Often I am asked if the Wendigo and Skinwalker are one in the same. The answer to that is a very hard NO! There's quite a few differences between the two that easily set them apart. One thing many overlook is the Skinwalker originated with the Navajo tribes where as the Wendigo began way up North with the Algonquin, Cree and Ojibwe tribes. While the two are often depicted to be physically similar, I feel this is a grave injustice to the tales layed down by the oral traditions long ago. Let's take a brief look at the difference in the two:

Skinwalkers- Or yee naaldlooshii, Are witches or Shamans granted the ability to change shape. It is said that they can possess animals as well. The very name yee naaldlooshii translated to "with it, he goes on all fours". In most tales, these are merely Humans. Were they wholly evil? Now that depends on your point of view. To many, the practice of withcraft is considered a form of Satanic worship where as to the Navajo cultures, this witchcraft was a way of their traditions long before European settlers arrived.

Wendigo- Windigo/Wihtikow is said to be a being of ice. It is possible for one to change or become possessed by this malevolent spirit through various means though many main stay social media platforms focus only on the cannibalism aspect. In the older tales, A Shaman could summon the Wendigo spirit to take revenge. It is also said that one can become a Wendigo through insatiable greed, murder and the breaking of several cultural taboos. More often than not, The Wendigo is depicted as a Stag headed towering giant when in truth, the original tales describe it as a famine stricken Human being with his/her flesh pulled taut over the skeleton. It is also said that the lips of the Wendigo and fingertips are often chewed off from the Wendigo itself due to it's insatiable hunger for flesh.