The Twilight Sage: Opportunity or Cultural Exploitation

The Twilight Saga and the Quileute Indian Tribe: Opportunity or Cultural

Exploitation?

Barbara Leigh Smith

ABSTRACT:

This case explores the impact of a blockbuster series of books and films, “The Twilight

Saga,” on the Quileute Indian Tribe and the small town of Forks, Washington. The

Quileute Indian Reservation and the town of Forks are the setting for the “Twilight”

series. Twilight is a story of teenage love between Bella Swan, and a vampire, Edward

Cullen. The character, Jacob Black, portrayed as a member of the Quileute Tribe and a

werewolf, is also vying for Bella’s affection. Numerous fan clubs have organized around

Club Jacob and Club Edward. The case raises questions about the impact of popular

culture and the dynamics of community economic development. The case also raises the

question about whether this is a story of opportunity or cultural exploitation?

In 2005 Stephenie Meyer, a stay-at-home mother of three, published the book Twilight

which quickly became a blockbuster. The first book was quickly followed by three

others: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. All would eventually be made into

motion pictures. On her website, Meyer indicates that she came up with the idea in a

dream in 2003. She chose Forks, Washington as the setting for Twilight “after Googling

for the rainiest place in America and was pleased to find the Quileute nearby.” (Yim, July

5, 2009) Neither Forks nor the Quileute Tribe would ever be the same.

A sleepy logging community of 3175, Forks is known for its remote location, its

struggling economy, and an annual rainfall of more than 120 inches. Located nearly 5

hours west of Seattle on the west end of the Olympic National Park, Forks is named after

its location at the forks of the Calawah, Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers. While the

filming of the Twilight series moved to British Columbia (which offers film companies

generous tax credits) after the first film, Forks remains a center for Twilight tourism. The

town has been quick to promote itself. Friendly staff at the Visitors Center welcome

tourists from across the world to pick up driving guides and put themselves on the maps

on the wall that are dotted with pushpins from other visitors. Life size cardboard Twilight

Barbara Leigh Smith is a Member of the Faculty at The Evergreen State College and co-director of the

Native Cases Initiative. This case and teaching notes are copyright (2010) by The Evergreen State College

and can be downloaded at http://nativecases.evergreen.edu. . Please use appropriate attribution when using

our cases. Thanks to Bill Peach, Executive Director of the Quileute Tribe, for reading and providing

suggestions on an early draft of this case and for attending and presenting the Quileute perspective at our

first class where this case was discussed.

figures of the major characters as well as Dr. Cullen’s white doctor’s coat and

stethoscope are available for photo ops.

The website “A Travel Guide to Forks, Washington” contains information about traveling

to Forks, lodging, Twilight locations, products, and tours. Tours include stops at actual

and recreated sites such as the high school, the Swan and Cullen houses, the beach at La

Push (on the Quileute Indian Reservation), and even a peek at Dr Cullen’s parking space

at the local hospital. At the Chamber of Commerce “mail for the vampire Cullen family is

being saved and ...props for exciting photos are treasured and shared” (Bingham, 2009).

Downtown Forks Bella’s Truck at the Visitor Center

Souvenirs Visitor Center

The visitor center has experienced explosive growth with 69,975 visitors in 2009

compared with 18,736 the year before (Visitor Center Statistics, 2010). Sales tax

revenues and hotel-motel taxes received by the City of Forks also increased substantially.

In a town with a struggling economy transitioning from being a major timber town, most

residents appreciate the fame and business that Twilight has brought.

The buzz continues to grow. Chris Cook’s book Twilight Territory: A Fan’s Guide to

Forks and La Push recounts the growth of the community response as Mike Gurling, the

Visitor Center director, and others realized the potential for serving the growing number

of Twilight visitors. Gurling and his wife Marcia drove around town and talked with local

businesses about how they might respond with themed food items, maps, and other

products (Cook, 2009, pp. 12-15). Stephenie Meyer Day is now celebrated annually with

a major celebration. The official date is September 13—the date of Bella’s birthday—and

one of the critical turning point dates in the novels. More than a thousand Twilight fans,

mostly teenage girls and several hundred TwilightMOMS, journey to Forks for the

celebration. During the celebration they can attend activities including Bella’s Ball, a

look-alike contest, a Twilight trivia contest, and much more.

A number of stores devoted to Twilight are located at the center of town on Forks

Avenue. The largest by far is “Dazzled by Twilight,” the town’s popular Twilight-only

store, which also runs tours and has a smaller store in Port Angeles. Across the street is

the Chinook Pharmacy which stocks Twilight products as well as handmade Native art by

artists from the nearby Quileute, Hoh and Makah tribes and books on Native history and

culture. On the other side of the street at the “Native to Twilight” store even more

Twilight souvenirs and authentic Native artwork are available.

The Quileute Tribe and Twilight

The nearby Quileute Indian Reservation has also become an “unwitting tourist mecca”

for Twilight fans. Attention to this remote community will probably only increase since

Jacob, Bella’s Quileute friend, is a much more prominent figure in the later books and the

final film which has not yet been released.

Harbor in the village of La Push on the Quileute Reservation

The one square mile Quileute Indian reservation is located on the Pacific Ocean. Fishing

is the main occupation in this small community. Land disputes and shifting boundaries

are continuing themes in Quileute history as a result of numerous unresolved survey

errors and the rising waters from global warming. Surrounded on three sides by the

Olympic National Park, the Tribe has been trying to secure additional higher ground to

move to for many years. (See the case Ralston, “Is Your Tribal Land Secure,” for

discussion of this issue).

Opinions vary on what the Twilight attention has wrought. In an article in the New York

Times, “Twilight vamp franchise sucks the Quileute dry,” UCLA professor of American

Indian Studies Angela Riley says,

To millions of "Twilight" fans, the Quileute are Indians whose (fictional) ancient

treaty transforms young males of the tribe into vampire-fighting wolves. To the

nearly 700 remaining Quileute Indians, "Twilight" is the reason they are suddenly

drawing extraordinary attention from the outside — while they themselves remain

largely excluded from the vampire serie’s vast commercial empire.

Just last month, MSN.com issued an apology to the Quileute for intruding on its

territory while videotaping a "Twilight" virtual tour in September. MSN.com

sought permission from the Chamber of Commerce in nearby Forks, Wash., but

didn't pay the same courtesy to the Quileute. The video team trespassed onto a

reservation cemetery and taped Quileute graves, including those of esteemed

tribal leaders. These images were then set to macabre music and, in November,

posted on MSN.com. The tribe quickly persuaded MSN.com to remove the

Quileute images. (Riley, Feb 7, 2010)

Noting that the Twilight commercialization that has produced t-shirts, cups and numerous

other products carrying the Quileute name is perfectly legal, Riley argues that the issue

isn’t simply about “whether outsiders are free to appropriate tribal cultural property. For

the sake of fairness as much as law, indigenous peoples must play a significant role in

decisions regarding their cultural property.” (Riley, Feb 7, 2010)

Chris Eyre, a Cheyenne and Arapaho filmmaker who directed the well known film Smoke

Signals, is more sanguine. He says the key aspect of the Twilight series is that it “shows

Native Americans in a contemporary light ...we want to see Native people in 2010. We’re

tired of seeing Native people in 1860” (Valdes, 2010).

But the concern has some grounding. Many argue that Indians have been stereotyped in

the media and literature for years, and there continues to be appropriation of their culture,

history and art by the larger society(See, for example, P. Deloria, 1998, 2004; Mihesuah,

2004; Rollins and O’Connor, 1999; Buscombe, 2010; V. Deloria 1992; 2005)

Furthermore, werewolves are anathema to many tribes. The Twilight Saga, they might

argue, raises questions about this portrayal of Native Americans especially in the absence

of other images. Given the history of how Native Americans have been treated, we need

to ask what other images of contemporary Native Americans are out there, and what role

do Native Americans have in this?

There is also debate about the impact of tourism on traditional cultures. While some

argue that tourism can help fund and support cultural revival, others contend that tourism

more often disrupts traditional cultures. Furthermore, with the exception of casinos,

tourism usually produces very minimal economic benefits, with most of the real profit

leaving the communities. (Nagel, 1997, pp. 51-53)

Some observers are also raising other questions about the series, asking whether Bella’s

rush to marry a vampire is a good role model for teenage girls? A vigorous debate

about the appropriateness of the books has ensued among communications experts and

some Christian organizations. But does pop culture really adversely influence young

people? While some are concerned, others contend that adults are being overly protective,

saying that teenagers clearly understand the difference between reality and fantasy and

are not naive and easily influenced (Puente 2010). Christine Seifert, a communications

professor at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, has studied Twilight message boards

and fan sites and says the saga is strongly Mormon in tone and is pro-abstinence.

Meanwhile, Stephenie Meyer, a Mormon herself, is quoted as saying she never intended

the characters to be seen as role models. (Puente, 2010)

Engaging the Opportunity

News reports indicate that the members of the Quileute tribe have mixed feelings about

their newfound notoriety. After a long period of privately discussing the issues related to

Twilight but not making any public statements on the Twilight phenomena, the Tribe

announced in June 2009 that they had hired Jackie Jacobs of JTalentgroup, a Native-

owned entertainment agency specializing in public relations, as Tribal Publicist to

manage all the Twilight attention. Tribal chairwoman Carol Hatch is quoted as saying that

it was important to partner with a Native-based organization that understands and

identifies with their core values of respecting their land and protecting their culture but is

also welcoming people who want to learn. (Quileute Tribe Press Release June 1, 2009)

In the press release announcing her appointment, Jacobs said,

I am honored to work with the Quileute Nation and look forward to assisting them

with sharing their cultural identity and heritage with the world. The Twilight Saga

has put them in the International spotlight and afforded them the opportunity to

share their own stories, dances, food and other traditions passed down from

generation to generation. (Quileute Tribe Press Release, June 1, 2009)

Jacobs subsequently announced that a New Mexico based, cable network, ReelzChannel

had been granted access to film a 30 minute documentary, “The Twilight Weekly:

Spotlight,” on the Reservation. Access was apparently granted because of the media’s

willingness to address tribal concerns and work within restrictions set by the Tribe

(Herrmann, Nov 6, 2009). The 30 minute video, now available on the Tribe’s website,

provides an excellent introduction to the Quileute tribe and the ways which they are

responding to the Twilight craze.

While many aspects of Meyer’s description of Quileute culture are fictitious

(for

example, the Quileute origin legend does have them descended from wolves, but not

werewolves), some tribal members are embracing the opportunity the “Twilight Saga”

has provided to tell their story (Dickerson, Peninsula Daily News, 11/30/2009). As you

enter the small ocean side community of La Push, a Jacob’s Java espresso stand is on

your right. Twilight related information has been made available to the public on the

Tribe’s website which also includes clear statements about appropriate etiquette.

The Quileute Tribe’s Executive Director, Bill Peach, says that the important thing is that

the Tribe maintain its dignity in dealing with the Twilight phenomena and share its

culture in a respectful way. From a business point of view, he says, it is important to not

overestimate the short term impact and under-estimate the long term. The Tribe, he

contends has a different view of time as it considers these issues. (Peach, class

presentation, December 4, 2010) He hopes visitors will come away from their visit to La

Push with a deep appreciation of nature and the beauty of the area. “The value of a $5

Twilight mug pales in comparison to the value of coming to appreciate this spectacular

landscape,” says Peach also noting that “more than two thirds of our visitors to the

Tribe’s Oceanside Resort are repeat customers. We hope that number will increase.”

“At the … Resort, business is booming and the tribe is opening a cabin decorated in a

wolf theme, a shout out to Jacob and the Quileutes’s own origin story, which begins with

a transformation from wolves to people.” (Valdes, 2010) While visitors won’t find many

commercial Twilight products, beautiful handmade traditional cowichin wool hats with

“Jacob” and “Twilight” stitched on them by Quileute artist Ann Penn-Charles (Miss Ann)

and her mother are available at the Oceanside Resort store and the Tribe’s Lonesome

Creek Store which has a bulletin board where you can leave notes for Twilight characters.

A quick read of the notes shows that Jacob clearly rules here!

In his critical essay on the Twilight series Jensen states that while Meyer conducted some limited research

to authenticate her Quileute characters, they are more a product of her imagination and of “romantic and

patronizing western stereotypes of the ‘noble savage’ than a faithful attempt to represent Quileute culture.”

(Jensen, 2010, p. 92)

Lonesome Creek Store

The Tribe also hosts weekly drum circles where visitors can come and learn more about

Quileute history. In November 2009, members of the Tribal Council and their guests

traveled to Hollywood for the premier of the second film of “The Twilight Saga: New

Moon” and tribal chair Carol Hatch was invited to walk the red carpet. (Martin, 3/7/10)

As one observer notes, “instead of focusing on the liberties Stephenie Meyer took in

making up a fictional culture for a tribe and naming it Quileute, the Quileute have

focused on getting more of their youth to dance, to know their songs, and practice the

culture (Briggs, 2010).

There have also been some surprising unanticipated spin-offs according to Bill Peach,

Executive Director the Tribe. Collaboration between the Tribe and Forks has increased.

Tribal youth are gaining some new perspectives from visitors from Germany and

elsewhere and the Quileute Tribe itself is becoming known. Everyone was surprised and

pleased when a substantial check arrived one day from a charity event on a cruise ship

focusing on Twilight. Most visitors are respectful and understand community needs when

they are explained to them. Nonetheless, having more than 300 visitors descend on a

small community of about 300 people at one time is a bit overwhelming! (Peach class

presentation, Evergreen State College, December 4, 2010)

In August, 2010, the Seattle Art Museum opened an exhibit on Quileute culture called

“Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves.” News reports covering the

opening indicate that

…while some members of the tribe have taken their Hollywood persona

mostly in good-humored stride, some elders at Quileute are not amused.

At their urging, the tribal council passed a resolution authorizing Barbara

Brotherton, curator of Native American art at SAM (Seattle Art Museum), to

work with the tribe to create the exhibit, to show the world a bit of the real

Quileute culture. (Mapes, August 11, 2010)

The exhibit includes 30 objects, many from the Smithsonian Institution’s National

Museum of the American Indian. The Quileute suffered a major cultural loss in 1888

when a major fire destroyed their village and many cultural objects. In the early 20

century famed New York Native art collector Gustav Heye worked to assemble a major

collection of remaining artifacts and eventually placed these at the Smithsonian. Most of

the artifacts in the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) exhibit had never been exhibited or seen

by living Quileute so the exhibit represents a very important event to the Tribe. Among

other things, the exhibit includes precious children’s drawings about their culture (Briggs,

2010). Educational resources and a timeline describing major events in the Tribe’s

12,000 year history are also included. Twilight has found itself to be an event worthy of

noting on the historical timeline. Later that year the Burke Museum at the University of

Washington produced a major website called “Truth vs Twilight” that provides

considerable information and resources. (See

https://www.burkemuseum.org/static/truth_vs_teilight/)

Meanwhile, other tribes are also embracing the Twilight opportunity. In the summer of

2010 the nearby Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe sponsored an Eclipse Weekend at their

recently opened casino as the new film in the Twilight series made its debut. Visitors

were invited to enter a contest to win a 1953 red Chevy Twilight truck replica with

Washington VAMPIRE plates. The Quileute, in the meantime, are collaborating with

the Burke Museum recently launched a website “Truth versus Twilight

(BurkeMuseum.org/static/truth_vs_twilight) with the real Quileute story to counter

misconceptions from the films.

Is the Twilight story an example of cultural appropriation or opportunity? Can the Tribe

manage this situation as an opportunity congruent with their cultural values? How would

they do this?

References

Bingham, M. (2009, May 16) The changing face of Forks because of “Twilight.”

Peninsula Daily News.

Briggs, K. (2010) Exhibition: Quileute separate fact from fiction for ‘Twilight’

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Indian www.americanindiannews.org October 21, 2010. Downloaded 10/31/10.

Buscombe, E. (2006) “Injuns!’ Native Americans in the movies. London: Reaktion

Books

Cook, C. (2009) Twilight territory: A fan’s guide to Forks and La Push. Sequim, WA:

Olympic View Publishing.

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