native american cultural appropriation essay

Native Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation is when someone from the dominant culture (i.e. the most visible and accepted culture in a society) takes aspects of an oppressed culture (one experiencing any form of repeated or prolonged discrimination) without permission.

Cultural appropriation can be seen in everything from hair styles, to music, movies , TV, and sports mascots . Sometimes these stolen aspects of culture are so commonplace that you may not even realize that they were appropriated.

How does cultural appropriation affect Native people?

Take a trip down any U.S. highway, and it is plain to see examples of Native cultural appropriation. You’ll find gift shops that look like teepees, Native caricatures advertising products or sports teams, Halloween costumes with plastic headdresses, and “dreamcatcher” air fresheners sold at the gas station. In most cases, these products do not profit or serve Native people.

What isn’t cultural appropriation?

A lot of aspects of culture have been freely exchanged in our society. It’s not cultural appropriation for you to cook lasagna even though you don’t have Italian ancestors because those food traditions were exchanged fairly by immigrants in generations past. If you’re considering posting your recipe on a blog, however, you may want to give credit where credit is due.

Similarly, Native people and many immigrants have assimilated into American society as a means of survival. It isn’t appropriation if you wear blue jeans or listen to country music, even if those things aren’t part of your ancestors’ traditions.

What can we do about Native cultural appropriation?

Call it out. If you’ve a friend that shows up to a party in an Indian costume, it might be time to have a talk. Read up on some strategies to approach that conversation.

Support Native creators. There are plenty of Native musicians, athletes, writers and creators hoping to be seen. Find them, support them, and tell your friends too.

Be an ally. Not just for other Native people, but any BIPOC. Learn why representation matters for everyone and how to be an ally.

Learn more. Below are a few items we’ve gathered so you can continue to learn about the topic.

Additional Resources

• Native Appropriations is a blog all about fighting cultural appropriation.
• This episode of the All My Relations podcast on Native Appropriations.
• Reclaiming Native Truth is a project to undo the misrepresentations and untruths of Native culture.
• Anishinaabe writer Aylan Couchie clarifies what appropriation is not .
• Native Governance talks about cultural appropriation in the wellness industry and what to do about it.
• Think Before You Appropriate is a guide to help creators avoid cultural appropriation.

Portions of this article were adapted from ReachOut .

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Native Identity: Addressing Cultural Appropriation in America

Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity is an important topic that deserves attention. Unfortunately, it is a topic that has been ignored for far too long. In this blog post, we will delve into the complexities of this issue, and what it means to Native Americans.

The pain points related to Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity are numerous, but some of the most significant include the commercialization of Native American culture, the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, and the erasure of indigenous people’s history and culture. When non-Natives appropriate Native American art or dress, they dilute its meaning, turning sacred objects into mere commodities. This also creates harmful and offensive caricatures that perpetuate negative stereotypes about Native Americans, like the ‘noble savage’ or ‘redskin.’

The target of Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity is to recognize and respect the uniqueness and diversity of Native American culture. It is crucial to understand that Native cultures are not monolithic, and each tribe has its traditions and beliefs. Appropriating and exploiting a culture not one’s own can be damaging, as it takes away from Native people’s agency and diminishes their heritage.

In conclusion, Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity is a complex issue that requires serious attention. Anyone who seeks to appreciate Native art and culture must do so in a way that respects and honors their traditions. It is time to respect and recognize Native voices, listen to their stories, and take an active role in ending cultural appropriation.

Introduction

Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity is a topic that has always been relevant in society. It has become increasingly more important to address, especially in the age of social media and the internet where cultural appropriation has become prevalent.

Understanding Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture. This often happens without proper acknowledgement or respect for the original culture. It can be offensive to people of the original culture and can lead to harmful stereotypes.

Native Americans And Their Culture

Native American culture is diverse and rich with history. It includes various tribes each with their own unique customs, traditions, and practices. For many Native Americans, their identity is closely linked to their culture and heritage, making cultural appropriation particularly hurtful.

Examples of Cultural Appropriation

Some common examples of cultural appropriation include wearing headdresses or tribal patterns as fashion statements, using Native American names or imagery for sports teams, or using symbols from Native American spirituality without proper understanding or permission. These actions can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and disregard the complexity and importance of Native American culture.

The Harmful Effects of Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation can have harmful effects on Native Americans and their communities. It can perpetuate stereotypes, misrepresent their culture, and cause harm by exploiting their traditions for profit or entertainment. It can also lead to a loss of cultural identity and a disconnection from their heritage.

The Importance of Respectful Engagement

It is important to engage with Native American culture respectfully and with proper understanding. This includes educating oneself about their culture and history, seeking permission and guidance from Native American communities before utilizing their traditions or imagery, and giving credit where credit is due.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that honors and celebrates the Native American people and their contributions to our country’s history and culture. This day serves as an opportunity to educate ourselves about their culture and history, to show appreciation and respect for their traditions, and to advocate for their rights and sovereignty.

Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity is a complex issue that requires respectful engagement and understanding. It is important to recognize the harm that cultural appropriation can cause and to work towards promoting inclusivity, diversity, and respect for Native American culture and heritage.

Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity

The target of native american cultural appropriation and identity.

As a non-Native individual, I have come to understand the importance of cultural sensitivity and the negative impact of cultural appropriation. My personal experience has led me to delve deeper into understanding the complexities of Native American cultural appropriation and identity. Identity is crucial to Native American people as they often face challenges from society that disregard their history and experiences. Cultural appropriation further adds insult to injury by stripping them of their authentic identity and reducing it to a mere costume or performance.Native American cultural appropriation disrupts the essence of their culture and marginalized people’s lived experiences. It transforms an object, custom or practice of Native American culture into something exoticized and fetishized for entertainment purposes, perpetuating harmful stereotypes. This lack of respect for Native American culture reduces the value of their heritage and reinforces their oppression.In conclusion, Native American cultural appropriation and identity are essential issues that require urgent attention from non-Native cultures. It is critical to realize that there is a significant difference between admiring and respecting a culture versus exploiting it for one’s benefit. Instead of appropriating Native American cultural practices, let us celebrate their unique identity and promote cultural understanding and acknowledgement.

Native American culture has been appropriated in many different ways throughout history. From fashion to music, Native American symbols and traditions have been used without proper acknowledgement or respect for their origins. This blog post will explore the issue of cultural appropriation and the importance of understanding and respecting Native American identity.

Question and Answer

What is cultural appropriation?

Cultural appropriation is the act of taking elements of one culture and using them in another culture without proper acknowledgement or respect for their origins. This often leads to the erasure of the original culture and its traditions.

How has Native American culture been appropriated?

Native American culture has been appropriated in many different ways, from the use of tribal symbols in fashion and advertising to the misrepresentation of Native American traditions in movies and TV shows. This appropriation often leads to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes and the erasure of Native American identity.

Why is cultural appropriation harmful?

Cultural appropriation is harmful because it often leads to the erasure of the original culture and its traditions. It also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and can lead to the commodification of cultural practices and symbols. Additionally, cultural appropriation can be a form of cultural theft and can cause emotional harm to members of the appropriated culture.

What can we do to prevent cultural appropriation?

We can prevent cultural appropriation by educating ourselves about the cultures we are borrowing from and by showing respect for their traditions and symbols. This means acknowledging the origins of the practices and symbols we are using and seeking permission from members of the culture before using them. We should also support and uplift members of the appropriated culture and work to amplify their voices and perspectives.

Conclusion of Native American Cultural Appropriation And Identity

Native American cultural appropriation is a complex issue that requires education, empathy, and respect. By understanding the origins and significance of Native American traditions and symbols, we can work to prevent their appropriation and protect the integrity of Native American identity. It is our responsibility to show respect for the cultures we are borrowing from and to work towards a more inclusive and equitable society.

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Reclaiming Native Stories: An Essay on Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Rights

Arizona State Law Journal, Vol. 34, p. 299, 2002

60 Pages Posted: 9 May 2009 Last revised: 14 Jun 2011

Rebecca A. Tsosie

University of Arizona - James E. Rogers College of Law

Date Written: 2002

North America is scarred by many battlefields that mark the conflict between Europeans and the Native peoples of this land. The main problem is that the courts and Congress continue to look to their own interpretations of federal legislative and judicial power to define the positive content of Native sovereignty. Many Indian people today are arguing for a tribal right to control cultural expression as a way to counter cultural appropriation. Insofar as Native peoples' claims against cultural appropriation rest upon their need to assert their own unique identities, then perhaps a "right to culture" for Native groups should include a right to control cultural expression. In fact, the arguments of Native people against cultural appropriation share a certain similarity with some of the arguments advanced by feminist writers against pornography and by critical race theorists against hate speech. Thus, while I support recognition of Native peoples' right to control cultural expression as an aspect of an emergent cultural and intellectual sovereignty inspired by the quest for self-determination, I will limit my recommendations to a couple of general principles and then a specific recommendation for the fourth category of cultural appropriation.

Keywords: Cultural appropriation, Native people, Cultural rights

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Rebecca A. Tsosie (Contact Author)

University of arizona - james e. rogers college of law ( email ).

P.O. Box 210176 Tucson, AZ 85721-0176 United States

HOME PAGE: https://law.arizona.edu/rebecca-tsosie

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• DIVERSITY IN AMERICA

Native American imagery is all around us, while the people are often forgotten

For indigenous people, everything from the word “America” to the insulting ways native symbols are used is a reminder of how those of European ancestry nearly killed a culture—and still misrepresent it.

The problem began with one word: “America.”

That word, honoring Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci , was coined in Europe in 1507, when it was used on a map of the New World. But back then, the only Americans were indigenous. It was our world, but it wasn’t our word.

By the time the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, white people were simply referred to as “the Americans.” My ancestors were called American Indians. It’s a label twisted by accidents of history: The Italian explorer who gets his name on two continents and another Italian, Christopher Columbus , who dubbed indigenous people “Indians,” presumably because he thought he was in the East Indies.

American Indian: Two labels we didn’t choose. We might have been called something else. Columbus wrote on October 11, 1492, of encountering handsome people who “are of the color of the Canarians [Canary Islanders], neither black nor white; and some of them paint themselves with white, and some of them with red, and some of them with whatever they find.”

Canarians. Imagine if that name had stuck. These days American Indian symbols are everywhere. Think about all those college and high school football teams and their mascots. Think of Washington, D.C.’s National Football League team and the Major League Baseball teams in Cleveland and Atlanta. Think of boxes of butter. Or motorcycles. Or beer.

Indians are less than one percent of the population. Yet images and names of Indians are everywhere.   Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, “Americans” exhibit, on display in Washington, D.C., until 2022.

They are caricatures, symbols of the European-American narrative that ignores the genocide, disease, and cultural devastation brought to our communities.

Our ancestors built indigenous cities such as ancient Cahokia (east of St. Louis, Missouri) and Double Ditch (north of Bismarck, North Dakota). But the First Nations often are dismissed as “rural,” or not urbane. Benjamin Franklin, for one, saw the richness of the native culture—and government—that was already here. He wrote in 1751, praising the Iroquois confederation of Indian nations, that “has subsisted ages and appears indissoluble; and yet that a like union should be impracticable for ten or a dozen English colonies, to whom it is more necessary, and must be more advantageous, and who cannot be supposed to want an equal understanding of their interests.”

Signs of indigenous culture are ubiquitous in America. But the people they represent are often forgotten.

The image of the American Indian as a marketing tool is partly rooted in the trade networks between indigenous people and European Americans. Native people excelled at trade. My favorite story about that comes from my own tribe’s encounter with the Lewis and Clark expedition in the early 1800s. The journal for the Corps of Discovery, as the expedition was called, mentions trading weapons to the Shoshone for horses. Days later, the journal complains that nearly every horse had a sore back. The pistols, ammunition, and knives were the better score.

But the story sold to the new Americans was the fiction that endured, enhanced by dime-store novels, shows such as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, and eventually, Westerns on TV and film.

Markus Vollack, a Swiss reenactor, gathered with other reenactors at Fort Niagara State Park in July to commemorate the French and Indian War. The weekend involved battle reenactments, living history camps, and other educational demonstrations for the public—largely meant to teach park visitors about the history surrounding the war. Indigenous allies fought on both the French and British sides of the war. A couple dozen reenactors who specialize in Native American impressions represented the Iroquois, Wyandot, and Algonquin fighters who participated in the war. Most of the reenactors were not Indigenous. Some came from as far away as Germany and Switzerland to participate.

Wars and diseases such as smallpox destroyed the world that was. With that destruction came invisibility. A recent study said that “contemporary Native Americans are, for the most part, invisible in the United States.” The report, called “ Reclaiming Native Truth ,” cited “the impact of entertainment media and pop culture” and “the biased and revisionist history taught in school.” It also noted “the effect of limited—or zero—experience with Native peoples.”

The ideals and people of the United States are better than this history. Yet it often still seems OK to mock the first Americans. A president can slur a woman with “Pocahontas,” and it’s not career ending. When my son played high school football, I would cringe when his team played a team called the Indians, knowing that ordinary, good people would chant silly, made-up songs and wear cartoonish paint and feathers. It’s beyond imagination that such disrespect would be shown to any other group.

In 1877 Chief Joseph, depicted in this sculpture, led warriors eastward through the mountains of what is now Shoshone National Forest in northern Wyoming, chased by the U.S. Cavalry. Now known as Dead Indian Pass, the area is named for the one Indian who died rather than the hundreds who lived, evading the cavalry through the Nez Perce chief’s keen strategy.

Americans need to evolve. We need to think about why Civil War monuments are falling , yet Kit Carson, Andrew Jackson, and other Indian-killers remain celebrated.

It’s time to make Native Americans more visible . Explore the richness of our history and culture. Quit supporting insulting imagery and labels. It’s time to be real Americans.

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• NATIVE AMERICANS

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Native appropriation isn’t appreciation. it causes real harm..

By Sarah Rose Harper

Companies — like Aviator Nation — who exploit the Native communities they say they support need to change their business models and step up for justice.

This week, the news hit that Aviator Nation — a California-based, “boho” clothing brand — was profiting by appropriating and selling Native culture without attribution or regard to the impact on Turtle Island’s original Peoples. Native Instagram rallied together to demand they stop, and Native People led a protest outside one of their stores. Before you read on, we ask that you join the call demanding Aviator Nation stop appropriating Native cultures and take solid measures toward fixing what they have broken.

Some Real History

In the present day, these so-called United States house 574 recognized tribes (along with numerous unrecognized tribes), yet many settlers continue to view Native Americans as nonexistent or extinct. This viewpoint is no accident. Currently, thanks largely to a refusal to teach real history, Indigenous People of Turtle Island are viewed by the dominant U.S. culture as some kind of historical footnote. According to Tara Houska, 83% of references in U.S. K-12 curriculum uses past tense when referencing Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island . That’s a huge problem. When Native Peoples are purposefully written out of K-12 materials in any present sense, Native children will naturally feel invisible, invalid, and detached from their culture — and non-Native children inevitably grow up without an understanding of present-day Native culture.

This strategic academic choice also props up so-called America's own propagandized narrative that this continent was a wild, empty, and undiscovered land when colonists arrived. Kids grow up with the impression — and grow into adults who still believe — that the People already here didn’t count then, and we shouldn’t count now.

Notions to the contrary would, of course, force America to look closely at its brutal, genocidal history. The next logical step in that scenario is grappling with how colonization poisons the well, which, in turn, begs examination of how colonization ultimately affects everyone, whether or not they are empowered by structural racism.

Brittany Woods-Orrison (Koyukon Denè, of Rampart Village) elaborates, “We are all Indigenous to somewhere; we all come from an ancestry that had a relationship with the land. While Indigenous people, for generations, have fought to hold onto their identity and community, white people continue to steal from us violently. Whiteness has exploited Indigenous cultures for generations to make up for their own lack [of cultural identity] and to try to make financial gains.”

With that premise, we can start to understand how non-BIPOC folks can act in ways incredibly destructive to BIPOC existence, as recently embodied by the appropriation of Native culture by Aviator Nation. To be clear, this is not an article offering an out for racist behavior. It’s an explanation of how we got here, how we continue on this rotary of racism, and why we are always exhausted by the lack of growth from non-BIPOC folks.

More on the Aviator Nation Problem

To catch you up, Aviator Nation is a California-esque 1970s-inspired clothing company that uses tipis, traditional moccasins, and mascot faces in their marketing material. The owner, Paige Mycoskie, actually seeks to embody white saviorism, asking for gratitude and recognition for her “creating jobs for POC, Paying POC thru [sic] the entire COVID19 crisis, refusing to lay-off POC (even if that means money out of my pocket).” She also expects recognition and gratitude for her painting of “african american murals” on her store walls (she’s white). The list of her transgressions doesn’t end there. It goes on and on.

As Mycoskie herself says, “we build tipis for a living” and “I worked with authentic Native Americans on this design” when referring to her “tipi” covered in neon colors and live-laugh-love chevrons. Such statements are reflective of her privilege. As the sister of Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes , her business and life are propped up by the millions of dollars her brother makes from marketing his products as good for poor, brown children .

On TOMS’ site, only one of every seven models is BIPOC … until you get to their impact report. There, they demonstrate the good they do for communities; suddenly everyone is Brown, Black or Native.

Given the Mycoskies' origin story, it's no surprise they can't tell the difference between appropriation and appreciation. When the baseline for typical behavior includes using tipis and wearing sombreros and feathered headdresses (that's Blake, above, looking like Jake Angeli and his wife with her friends in the sombrero picture below), it's no wonder they’re surprised when asked to stop their racist behaviors.

The Harm of Appropriation and Misrepresentation

Let’s talk a little more about why appropriation and misrepresentation are so harmful. Lydia Poncé (Mayo/ Quechua) of the American Indian Movement says, “Cultural appropriation is not honoring Indigenous People; it is an injury causing harm to future Indigenous generations. Aviator Nation is attempting to brand their innocence with more words of racism, commodification, and white saviorism. We, the Indigenous community, are still here, and it is their obligation to correct this.”

Sepia-toned photographs are the most common way the dominant American culture views Indigenous Peoples. And, in current culture, one of the most common ways Native Peoples see ourselves represented is in mascotry.

On June 8, the Race, Ethnicity and Education Journal published a study highlighting the outcomes from these issues: “Low self-esteem, low community worth, and increased negative feelings of stress and depression are just some of the negative psychological effects Native American mascots wreak on the well-being of Native Americans, especially youth,”

This dynamic becomes particularly significant when understood in the larger context. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among Native Peoples, and is the second highest cause of death for Natives 10-24 , according to The National Indian Council on Aging. “Historical disenfranchisement through genocide and institutional racism has resulted in American Indians and Alaska Natives experiencing poorer health and socioeconomic outcomes. These social determinants of health intersect to create a situation that is detrimental to the physical and mental health of Indian communities. Cultural disconnection, alienation and pressure to assimilate all contribute to higher rates of suicide among American Indians and Alaska Natives.”

A chorus of voices is singing out about how Aviator Nation’s behavior exacerbates the larger problem. Courtney Little Axe (Natsista/NiSiWiNwi/Semvnole) says, “Our cultural practices were illegal until the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed in 1978. Many of our ancestors were killed trying to preserve those very cultural practices and lifestyles that are being exploited. Cultural appropriation has been a problem that we have faced for far too long. Aviator Nation’s unethical treatment is not unique and happens way too often.”

Indigenous Peoples Movement, a global coalition that unites all Indigenous peoples of the world, highlighted that, as Native People, we have many frontlines, including the dismantling of harmful stereotypes and cultural appropriations. “It’s bad enough we are fighting for our lands, our dignity, our waters, our women and men, and our future generations against this colonial system — but to continue to educate over and over again that our culture isn’t for sale is getting exhausting,” they told us. That exhaustion was echoed by others hoping that through education, we could find new understanding that could limit open racism.

“[Paige Mycoskie’s] behavior indicates that she’s never headed to face this. America suffers from amnesia or it has selective memories, and that’s the issue behind this whole Critical Race Theory. When we aren’t teaching what has actually happened we have no idea how to fix the harm,” says NSRGNTS Collective.

How to Fix Some of the Harm

Now that we have covered what NOT to do, we can touch on what those who wish to be allies can do to actually appreciate Indigenous communities and forward the cause of Native justice. Their participation would be welcomed, because there exists an urgent need for accurate and ample representation and visibility of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples in today’s world.

Non-Native folks interested in appreciation must proffer alternatives to the primary way that Americans relate to Natives on Turtle Island, which means ditching so-called Native Mascots, mascotry, and all images and items that dehumanize Native Peoples. “Good ally” representation should seek to dismantle antiquated and harmful stereotypical notions of “Native Americans,” disrupt the dominant narrative about Native Peoples existing only in the past, and offer instead diversified content that is — and this is the most important part — created by and properly credited to Native and Indigenous People with our consent and adequate compensation .

Using their power and resources to increase accurate and abundant representation and dismantle past and ongoing harm, non-Native allies can contribute to a shifting tide, wherein Indigenous voices and representation are brought to the forefront. Native and Indigenous Peoples offer a rich tapestry of language, tradition, humor, and connection, all of which serve as a foundation for building healthier notions of “Native Americans” for non-Natives.

As an ally or accomplice, none of these suggestions, so far, should be scary. No one is getting called out without also getting called in , and that's where the learning happens. The question is, “Will people like Paige Mycoskie listen?”

In conflict, assuming good actors, there exists a real chance to educate, persuade, and build. As Briana J. Castaneda (Apache/Chichimec) said, “We will continue to stand for our Culture and the Land. We ask you to understand that our Culture is not for you and to take accountability for your actions.”

We must point out that this whole anti-appropriation initiative, including a recent direct action outside Aviator Nation’s LA store, was organized by Indigenous youth. They alerted community members, organizations (like ours) and influencers on social media. At the Lakota People’s Law Project, we continue to be amazed and have gratitude for our Native youth.

While some have been critical of the actions taken, others, like NSRGNTS, have embraced the actions saying, “We have to put our own egos aside as the older generation and put our support behind the youth. The youth are doing something great here. They aren't waiting, they are acting (as youth does). We need to stand behind our youth and amplify their voice. We must be hopeful, grateful, supportive, and optimistic for them!”

The youth-led coalition of loosely affiliated people, organizations, and influencers continues to demand accountability from Aviator Nation; no single person speaks for the anti-appropriation movement, which started long before social media existed.

It’s time for Aviator Nation and Paige Mycoskie to dig deeper than is, perhaps, comfortable and make meaningful changes. Such a process demands that ego is set aside and ignorance is corrected. This article is a continued call-in. Despite the hurt, anger, and violence they have created, it’s well within their considerable power to fix this. The process just requires some work.

Taking Action to Support the Whole

Indigenous communities are shaped by value systems that stem from ancestral knowledge and responsibility. We know that we are not accountable only to ourselves. We are accountable to our relatives, our future children, our ancestors, the Land, and our neighbors. These relationships define our relationship to ourselves. Our value to ourselves stems from a collective valuation, and requires alignment with all community stakeholders. Our sense of time and place is grounded in what is best for the whole.

Speaking from my own perspective, I often see that our sense of self isn’t limited to our bodies, our jobs, or even our immediate families. We are the people, the animals, the water, the sky, the Land, the unborn generations, and our ancestors. We are everything that ever was and ever will be. When we look into each other’s eyes, we can see that.

Aviator Nation, whole communities of Indigenous Peoples are asking you to make meaningful changes to how you do business. Please listen, learn, and take the corrective actions outlined in the letters you are receiving.

And to all of you who stand for Indigenous rights and restorative justice, we thank you. To help inspire a positive change from Aviator Nation — to perhaps turn potential enemies into allies for our movement — please take action by sending your own message to Aviator Nation . You can use our words or your own. All solidarity is welcome. As always, we want to build a healthier world together.

Note: We welcome you to share, post, and distribute this blog — please, with credit to the Lakota People’s Law Project. Speaking of credit, a big thanks @aodream for sharing the direct action photos in this blog. And a giant wopila to everyone who provided quotes, is participating in direct actions, and continues to amplify and attempt to rectify this issue!

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Cultural Appropriation Explainer Video

Are you interested in appreciating Indigenous culture and avoiding cultural appropriation but feel unsure about where to start?

In this short explainer video, you’ll learn how to spot cultural   appropriation and understand why it’s harmful to Indigenous designers and creators. You’ll come away with strategies for avoiding appropriation , in addition to ideas for supporting Native artists and creators in your local community.

• Voice over artist: Adrienne Benjamin (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe)
• Graphic artist: Victoria Sprague (Gun Lake Tribe)
• Video production: Callsign51

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Student Editorial Contest Winner

‘Cultural Appropriation’ Is Critical to Human Progress

By The Learning Network

• June 6, 2019

This essay, by Maggie Strauss , age 17, is one of the Top 12 winners of our Sixth Annual Student Editorial Contest , for which we received 10,509 entries.

We are publishing the work of all the winners and runners-up this week, and you can find them here as they post. Excerpts from some will also be in the special Learning print section on Sunday, June 9.

“Cultural Appropriation” Is Critical to Human Progress

A skirt on Zara. A Dior campaign. Keziah Daum’s prom dress. What do all of these things have in common? They are the latest victims of America’s politically correct crusaders.

In today’s “cancel” culture, people are quick to attack others for behaving in a way they deem socially unacceptable. Central to many of these accusations is the idea of cultural appropriation: the adoption of the customs, practices, or ideas of one society by a member of another.

The fashion industry in particular has come under severe scrutiny in the past year for “stealing” traditions. As Vanessa Friedman writes in “Fashion’s Year in Cultural Don’ts”, the aforementioned skirt was too similar to an Indian lungi, the Dior campaign drew too much inspiration from the Mexican escaramuzas, and Keziah Daum’s qipao was too Asian for her.

These fashion statements were clearly not designed to offend or degrade the cultures that influenced them. However, that is not to say that everyone who draws inspiration from different cultures is doing it with the right intentions. Issues arise when imitation is based on a shallow and offensive stereotype, which is just blatant racism.

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Insights > Audiences

More than Mascots: It’s Time to End Cultural Appropriation of Native Americans in Sports

4 minute read | May 2021

No matter the sport, fans’ love for the game—and for their favorite team—runs deep. That love fuels family traditions, community rivalries and hours of tune-in time. It’s also a love that’s central to American culture. But what happens when that sense of connection comes at the expense of a culture or heritage that has endured centuries of harm in the name of Americana? For many Native Americans, the appropriation of sacred symbols and propagation of stereotypes have been par for the course in American sports at professional, collegiate and K-12 levels. But many of today’s fans are saying it doesn’t have to stay that way. 

Fans applaud the shift away from the appropriation of Native American culture as mascots. In fact, a recent Nielsen Fan Insights survey in collaboration with IllumiNative found that 46% of respondents believe teams are doing the right thing by changing their names and stopping the use of culturally insensitive mascots. For example, after years of pressure, the Washington Football Team finally retired the use of its former name and logo in 2020. The Cleveland Indians made a similar move at the start of the 2019 baseball season when it stopped using its former mascot, Chief Wahoo.

But 45% of fans want sports teams to do more than just stop using culturally insensitive mascots and names. They want them to end the appropriation of Native American culture as well, citing the harm it does to the community and the damaging emotional effects on Native Americans. And much of the appropriation starts in school sports, which the American Psychological Association says establishes an unwelcome and oftentimes hostile learning environment for American Indian students that affirms negative images/stereotypes that are then promoted in mainstream society.

The response to evolving consumer sentiment is also evolving, as the Cleveland Indians took their stance a step beyond retiring its old mascot when it announced in December of last year that it will change its name, which is perceived as more neutral in nature than its former mascot. The phased evolution of the team’s persona reflects how consumers have shifted from intolerance about offensive mascots to intolerance about any cultural appropriation at all.

In some instances, sports organizations and teams had good intentions, using Native American culture and mascots to honor the community. Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee), founder and CEO of IllumiNative , explains that what is intended as an honor can often have a demoralizing effect. “Native Americans are the only group being used as sports mascots, depicting our Native American communities not as people, but as ‘other’. It’s dehumanizing and objectifying.”

Not only do fans recognize that sports mascots are the primary means by which Native American cultures are represented on television, 50% of respondents in our recent survey acknowledged that options to see Native American culture or people are represented on TV were limited—especially in contemporary roles and not just historical context. Outside of team names and logos, Native peoples’ share of screen stands at just 0.27%—a figure about one-sixth the presence of Native Americans in the U.S. population today. Increased news coverage has broadened awareness of ongoing policy issues such as voting access and land rights, but when audiences seek out scripted content on TV that includes Native Americans, representation of Native American talent in lead roles is less than 1% in multiple TV genres: 

More needs to be done to expand representation of Native Americans on their terms. And when it comes to championing social issues, sports are leading the way.   Nielsen Sports Managing Director Jon Stainer says the changing tide is another opportunity for pro sports teams: “Sports fans want more from the teams they love—beyond watching their favorite teams play their best, fans want their teams to represent their values. The racial reckoning in the U.S. has created a greater awareness, and sports fans expect their favorite teams to stand up for underrepresented communities and take a stand against cultural appropriation of Native Americans.”  Trading cultural appropriation in sports for the visibility that Native Americans deserve—representation that is defined by and not dictated to Native peoples—is a long overdue way to truly honor this underrepresented population.

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Essential Question

What is cultural appropriation, how does it affect Native American communities, and should it be regulated by law?

In this lesson, students will engage in a structured academic controversy to address the question, “should appropriation of Native American cultural practices be regulated by law?” Working in small groups, students will consider cultural appropriation in varying degrees by watching RUMBLE clips of African American “Mardi Gras Indian Tribes” from New Orleans, viewing images of sports logos, controversial fashion items, and consulting divergent viewpoints in regards to each. Groups will pair off into a “yes” and “no” answer, and support their position with evidence. Then, the groups will switch, and each defend the opposite position. Finally, the class will end with each student drafting a personal response to the activity. Throughout the lesson, students will additionally encounter poetry written by Native Americans that offers their perspectives on the issue of cultural appropriation.

In 2013, A Tribe Called Red, a Canadian collective of First Nations DJs whose work regularly samples traditional Indigenous Music, requested on Twitter that their Non-native fans refrain from wearing Indigenous headdresses and “warpaint” at their performances. “It’s insulting,” they wrote, adding later that donning such outfits is an act of “racial stereotyping and cultural appropriation.”

A Tribe Called Red’s statement is one of the many that have brought the contentious issue of “cultural appropriation” into public consciousness. The practice, defined by Fordham Law Professor Susan Scafidi as, “Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission…[especially] when the source community is a minority group that has been oppressed or exploited in other ways,” is viewed by some as a serious issue that deserves legal action. Others, however, believe that “cultural appropriation” is a natural outgrowth of the “melting pot” culture of a place like the United States and that there is nothing negative about it whatsoever. Perhaps no bellwether of the contentiousness behind the term is as telling as the Wikipedia entry for the term, where the open source nature of the site allows anyone to make edits, and they do. “Cultural appropriation” is updated, and also reverted to its previous state almost daily as individuals seek to control the meaning of the concept itself.

Upon completion of this lesson, students will:

• The definition of “culture”
• Various definitions of “cultural appropriation”
• About the debate regarding the validity of the concept of “cultural appropriation”
• About specific instances in popular culture labeled as “cultural appropriation”
• About the Mardi Gras “Indians” of New Orleans
• Some of the ways certain Native American musicians and poets have responded to cultural appropriation
• Through textual analysis of divergent viewpoints on cultural appropriation, students will be able to evaluate both sides of the debate and then employ research-based evidence in the statement of their own beliefs about the issue

“Indians” at Woodstock

Big chief monk boudreaux, a tribe called red tweet, a tribe called red twitter responses, culture – oxford dictionary, appropriate/appropriation – oxford dictionary, cultural appropriation definition, motivational activity:.

• Have you ever heard of “A Tribe Called Red”? Who might they be?
• A Tribe Called Red is a group of Indigenous DJs from Canada who regularly draw upon traditional Native American music. Why might fans of A Tribe Called Red be coming to their shows in headdresses and warpaint?
• Why might A Tribe Called Red consider this practice insulting?

• Why might wearing headdresses and warpaint at A Tribe Called Red performance be considered racial stereotyping?
• How does A Tribe Called Red further defend their position?
• What might A Tribe Called Red mean by using the phrase “cultural appropriation”? What is cultural appropriation?

• Can you think of any examples of cultural appropriation? Do you think that it is an issue that should concern people?
• What is Chrystos describing in this poem?
• For you, what emotion of feeling is Chrystos getting across in this poem?
• In what ways might Chrystos be connecting the sale of figurines with the treatment of Native Peoples in the United States?
• What is Chrystos doing in the final stanza? What new idea are they introducing?
• How might the final line, “I want to live somewhere where nobody is sold,” have a dual meaning within this poem?
• What might this poem say about cultural appropriation?
• Why do you think “Indians were in” at Woodstock? What do you think the elements of Native American fashion you saw in this clip might have meant to the people who wore them? (Encourage students to think of what Woodstock represented at the time: freedom, escape from the mainstream, etc. Perhaps the Native American clothing suggested freedom, outsider-ness, and a connection to nature and the past, even if those things were more imagined than real.)
• What is Rendon describing in this poem?
• For you, what feeling is Rendon conveying in this poem?
• Do you think Rendon’s message in this poem is directed at any audience in particular? Who?
• Do you see any connections between this poem and Chrystos’ poem? If so, what might be the connections?
• What might this poem be saying about cultural appropriation?
• Break students into small, even-numbered groups, ideally of four, for the Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) activity. Then divide each group into Side A and Side B. Inform groups that they’ll be addressing the question, “Does cultural appropriation negatively affect Native American communities, and should it be regulated by law?” Over the course of the activity, Sides A and B will switch positions, arguing both in the affirmative and the negative.  
• Handout for Station 1
• Handout for Station 2
• Handout for Station 3
• Handout for Station 4

Summary Activity:

• Having taken both sides of this debate, how do you now feel about cultural appropriation? Is there a “yes” or “no” answer to its existence? Does it concern you? Is it always the same, or do you feel differently about the varying ways you see cultural appropriation occur?

Extension Activity:

• Look up the term “Hollywood Indian.” In a short essay, use two examples of the “Hollywood Indian” to address the idea of cultural appropriation in American cinema and television. How have Native Americans been portrayed? What does the portrayal of Native Americans suggest about the mostly white producers and directors who have written and casted them?

Handout 1 – Excerpts from The Real Indian Leans Against, Chrystos Handout 2 – What’s an Indian Woman to Do? Marcie Rendon Handout 3 – Cultural Appropriation Structured Academic Controversy Station 1: Cultural Appropriation Arguments Station 2: Music – Mardi Gras “Indians” in New Orleans Station 3: Sports – The Washington Redskins Logo Station 4: Fashion

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New Jersey State Standards

New jersey state learning standards for english language arts.

Reading NJSLSA.R1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences and relevant connections from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

NJSLSA.R6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

NJSLSA.R8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

NJSLSA.R9: Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Writing NJSLSA.W1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

NJSLSA.W7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects, utilizing an inquiry-based research process, based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

NJSLSA.W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

New York State Standards

New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards Reading Anchor Standards

• Standard 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly/implicitly and make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
• Standard 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
• Standard 8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Writing Anchor Standards

• Standard 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Speaking and Listening

• Standard 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats (including visual, quantitative, and oral).
• Standard 3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
• Standard 4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence so that listeners can follow the line of reasoning. Ensure that the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Texas State Standards

Common core state standards.

College and Career Readiness Reading Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 for Literature and Informational Text

• Reading 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text
• Reading 2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
• Reading 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
• Reading 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words
• Reading 9: Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
• Reading 10: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 6-12

• Speaking and Listening 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
• Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally
• Speaking and Listening 3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric
• Speaking and Listening 4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
• Speaking and Listening 5: Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations
• Speaking and Listening 6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language for Grades 6-12

• Language 1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking
• Language 3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening
• Language 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate
• Language 5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings
• Language 6: Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

• Theme 1 : Culture
• Theme 2 : Time, Continuity, and Change
• Theme 4 : Individual Development and Identity
• Theme 5 : Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
• Theme 9 : Global Connections

National Standards for Music Education – National Association for Music Education (NAfME)

Core Music Standard: Responding

• Analyze : Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
• Interpret : Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or performers’ expressive intent.
• Evaluate : Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.

Core Music Standard: Connecting

• Connecting 11 : Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.

National Core Arts Standards

• Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
• Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
• Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
• Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
• Anchor Standards 11: Relate artistic ideas and work with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

Career Technical Education Standards (California Model) – Arts, Media and Entertainment Pathway Standards

Design, Visual and Media Arts (A)

• A1.0 Demonstrate ability to reorganize and integrate visual art elements across digital media and design applications. A1.1 View and respond to a variety of industry-related artistic products integrating industry appropriate vocabulary. A1.4 Select industry-specific works and analyze the intent of the work and the appropriate use of media. A1.5 Research and analyze the work of an artist or designer and how the artist’s distinctive style contributes to their industry production. A1.9 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work. ia, and Entertainment | A3.0 Analyze and assess the impact of history and culture on the development of professional arts and media products. A3.2 Describe how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence and are reflected in a variety of artistic products. A3.3 Identify contemporary styles and discuss the diverse social, economic, and political developments reflected in art work in an industry setting. A3.4 Identify art in international industry and discuss ways in which the work reflects cultural perspective. A3.5 Analyze similarities and differences of purpose in art created in culturally diverse industry applications. A4.0 Analyze, assess, and identify effectiveness of artistic products based on elements of art, the principles of design, and professional industry standards. A4.2 Deconstruct how beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts influence commercial media (traditional and electronic). A4.5 Analyze and articulate how society influences the interpretation and effectiveness of an artistic product. A5.0 Identify essential industry competencies, explore commercial applications and develop a career specific personal plan. A5.1 Compare and contrast the ways in which different artistic media (television, newspapers, magazines, and electronic media) cover the same commercial content. A5.3 Deconstruct works of art, identifying psychological content found in the symbols and images and their relationship to industry and society.

Performing Arts (B)

• B2.0 Read, listen to, deconstruct, and analyze peer and professional music using the elements and terminology of music. B2.2 Describe how the elements of music are used. B2.5 Analyze and describe significant musical events perceived and remembered in a given industry generated example. B2.6 Analyze and describe the use of musical elements in a given professional work that makes it unique, interesting, and expressive. B2.7 Demonstrate the different uses of form, both past and present, in a varied repertoire of music in commercial settings from diverse genres, styles, and professional applications. B7.0 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of multiple industry performance products from a discipline-specific perspective. B7.1 Identify and compare how film, theater, television, and electronic media productions influence values and behaviors. B7.3 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of the musician in the professional setting. B7.4 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of the actor and performance artist in the professional setting. B8.0 Deconstruct the aesthetic values that drive professional performance and the artistic elements necessary for industry production. B8.1 Critique discipline-specific professional works using the language and terminology specific to the discipline. B8.2 Use selected criteria to compare, contrast, and assess various professional performance forms. B8.3 Analyze the aesthetic principles that apply in a professional work designed for live performance, film, video, or live broadcast. B8.4 Use complex evaluation criteria and terminology to compare and contrast a variety of genres of professional performance products.
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Commentary: Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible

K. Tempest Bradford

Elvis Presley, in the studio in 1956 — Presley's success was undoubtedly driven by the material he appropriated from black musicians. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images hide caption

Elvis Presley, in the studio in 1956 — Presley's success was undoubtedly driven by the material he appropriated from black musicians.

Last week, the New York Times published an op-ed titled "In Defense of Cultural Appropriation" in which writer Kenan Malik attempted to extol the virtues of artistic appropriation and chastise those who would stand in the way of necessary "cultural engagement." (No link, because you have Google and I'd rather not give that piece more traffic than it deserves.) What would have happened, he argues, had Elvis Presley not been able to swipe the sounds of black musicians?

Malik is not the first person to defend cultural appropriation. He joins a long list that, most recently, has included prominent members of the Canadian literary community and author Lionel Shriver.

But the truth is that cultural appropriation is indefensible. Those who defend it either don't understand what it is, misrepresent it to muddy the conversation, or ignore its complexity — discarding any nuances and making it easy to dismiss both appropriation and those who object to it.

At the start of the most recent debate , Canadian author Hal Niedzviecki called on the readers of Write magazine to "Write what you don't know ... Relentlessly explore the lives of people who aren't like you. ... Win the Appropriation Prize." Amid the outcry over this editorial, there were those who wondered why this statement would be objectionable. Shouldn't authors "write the Other?" Shouldn't there be more representative fiction?

Yes, of course. The issue here is that Niedzviecki conflated cultural appropriation and the practice of writing characters with very different identities from yourself — and they're not the same thing. Writing inclusive fiction might involve appropriation if it's done badly, but that's not a given.

Cultural appropriation can feel hard to get a handle on, because boiling it down to a two-sentence dictionary definition does no one any favors. Writer Maisha Z. Johnson offers an excellent starting point by describing it not only as the act of an individual, but an individual working within a " power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group ."

That's why appropriation and exchange are two different things, Johnson says — there's no power imbalance involved in an exchange. And when artists appropriate, they can profit from what they take, while the oppressed group gets nothing.

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Dear white artists making music videos in india: step away from the 'holi' powder, author lionel shriver on cultural appropriation and the 'sensitivity police'.

I teach classes and seminars alongside author and editor Nisi Shawl on Writing the Other , and the foundation of our work is that authors should create characters from many different races, cultures, class backgrounds, physical abilities, and genders, even if — especially if — these don't match their own. We are not alone in this. You won't find many people advising authors to only create characters similar to themselves. You will find many who say: Don't write characters from minority or marginalized identities if you are not going to put in the hard work to do it well and avoid cultural appropriation and other harmful outcomes. These are different messages. But writers often see or hear the latter and imagine that it means the former. And editorials like Niedzviecki's don't help the matter.

Complicating things even further, those who tend to see appropriation as exchange are often the ones who profit from it.

Even Malik's example involving rock and roll isn't as simple as Elvis "stealing" from black artists. Before he even came along, systematic oppression and segregation in America meant black musicians didn't have access to the same opportunities for mainstream exposure, income, or success as white ones. Elvis and other rock and roll musicians were undoubtedly influenced by black innovators, but over time the genre came to be regarded as a cultural product created, perfected by, and only accessible to whites .

This is the "messy interaction" Malik breezes over in dismissing the idea of appropriation as theft: A repeating pattern that's recognizable across many different cultural spheres, from fashion and the arts to literature and food.

And this pattern is why cultures and people who've suffered the most from appropriation sometimes insist on their traditions being treated like intellectual property — it can seem like the only way to protect themselves and to force members of dominant or oppressive cultures to consider the impact of their actions.

This has lead to accusations of gatekeeping by Malik and others: Who has the right to decide what is appropriation and what isn't ? What does true cultural exchange look like? There's no one easy answer to either question.

But there are some helpful guidelines: The Australian Council for the Arts developed a set of protocols for working with Indigenous artists that lays out how to approach Aboriginal culture as a respectful guest, who to contact for guidance and permission, and how to proceed with your art if that permission is not granted. Some of these protocols are specific to Australia, but the key to all of them is finding ways for creativity to flourish while also reducing harm.

All of this lies at the root of why cultural appropriation is indefensible. It is, without question, harmful. It is not inherent to writing representational and inclusive fiction, it is not a process of equal and mutually beneficial exchange, and it is not a way for one culture to honor another. Cultural appropriation does damage, and it should be something writers and other artists work hard to avoid, not compete with each other to achieve.

For those who are willing to do that hard work, there are resources out there. When I lecture about this, I ask writers to consider whether they are acting as Invaders, Tourists, or Guests, according to the excellent framework Nisi Shawl lays out in her essay on appropriation . And then I point them towards all the articles and blog posts I've collected over time on the subject of cultural appropriation , to give them as full a background in understanding, identifying, and avoiding it as I possibly can.

Because I believe that, instead of giving people excuses for why appropriation can't be avoided (it can), or allowing them to think it's no big deal (it is), it's more important to help them become better artists whose creations contribute to cultural understanding and growth that benefits us all.

K. Tempest Bradford is a speculative fiction author, media critic, teacher, and podcaster. She teaches and lectures about writing inclusive fiction online and in person via WritingTheOther.com .

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cultural appropriation

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• Oregon Department of Education - Health: Cultural Appropriation
• Verywell Mind - What is Cultural Appropriation?
• The New York Times - What does Cultural Appropriation really mean?
• BCCampus Publishing - Cultural Appropriation
• BBC - What defines cultural appropriation?

cultural appropriation , adoption of certain language, behavior, clothing, or tradition belonging to a minority culture or social group by a dominant culture or group in a way that is exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical. An imbalance of power between the appropriator and the appropriated is a critical condition of the concept. Cultural appropriation often is viewed as a problem of the postcolonial world; in this way, the term commonly is used in reference to Western or white populations’ adoption of aspects of non-Western or non-white cultures . Cultural appropriation has been identified across a range of fields, including religion, music, sports, fashion, visual art, and film.

The term cultural appropriation is thought to have emerged in the 1970s from academic discourse on Western colonialism . No one person has been credited with the coining of the term, though close predecessors can be identified. In a 1976 paper British historian Kenneth Coutts-Smith introduced cultural colonialism , a term similar in meaning. Coutts-Smith’s paper is thought to have initiated much of the contemporary discussion of cultural appropriation, though instances regarded by some as cultural appropriation have occurred throughout history before the phenomenon was named. Like many such terms,  cultural appropriation  eventually made its way out of academic settings and into popular culture.

Cultural appropriation involves some level of ignorance or apathy; that is, appropriators are using a cultural element for their own benefit, whether it be monetary , social, or otherwise, without fully understanding or caring about the cultural significance of what is being appropriated. For communities that have faced systemic oppression, witnessing the commodification of their culture can be offensive and hurtful. One classic manifestation of cultural appropriation occurs when a member of a majority group profits financially or socially from the culture of a minority group. For example, retailers that mass-produce and sell Native American -inspired products, such as tepees for children or decorative dream-catchers, profit from the designs and traditions of Indigenous peoples but may offer no credit or compensation to those whose cultural artifacts were appropriated.

Another common form of cultural appropriation occurs when a member of a majority group separates a cultural element of a minority group from its original meaning. Some instances of this can even be seen as an enduring form of colonization , such as the use of feathered headdresses by white music festival-goers. Unlike traditional Native American jewelry, much of which is sold by Indigenous artists to customers of all cultures, these feathered headdresses hold a significant cultural purpose. Among  Plains Indian  communities, warbonnets are worn only by community leaders on special occasions; in other groups, they are an earned honour, not unlike a military medal. Because they separate the warbonnet from its original cultural meaning, non-indigenous festival attendees wearing Native American headdresses are practicing cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation also occurs when a member of a majority group adopts an element of a minority culture without consequences while members of the minority group face backlash for the same cultural element. Some white female celebrities, for example, have been accused of a form of cultural appropriation known as “blackfishing” after donning dark face makeup and traditionally Black hairstyles—such as dreadlocks —or adopting elements of African American English (AAE). This is particularly harmful because white people are able to temporarily co-opt traits for which Black people have historically been ridiculed and can easily abandon those traits if they are no longer in vogue or become inconvenient. The inherent unfairness that the same hairstyle or manner of speech that might be labeled as “unprofessional” for a Black woman could give a white woman social clout is one of the concepts at the root of cultural appropriation.

The term cultural appreciation has appeared as a counter to the original concept, provoking debates about whether a specific instance of adoption is appropriation or appreciation. While cultural appropriation indicates a harmful or thoughtless action, cultural appreciation indicates that care has been taken to respect the culture at hand. For example, it may be considered cultural appreciation for a white woman to wear a traditional lehenga to an Indian wedding, while wearing it as a Halloween costume may be considered appropriative.

Cultural appropriation, like many other social issues, is a controversial topic. Some argue that cultural appropriation is a positive effect of globalization . Holders of this belief tend to reject the nomenclature of the concept, arguing that “appropriation” is misleading, as it indicates theft, when culture is not necessarily a material source that can be stolen. Others reject that cultural appropriation exists altogether.