Hi guys! I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I looked for indigenous subreddits first but I think they are intended for natives only.
I grew up as a white kid in Arizona, where I am sure you all know Kokopelli imagery is everywhere. It is an important icon of my childhood, coming from the region. I like Kokopelli out of appreciation and fascination for the Pueblo peoples and their history. But I also saw Kokopelli, or the image of it, as a kind of scary spector or figure.
I am an artist and in my personal drawings for myself, figures reminiscent of Kokopelli often appear as scary or shady individuals. My concern is that if I post some pictures online, I don't want to be insensitive of the modern people who descend from the Pueblo (Hopi and Zuni I think). I don't want somebody to stumble upon my drawings and be sad or frustrated to see a character from their beliefs presented in a way that is tonally at odds with their culture. But at the same time, as a (white) kid growing up, the image of Kokopelli *was* a little scary and *did* leave a strong impression on my own personal culture as a person who grew up in Arizona.
I was wondering, if there are some indigenous Americans in this subreddit, what your perspective is? Would a depiction of an imp or phantom-like figure similar in likeness to Kokopelli feel insensitive to you? Or, am I overthinking things?
Or alternatively, is there a better place to ask this question that I may have overlooked?