In a world where hatred and controversies are increasing day by day it could be difficult to live. When people gather and live together, they tend to find differences among them. Then conflicts happen, and eventually they will fall apart.ㅡ but that rarely happens at the Chippewa Cession.
Witches and Civilians, Stay together as “Humans”
*Spoiler Alert : This content contains stories from both seasons of Motherland: Fort Salem*
Translated Article / Thai version
Motherland: Fort Salem | FreeForm
“Be it enacted by this general assembly that any child born of a witch shall be held a witch, according to the condition of the mother, and shall deliver herself bodily to Fort Salem for training in the military arts.”
Over 327 years ago, The witches avoided being oppression by making a deal with the U.S. government called “the Salem Accord” ㅡ offering magical support to the U.S. army and help them expanding the territories and the power of the country. The Salem Accord was signed by Sarah Alder, representatives of the witches and 13 colonies. Affecting the legal status of witches. It’s a big reason why all witches at the age of 18 must accept the military’s call and travel to Fort Salem.
The Chippewa Cession is large, roughly specified territory, spreading from the southern to the northern border of United States of America, alongside Mississippi River. It borders with Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Carolina and Florida to the east and Dakota, Kansas, Louisiana and Texas to the west.
The land was ceded back to Indigenous Tribal Federations in the 1830s in return for help. That help includes work that keeps the original Salem Accord signer, Sarah Alder, alive over 300 years later.
“Instead of giving Native American tribes these tiny, horrible reservations – a confederation of Native American tribes actually had a huge bargaining chip with the U.S. Government,” Eliot Lawrence, the show creator and executive producer said in “Alder was dying and they needed to extend her, so she was able to make a deal with these confederated tribes to obtain a kind of magic that allowed her to kind of spread her age around a group of people.”
Motherland: Fort Salem | FreeForm
Due to its relative autonomy to the federal government and its history with General Alder, people who live here are not afraid to speak their minds and openly criticize General Alder ㅡ Witches and civilians seem to mingle more freely in the region. Some witches there practice a Christo-pagan faith. By this belief, the Christian scriptures are also used in mysticism (Like the spell Raelle speaks while she tries to heal), but this isn’t particularly pleasing to most witches. It is also considered as an off-canon work because of the fact that witches had been burnt by the church before. That’s why this is considered the opposite of monotheistic faith with a singular goddess which most witches in the United States believe.
“Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh, recieveth. And he that seeketh, findeth. And to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever.”
We can see a conflict between two faiths in Motherland: Fort Salem season 1 episode 2, when Abigail Bellweather causing a sore throat that made her almost lost her voice. Raelle offered to help by using the Christo-Pagan method and yeah, Abigail turned her offer down. But in season 2 episode 3, we see Quinn, Raelle’s aunt-like witch, treating a blind civilian in a similar way to Raelle’s. But that civilian did not even show any fear.
We begin to get a clearer picture of the Chippewa Cession in Season 2 of the show, as well as learning about Raelle’s surroundings before she was moved to Fort Salem. We also discover the fact that some of the Dodgers live here. All of this shows how free this cession is and the diversity of people in the Chippewa Cession.
Personally, I feel like the Chippewa Cession is a safe space for everyone… Well, almost everyone. Whenever they show us scenes that are located in here, I can sense the warmth and the safety, such as the scene where Raelle and Tally spend their break together. Or the scene where Scylla spending her times with Raelle’s father and the other Dodgers ㅡ These are moments for the viewers and the characters to just… take a breath from all the tension we’re going through.
Experience the Chippewa Cession for yourself in both seasons of Motherland: Fort Salem on Disney+ Hotstar Thailand (Note : Season two will be available on October 22, 2021).
source:
- https://motherland.fandom.com/wiki/Witches
- https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/motherland-fort-salem-world-characters-magic/ by Alec Bojalad