When I was in 7th grade we had a “Cowboys and Native American” party at school. Yeah: My school was racist enough to have a genocide-themed party, but still progressive enough to attempt politically correct terminology. I was 13, old enough to know better, but still stupid enough to be jealous that another girl’s tunic was totes more flattering than mine. Growing up close to a Native American reservation in the ’90s, I had ample access to turquoise jewelry, feathers, moccasins, and other accessories that make adult Barbara cringe. Adult Barbara thinks it’s super condescending to appropriate the style of Native culture for cuteness purposes.
Urban Outfitters and other clothing stores that cater to a privileged (read: less genocided) demographic often adopt Native American iconography for fashion purposes. (The Navajo Nation is suing Urban Outfitters for their line of “Navajo inspired” clothes and panties.) On March 19 at a gaming conference, a marketing company called Glispa erected a tipi on the conference floor and hired non-Native models to dress as hot Native Americans, putting in way more effort than necessary to turn on gamers. Glispa’s owner, Gary Lin, didn’t apologize when people said they were offended; instead, he defended himself by saying that he has a lot of Native friends. Well, buddy, maybe not so much anymore.
When Native clothing and culture is sexualized, it’s a combination of fetishism and exoticism that makes a caricature of the culture and reinforces a status quo that objectifies women. Someone’s identity should not be a sexy costume. (I wonder if I should be a sexy racist for Halloween?)
Cultural appropriation dehumanizes a group by reducing them to a simple symbol. Everyone can identify with feeling dehumanized, reduced, silenced, or put into a box. People shouldn’t subjugate ANYONE or make them feel small. That’s what cupboards are for.
Wow it took Barb 2 words to use the word “I” in her column! Shocking.
You could go by Post-Pubescent Barbara, but the initials PPB aren’t all that popular with some Merc blog readers.
As someone who is Native (1/16th so that makes me pretty much an expert right?) I think there is a difference between wearing cute accessories that you bought from an actual Native American who was trying to make a living and basically gave you a blessing to wear it by selling it to you, and you, in turn wear it as an homage to their culture (not appropriation) – and a corporation who mass produces Native American inspired garments in an effort to turn a profit on other cultures (appropriation).
I feel like you put both into the same bubble.
Celebrating another culture is great. Inspiring love, acceptance, and education by experiencing another culture’s fashion is great too.
It’s a shame that companies like Urban Outfitters and Glispa are wrecking it for everyone.
gettin the feeling that BH doesn’t like dicks, which is weird cuz dicks be pretty swick. i got one and i use it e’eryday.
I like the cupboard joke. Slightly funny.
Cupboards! Omri and Little Bear approve this message.
Stop using idiotic words like “totes”, and employ some differentiation and your message would carry a great deal more weight. In addition, we know you are around adult children, but resist the temptation to be one, or give us chapter and verse of the knowledge you have gained in a whole 25 years or so of existence(it can come off as pretentious). You often have good points and obviously think, why not actually do this without trying to impress?
I fully agree with your second to last sentence. Do you not see the frustration of sifting through this column to get to it? Do comedy when you perform, or whenever you want to, but in this way it does not come off very well, sorry
If one looks at clothing or fasion as an artistic extension of how they want to interact with society, then how would a clothing line borrowing some ideas be any different than any other artist borrowing ideas of others to bring to their own work?
Or is it “I did it first, so you can’t copy me?”.
Does anyone else find it ironic to see ‘Chief Cottonmouth’ logos next to this blog?
Using cultural iconography that is not of one’s own ethnicity to sell other things, images, services, or entertainment has always been an ethically and morally ambiguous endeavor. The marketplace tends to commodify all things eventually and some, like women’s bodies, more often. If done well, no one shouts “appropriation,” if done in poor taste, people often do. So, this is a pretty subjective topic. And the school’s Cowboys and Native Americans theme party was so inappropriate and offensive, yes! But, we can use or appreciate or not use or appreciate other cultures’ icons and beliefs. We are all Humyns and sharing is natural.
Why does this read like a sophomore college paper for a cultural studies class? Also … it would get a B … for ‘boring.’
Even the phoning in of this column was lazy. Gets a D- for lack of effort.
“Dick Appropriators” would make a decent band name.
Todo mundo es el critico. Great article.
How does one subjugate a cupboard?
Stop slut shaming!