Recently,
Disney’s Lone Ranger has been
surrounded by significant controversy over their representation of Native
Americans -- whether it’s the distantly
related Native American somewhat condescending Johnny Depp playing Tonto or
the oversimplification of Native American tribes as a whole.
Hollywood has always been notorious for misrepresenting or exaggerating a
culture’s stereotypes to maximize its box office, but another industry is also
guilty of commercializing cultures: the fashion industry.
Cultural appropriation, according to Susan Scafidi, is the “taking
of intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or
artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission.” This definition is
very tricky, in the same way that we've discussed that fast fashion just ripsoff of high fashion because the fashion industry possesses no copyright or patent protection.
Legally speaking, tribes are allowed to take advantage of trademark law, which
the Navajo tribe has done – but to other tribes, that would mean having to trademark their cultural
property, which feels wrong because they
would be trademarking sacred, culturally rich items that don’t belong in commerce
in the first place. Then there’s also the American Indian Arts and Crafts Actmakes it illegal “to offer or display for sale any art or craft product in a
manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the
product of a particular Indian etc.”
But
naturally, all these laws are not going to prevent mass-produced clothing lines
from creating “Navajo-inspired” products, including Urban Outfitter’s “Navajo
Print Fabric Wrapped Flask,” “Peace Treaty Feather Necklace” and “Navajo
Hipster Panty” .
While Urban Outfitters can go with their defense of selling the objects: “we’re
not selling an art or craft” and “the Navajo name is a descriptor” and even “it
is cultural appreciation” etc etc (check out this Bingo sheet of excuses) the product names alone represent the
stereotypes so ingrained in the American culture. The Navajo Nation responded
by suing Urban Outfitters, whom did not apologize but did replace all product
names that included ‘Navajo’ with ‘printed.’
But with
product names like “Peace Treaty Feather Necklace” which so indelicately treads
on the violent history between Natives and white Americans and “Navajo Hipster
Panty” which is such a perverted way of using the “Navajo” name, it isn't difficult to see why the Navajo tribe responded lividly. But what about
everything in between on the spectrum? How does the dreamcatcher hanging above
my window and this dreamcatcher design splotched on a t-shirt stand in this argument of misappropriation of a culture?
To put
everything into context, I’m going to put everything on a spectrum, just based on my own personal opinion, 1 being
cultural appreciation and 10 being downright cultural appropriation.
3 - my
dreamcatcher: I can sleep peacefully knowing that “since [dreamcatchers] are
cross-cultural items and adapted for contemporary arts and crafts with kids and
for sale by multiple tribal artists and schools, there is less concern there.”
7 – Urban Outfitters
“Navajo” products: bc racist, perverted, but only in its use of the Navajo name
8 - The hipster trend of wearing headdresses: even if not in racy bras and underwear (see 10), the
trend is so omnipresent and merits serious reconsideration as a fashion
statement. In this fantastic website, Native Appropriations, Adrienne addresses all the reasons people cannot just casually wear headdresses,
feathers, and warbonnets.
In the Native
American society, people have to earn the honor to wear the feathers, and what
more, warbonnets for respected figures of power. Wearing one without earning the honor to wear
it takes away its original intent and value, degrading it to an accessory, when
an entire society sees the headdress as a cultural artifact with deep spiritual
significance. Instead of honoring Native Americans, hipsters are just cavorting
drunk and/or high at Coachella in headdresses, giving society another falseimage for the collective conscience of society.
10 - KarlieKloss’s headdress in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show (despite polls saying 54% of ppl think it’s JUST FINE !!!!!!!!!!): the
fact that designers are sexualizing Native women is so so so disgusting
considering the sexual violence they suffer, including 1 in 3 raped in their lifetime and 70% of
sexual violence against them being committed by non-Natives.
I think what
cultural appropriation really comes down to, and why this topic so ardently
focuses on this demographic, is the marginalization of the Native
American population throughout American history, from genocide to colonialism.
Here are Adrienne’s words:
By the sheer fact that
you live in the United States you are benefiting from the history of genocide
and continued colonialism of Native peoples. That land you’re standing on?
Indian land. Taken illegally so your ancestor who came to the US could buy it
and live off it, gaining valuable capital (both monetary and cultural) that
passed down through the generations to you. Have I benefited as well, given I
was raised in a white, suburban community? yes. absolutely. but by dismissing
and minimizing the continued subordination and oppression of Natives in the US
by donning your headdress, you are contributing to the culture of power that
continues the cycle today.
The most happiness I find on the trip is when we're in the car and I can blare the Chuck Berry tape I brought. We drive the trail where thousands died, and I listen to the music and think what are we supposed to do with the grisly past? I feel a righteous anger and bitterness about every historical fact of what the American nation did to the Cherokee. But, at the same time, I'm an entirely American creature. I'm in love with this song and the country that gave birth to it.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "BACK IN THE USA" BY CHUCK BERRY]
Listening to "Back in the USA" while driving the Trail of Tears, I turn it over and over in my head. It's a good country. It's a bad country. Good country, bad country. And, of course, it's both. When I think about my relationship with America, I feel like a battered wife. Yeah, he knocks me around a lot, but boy he sure can dance.
To many of
the commentators of the articles I've linked, it must feel so easy to
deconstruct each article about cultural appropriation just by saying “it’s not a
big deal” or “get over it.” It’s such an easy thing to say, as if the commentator
is oh-so-level-headed and reasonable. It’s just sooo hard to argue with such astute logic except these articles aren't talking just about what happened 100 years ago, though the genocide and
colonialism isn't something to be ignored. They’re talking about today, about the many, many Native
American tribes that have been homogenized into something very much commercial.
Their culture has been transformed into a pattern, a headdress, a standard
Halloween costume.
These are stereotypes that feed misunderstanding which in turn is the root of
all racism. And again, it’s sooo easy to just say “it’s not a big deal if I
wear moccasins, it’s just fashion” but in this regard, you’re not only
disrespecting Natives but also yourself. Obviously this is my love for fashion
speaking, but I believe fashion is a personal statement. If you have no regard
for what you wear or where it may come from, you have no regard for your own
identity. Fashion and art are powerful representations of a culture, and if
treated respectfully, they can become vehicles for understanding that culture.
---
I would have linked you to more articles but I couldn't sag-way into them well enough so here they are!
- come on selena is this bc ur still not over bieber
- how to shop for Native American style clothing wo being a completely asinine turd (includes interesting social /fashion commentary)
- rad rebuttals to jerks on the Internet
- zimmerman trial update ! silver lining !!!!
- ahhh THIS AMERICAN LIFE's 500th episode download before it disappears
--
I'm really sorry this is so late so hit me w your best punishment. I can take it. I really wanted to do this essay justice, even though it is a very dense topic and I know I haven't even began to scratch the surface. But I feel a little more informed and I hope you do too!
mwah (cyberkiss) talk to u tomorrow haha
Elina
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