A guide to cultural appropriation: Why Native headdresses are offensive and when to skip the trend
In today’s hyper-globalized world, the sharing, discovery and, hopefully, education of various traditions from around the globe is being made even easier. From food to music to holidays (who else dove into a margarita during Cinco de Mayo?) we’re all borrowing from each other.
But how far is too far? When does appreciation of a culture that’s not your own become not okay? Let’s start with a term you’ve probably heard a lot lately: cultural appropriation. According to Wikipedia, the term is defined as “the adoption of elements of one culture by a different cultural group, often by a dominant culture from a minority culture. These elements, once removed from their indigenous cultural contexts, can take on meanings that are significantly different.”
Trendsetting meanings, too. From the bindi to the headdress, cultural appropriation has become a big part of fashion, for better or worse. Here, we present a primer to some of fashion’s most potentially offensive cultural appropriation trends.
The Bindi
Adopted by many celebrities, from Gwen Stefani in the ‘90s to Selena Gomez in her most recent video for “Come and Get It,” the wearing of bindi by non-Hindu women has been criticized, supported, and regularly debated in mainstream media.
Symbolizing the sixth chakra, the bindi is a Hindu tradition “representing honour, love and prosperity. Traditionally, a bindi was a red coloured dot placed between the eyebrows…” clarifies University of Ottawa Master’s student Amisha Agarwal, “Nowadays, bindis come in all shapes, sizes, textures and colours.” This variety in bindi represents a lean towards the bindi as a more stylized addition to an outfit.
Made especially popular by Bollywood films, it is now common for women to choose a bindi that complements their outfit, treating it as less of a symbol of religion and as more of an accessory.
Jury is still mostly out on this one, but expressions of outrage are met with equally as many votes of support. Stay away from the red-dyed hand applied dot, which tends to carry more religious symbolism and try out a jeweled self-adhesive bindi instead.
The Native American headdress
Also known as the war bonnet, this sacred Native American symbol is bestowed on Native Americans who have earned it through acts of courage or valour, primarily men.
In the case of Khloe Kardashian’s inappropriate donning of the headdress, she further offends by sitting crosslegged next to a teepee and adding the following post to her Instagram, “’Ray of clouds. Chirping of birds. Gurgling of water. Granting desire. One with water. #Kidchella my first Coachella!!!’” You think she would have thought twice about donning one at all after the Pharrell backlash.
And this misrepresentation of the headdress tradition happens much closer to home. A Tribe Called Red has taken to social media to educate non-natives who attend their shows, “Non-Natives that come to our shows, we need to talk,” read a tweet from last month, “please stop wearing headdresses and war paint – it’s insulting.”
Red Face, Black Face
I’ll start this off with an “are you kidding me?” Any time colours are hijacked as a racially-charged stereotype is not okay. And no, Halloween does not provide an exception.
Niqab/Burqa/Hijab
Quick primer to Muslim garments: a niqab covers all of a woman except for her eyes, a burqa covers the whole body with a sheer veil over the face, and a hijab is used to cover a woman’s hair.
All three refer to principals of modesty and which one is worn can be dictated by religious and cultural identity. This delicate subject has made headlines across the world as countries and courtrooms weigh in on these traditions. Some women fight to be free of them, and other fight to hold on to their cultural and spiritual identities.
In other words, these traditions carry a lot of weight and deserve to be treated with respect and not posted to Instagram with the hashtag #unapologeticbitch a la Madonna.
 we’re all borrowing from each other.
But how far is too far? When does appreciation of a culture that’s not your own become not okay? Let’s start with a term you’ve probably heard a lot lately: cultural appropriation. According to Wikipedia, the term is defined as “the adoption of elements of one culture by a different cultural group, often by a dominant culture from a minority culture. These elements, once removed from their indigenous cultural contexts, can take on meanings that are significantly different.”
Trendsetting meanings, too. From the bindi to the headdress, cultural appropriation has become a big part of fashion, for better or worse. Here, we present a primer to some of fashion’s most potentially offensive cultural appropriation trends.
The Bindi
Adopted by many celebrities, from Gwen Stefani in the ‘90s to Selena Gomez in her most recent video for “Come and Get It,” the wearing of bindi by non-Hindu women has been criticized, supported, and regularly debated in mainstream media.
Symbolizing the sixth chakra, the bindi is a Hindu tradition “representing honour, love and prosperity. Traditionally, a bindi was a red coloured dot placed between the eyebrows…” clarifies University of Ottawa Master’s student Amisha Agarwal, “Nowadays, bindis come in all shapes, sizes, textures and colours.” This variety in bindi represents a lean towards the bindi as a more stylized addition to an outfit.
Made especially popular by Bollywood films, it is now common for women to choose a bindi that complements their outfit, treating it as less of a symbol of religion and as more of an accessory.
Jury is still mostly out on this one, but expressions of outrage are met with equally as many votes of support. Stay away from the red-dyed hand applied dot, which tends to carry more religious symbolism and try out a jeweled self-adhesive bindi instead.
The Native American headdress
Also known as the war bonnet, this sacred Native American symbol is bestowed on Native Americans who have earned it through acts of courage or valour, primarily men.
In the case of Khloe Kardashian’s inappropriate donning of the headdress, she further offends by sitting crosslegged next to a teepee and adding the following post to her Instagram, “'Ray of clouds. Chirping of birds. Gurgling of water. Granting desire. One with water. #Kidchella my first Coachella!!!'” You think she would have thought twice about donning one at all after the Pharrell backlash.
And this misrepresentation of the headdress tradition happens much closer to home. A Tribe Called Red has taken to social media to educate non-natives who attend their shows, "Non-Natives that come to our shows, we need to talk," read a tweet from last month, “please stop wearing headdresses and war paint - it's insulting."
Red Face, Black Face
I’ll start this off with an “are you kidding me?” Any time colours are hijacked as a racially-charged stereotype is not okay. And no, Halloween does not provide an exception.
Niqab/Burqa/Hijab
Quick primer to Muslim garments: a niqab covers all of a woman except for her eyes, a burqa covers the whole body with a sheer veil over the face, and a hijab is used to cover a woman’s hair.
All three refer to principals of modesty and which one is worn can be dictated by religious and cultural identity. This delicate subject has made headlines across the world as countries and courtrooms weigh in on these traditions. Some women fight to be free of them, and other fight to hold on to their cultural and spiritual identities.
In other words, these traditions carry a lot of weight and deserve to be treated with respect and not posted to Instagram with the hashtag #unapologeticbitch a la Madonna.){kind=link}