Ep. 164 : Cultural histories of Raccoons with Daniel Heath Justice
The Raccoon (Procyon lotor), whose range has expands to include nearly all habitats on the continent, from Canada to Panama, has made their impact on the land, hearts, minds, and cultures of those who have encountered them.
Author, professor and animal nerd Daniel Heath Justice helps us navigate the wild cultural impacts and impressions of Raccoons. From indigenous Missippian cosmologies as boundary walkers to the denizens of Toronto’s liminal urban nightscape, Raccoons are imprinted on the imaginary as “category-defying, rule-breaking and boundary-breaching beings”. They are models for both lean, resilient, images of the noble wild as well as pestilent dumpster dwelling “trash pandas”. Queer creatures indeed.
We talk about these binary breakers, the inspirations for the book, their names across cultures and eras, how Raccoons have been weaponized to reproduce racist stereotypes by white supremacist cultures, and even chat a little bit about the Joy of Cooking. A full bodied show for a full bodied animal. Hope you enjoy!
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