While my beloved mutual @dibellas-moth wrote a wonderful post about how Snow Elves did not deserve what happened to them, I will finally write the post I wanted about the Reachmen!!!!
As a pueblo originario woman myself, (indigenous to Mexico), specifically from the Mazahua of Michoacan and the Purepecha, the way they are treated in story and by the fandom reminds me of the way colonizers spoke of my people and many others.
This is a post I saw about them on Reddit. Lovely, isnt it?
Barbarians????? That's a step away from savages. We don't ever get to see any peaceful Reachmen societies save for ESO if I'm not mistaken and the only "good" ones we see are the ones being brutalized by the Nords and Bretons in Markarth or in Ainethach's case, being terrorized into giving up the land he owns and belongs to!!!!!!!
All the Reachmen in Markarth live in severe poverty and are clearly disabled as well. So are they only good because they let their Nord and Breton overlords beat them and they have given up their traditions???? Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Also of course they're gonna have to resort to pillaging and shit when any way of life they've had gets destroyed or their other option is being glorified slaves for the Silver Bloods :/
"They're xenophobic and isolationist." I'm sorry but would YOU WANT to be around people who actively want you dead or want to snatch up your land?????? Also they're also allowed to be hostile to their oppressors, sorry NOT sorry. Also the stuff Ulfric pulled on them was horrendous and genocidal. Of course they feel some way about it.
Also if you side with the Forsworn for the No One Escapes Cidhna Mine quest, the Reachmen in Markarth automatically think of you as a hero and are more willing to speak to you. So they're clearly NOT xenophobic and shit.
Also the games did them dirty by only showing them as "evil savages who worship dark gods." unless they're actively oppressed. We never see much of their religion either."
