her tribe’s youth. She is known as Miss Ann. “They said, ‘How dare they portray us as werewolves? That’s so disrespectful. I want you guys to go represent us the way we Quileute are meant to be.’

“When you get directives from the elders like that you have to honor them. A lot of our youth were like, ‘We’re not werewolves.’ We have been here since the beginning of the flood. Our kids are like, ‘Man, we’ve got to show it.’”Comment:  For more on the subject, see Fans Still Ignorant About Quileutes and Quileute Exhibit at Seattle Art Museum.

Below:  "Quileute children point and observe in delight as three pods of whales approach the beach during the Quileute’s Calling the Whales ceremony. The Quileute Tribe’s reservation is on the Pacific Coast of Northwest Washington state." (Chris Cook/Forks Forum)