the following insightful dialogue draws out the key points in the arguments against white people (especially hipsters) appropriating native american culture.
This is the third time I have seen this picture on my dashboard TONIGHT! This is not style, fashion, etc call it what you may. What this is is white privilege taking something that is sacred and a big part of another culture and making a mockery of it! This kind of stuff makes my very blood boil! You wouldn’t wear Black Face to be in style, how is this any different!? This trend needs to stop!
By using a headdress or any other Native dress as a trend is basically saying we (Natives) are extinct and can be made a mockery of, it tells the world that oh even though we went through hundreds of years of genocide, our land being taken from us, and racism the world can say being a native is only cool for now but next week when a new thing comes around it doesn’t matter any more.
WE STILL EXIST! WE ARE STILL HERE! WE WANT OUR VOICE TO BE HEARD! WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING IGNORED!
How would you feel if someone took something your culture holds dear and decided it was a trend, temporary and worthy of being made a mockery of publicly?
(via fuckyeahhipsters)
I don’t get how this picture says ANY of that…… I’m sorry you’re so offended by it, but I really don’t think it’s intentional. I haven’t heard of anyone being offended by it besides you, but maybe I’m just out of the loop. I really think they just wear it because they think it’s pretty, not because they’re racist or want to spit on your culture. I mean, I think it’s pretty.. ha.
I’m not the only one who finds this offensive. There is an entire blog about it on here called My Culture is not a Trend. Intentional or not it is still extremely racist. I’m not saying everyone who wears a headdress for fashion is intentionally a racist. But racism is racism.
For example, I went to a mixer with a fraternity at my school. The theme was “T Party” you had to dress as something that started with a “t” I went as a third grader. Well one of the brothers (we’ll call him Frank) went as another brother who’s name started with a “t” and who just so happened to be black. Frank decided to paint his face black with T’s permission and even encouragement. He knew it was wrong, he knew it was ILLEGAL but did it any way. Long story short everyone who attended said mixer had to deal with a ton of problems from the school’s administration, me included, because of Frank’s poor choice of costume/dress.
Just because something is pretty doesn’t make it right. The prostitute may be pretty but it doesn’t make what she’s doing right (inside the state of Nevada it does but that’s another story).
You’re right not many people realize that we Natives take this kind of stuff very seriously, because we have yet to gain a voice in the media.
You may find this post very helpful: But why can’t I wear a hipster headdress?
Ah the old fake apology. “I’m sorry you’re offended” is not the same as “I’m sorry for what I did to offend you.” If that’s what you’re going to say, don’t even bother apologizing at all.
Language people. It matters!
you know why you haven’t heard anyone getting mad about it? because you’re white, and your social space is probably predominately made up of white people, so you haven’t HAD to think about it, because it doesn’t personally affect you or the people you’re around. welcome to white privilege.
Well i see both sides of this story. But, Why are we assuming this girl knows nothing about indian culture just because she’s not indian? I dont think she’s mocking it intentionally. I think that we dont really know the girl, or the photographer. so this argument will never have an end until we know the story behind pictures like these.
no. this won’t end until white folks realize that intention really doesn’t matter if the effects of your (at this point) willful blindness leads you to further erasing/marginalizing cultures that have been historically erased and marginalized; in other words, what you’re doing still HURTS, REGARDLESS of the intention. and it won’t end until other white people stop making excuses for them and start listening to the culture you’re taking shit from when they say that THIS SHIT IS WRONG. i strongly urge you to click on the link to mycultureisnoatrend up there because, i can’t.
except to say. there is a story behind this. that story is called history, and the chapters therein include genocide, displacement, and erasure. and then turning around a century or so later and making the very culture they tried to erase “fashionable.”
and this girl knows nothing about “indian” culture because if she did, she probably wouldn’t be wearing that.
And just a personal preference, but so that everyone is aware, most native people do not like being referred to as “Indian.” Christopher Columbus was an idiot and thought he was in India when he landed and called this first nation that he met (and wiped out) Indians. We’re not from India.. therefore we are not Indians. Depending on who you talk to, Indigenous people here will either like to be called American Indians, Native Americans, People (person) of the First Nations, Native, ect..
but yeah, just so you know.
