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My Invisible Race.
I am sick to death of seeing posts with non-Native people in headdresses, feathers, sporting a dream catcher or two as earrings or a belly button ring, “tribal” face paint, tipis (or teepees), etc. It’s astonishing to me that this amount of cultural appropriation is considered acceptable! It honestly shocks me that people think this is ok. That going to a photo shoot with face paint and a giant headdress is artistic instead of offensive.
Native Americans, First Nations, American Indians (whichever word you personally identify with/want to use) have been so exploited to the point that they can be parodied and no one even raises an eyebrow. They have become characters, dress-up inspiration, objects instead of souls used for other people’s “creative” endeavors. The truth is that all racial minorities are to some extent copied, mocked and treated despicably. People love looking like gangstas or ghetto folk in reference to black people. People love wearing sombreros and ponchos and walking around town pretending to be “Mexican”. People love pretending to be ninjas and samurais and speak fake Chinese or Japanese during play time. None of this is new, but in my opinion, Native Americans in media are the MOST invisible group of people and are still treated ridiculously horribly without little backlash.
Post a picture on Tumblr of a white person in black face and watch the shit-storm. Post a picture of people with mustaches and sombreros and people will be mad (they may not react as negatively as black face but people will still recognize that it is racist). Post a picture of people stretching the corners of their eyes mocking “Asian eyes” and again, verbal backlash. This is not to say that there aren’t people who are fighting against Native cultural appropriation because there are! But there needs to be more of it!!
I am talking about the exploitation of my friends, my family, my classmates, my everything. I am tired of seeing the blatant racism and downright stupidity of sending photos of non-Native people in “Native garb”.
Natives are not an $11.99 Halloween costume at Target that your parents bought for you two years ago. Having 30 dreamcatchers does not make you cool or hipster or enlightened—it makes you an idiot and a fad chaser. Take that damn headdress off. You are not cute, nor spiritual or beautiful.
To those people who may read this and are a frequent reblogger of the types of pictures/posts I am talking about and you honestly did not mean any harm—I hope you at least think about what you are doing. You are continuing stereotypes. You are isolating an entire group of people that is ignored in “real life” and is facing actual health, economic, educational and environmental issues that you have no idea about. PLEASE STOP IT.
And to those people who really don’t give a damn or don’t think it’s that serious, I’m sorry you feel that way. I hope you find real enlightenment at some point and not fake enlightenment hidden under your manufactured headdress. If I see offensive comments on my glog, wall, dash, or messages, I will unfriend you. It’s also amazing to me to see other marginalized people take part in the exploitation of Native people. I saw a picture of a white gay male dressed as a Native person. WTF?!? (ie. The “Radical Fairies”).
I really hope this is not what it’s coming down to: the marginalized exploiting the marginalized.
Knock it off kids.
Seriously?... No.
Our culture isn't a fashion statment.
