In honour of Pride month and the release of the new Disney movie The Little Mermaid, an indigenous woman in Manitoba dressed up like a mermaid and posted it to social media. .She asked other indigenous communities across Manitoba to post their mermaid photos, except she asked for “mermen.”.“Wish I had a crazy ass friend, bro come down the bank with me and pose with my mermaid tail with my red hair and my bikini top,” posted Roanna Ross of Pimicikamak Cree Nation. .“But no one’s up for anything.”.Ross took matters into her own hands, dressing up in a red wig, black bra, and pink mermaid tail. A friend took a photo of her sunbathing on a rock in Nakow Bay. .Ross shared the picture on social media, proudly declaring herself the first-ever photographed Cree mermaid.. Ronna Ross Mermaid .Some friends from Norway House Cree Nation decided to join the fun and share their pictures on social media, posing as “mermen.”.Sightings of indigenous mermen began happening everywhere. People reported seeing them in places such as Wasagamack, Garden Hill, Little Grand Rapids, Berens River, Easterville, Poplar River, Bloodvein, Ebb and Flow, and Split Lake..In the last few weeks, mermen from different First Nations in Manitoba have posted photos on social media. The men featured in these portraits believe that this new Facebook trend showcases the best of indigenous humour..“I made a post asking if I should go and do it, and I had like maybe 40 reacts, so I just decided to do it … to have some laughs,” said Julian Baptiste of Ebb and Flow First Nation to The Free Press.. Julian Baptiste Merman .Following the recent release of The Little Mermaid movie, the mermen of Manitoba have been appearing in social media posts. These posts are inspired by the movie, which has a female version of the mythical half-fish, half-human mermaid..The mermen trend has mermen representing their nations across Manitoba in a diverse range of merman costumes and posting pictures to social media..“I just used one of our bed sheets and then I went to my cousin and asked if she had an old bra I could use,” said Baptiste. .“She was wondering why I would need one and then I told her. 'I'm trying to do that mermaid thing.'” .“I wanted to be the Little Mermaid, but I turned out to be Ursula,” said Baptiste on Facebook after posting his merman photo..“I just couldn't stop laughing. I was trying to stop myself when I was taking them.” .Manitoba is not the only Canadian province with mermen. The Newfoundland and Labrador Beard and Moustache Club made mermen calendars from 2017 to 2020, which raised over half a million dollars for various charities in Newfoundland.
