The Oppression of Native American Culture

Some think that by dressing and styling your hair in another culture style would mean that you are admiring another culture and trying to immerse yourself in the culture. However, this is considered cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of a culture’s customs, practices, style, ideas by a dominant culture. Nowadays, we see people wearing clothing and headdresses of Native Americans for “fashion” and “fun.” It seems harmless, so why is cultural appropriation wrong? And how can people enjoy another culture without being problematic and damaging? People that do participate are not doing it with “ill” intentions.

 We see this quite often in the media with celebrities wearing headdresses, but it is degrading the Native American culture that has been victims of oppression, assimilation, and killed for their land by the British colonies. A fashion is used for creative expression and personal identity, but it becomes an uncomfortable environment when a dominant culture starts to judge and discriminate against a minority’s culture for their style, hair, and form of expression. It becomes acceptable when the dominant culture re-brands it. Many might argue that this event is not a problem that by appropriating a minority culture and making it popular that they are helping that group, but it is harmful since they are not acknowledging the root of that culture or giving it credit and claiming it as their own.

Multiliteracy provides a perspective view of the writers and allows students to learn and analyze. The articles, archives, and autobiography are the approach to analyze and see where they intersect. I will be researching articles, Vivid Maps, and archives that provide information and arguments from a writer’ view of an argument of cultural appropriation and appreciation. The articles and archives are provided by websites from the new times, the economist, white wolf, thought co, study breaks, and the CUNY library database. I will be using Jamaica Kincaid’s autobiography “On Seeing England for the First Time” to state an example of cultural appropriation. In Antigua, the British colonies invaded Kincaid’s daily life and education. She did not know of the history of her home country and instead, she was taught the history and map of England. Her father didn’t hate England and embraced it by wearing shoes, clothes, and hat. Kincaid did not like England for the lies she have been told in school and seeing the reality of England. The autobiography is similar to the topic of the essay of The Oppression of Native America. Native Americans were forced to change their style of life and clothing to satisfy the British colonies. History of Native Americans is erased, and instead, white Americans are adjusting history in the United States to state that they were here first.

 We see this quite often in the media with celebrities wearing headdresses, but it is degrading the Native American culture that has been victims of oppression, assimilation, and killed for their land by the British colonies. A fashion is used for creative expression and personal identity, but it becomes an uncomfortable environment when a dominant culture starts to judge and discriminate against a minority’s culture for their style, hair, and form of expression. It becomes acceptable when the dominant culture re-brands it. Many might argue that this event is not a problem that by appropriating a minority culture and making it popular that they are helping that group, but it is harmful since they are not acknowledging the root of that culture or giving it credit and claiming it as their own. Multiliteracy provides a perspective view of the writers and allows students to learn and analyze. The articles, archives, and autobiography are the approach to analyze and see where they intersect. I will be researching articles, Vivid Maps, and archives that provide information and arguments from a writer’ view of an argument of cultural appropriation and appreciation. The articles and archives are provided by websites from the new times, the economist, white wolf, thought co, study breaks, and the CUNY library database. I will be using Jamaica Kincaid’s autobiography “On Seeing England for the First Time” to state an example of cultural appropriation. In Antigua, the British colonies invaded Kincaid’s daily life and education. She did not know of the history of her home country and instead, she was taught the history and map of England. Her father didn’t hate England and embraced it by wearing shoes, clothes, and hat. Kincaid did not like England for the lies she have been told in school and seeing the reality of England. The autobiography is similar to the topic of the essay of The Oppression of Native America. Native Americans were forced to change their style of life and clothing to satisfy the British colonies. History of Native Americans is erased, and instead, white Americans are adjusting history in the United States to state that they were here first.

Works Cited

Friedman, Vanessa. “Fashion’s Year in Cultural Don’ts.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/fashion/fashion-racism-cultural-appropriation.html.

Nittle, Nadra Kareem. “Understanding Why Cultural Appropriation Is Wrong.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 14 Jan. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/cultural-appropriation-and-why-iits-wrong-2834561.

Arewa, Olufunmilayo. “Cultural Appropriation: When ‘Borrowing’ Becomes Exploitation.” The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2019, theconversation.com/cultural-appropriation-when-borrowing-becomes-exploitation-57411.

Gray, Briahna Joy. “The Question of Cultural Appropriation.” Current Affairs, A Magazine of Politics and Culture, 6 Sept. 2017, www.currentaffairs.org/2017/09/the-question-of-cultural-appropriation.

Matthes, Erich H. “Cultural Appropriation and Oppression | Philosophical Studies.” Philosophical Studies (2019): n. page. Print.

The Economist. “Canada’s war over “cultural appropriation”.” The Economist, May. 2017, https://www.economist.com/news/americas/21722692-writers-wrong-side-debate-lose-their-jobs-canadas-war-over-cultural-appropriation. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.

Greve, Charles T. “Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1.” Biographical Publishing Company. p. 35., 1904. Retrieved 2013-05-22.

“Walking a Mile: A Qualitative Study Exploring How Indians and Non-Indians Think About Each Other.” Public Agenda. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2008-07-25.

Keene, Adrienne. “But Why Can’t I Wear a Hipster Headdress? Archived May 13, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.” at Native Appropriations – Examining Representations of Indigenous Peoples., April 27, 2010.

White Wolf. “140-Year-Old Pics Show Native Americans before and after ‘Forced Assimilation.’” White Wolf, www.whitewolfpack.com/2017/05/140-year-old-pics-show-native-americans.html.

Alex. “U.S. Indian American Population, Percent Increase by County.” Vivid Maps, 14 Jan. 2018, www.vividmaps.com/2016/02/us-indian-american-population-percent.html.

The Oppression of Native American Culture

In my research, I am utilizing archives and articles written by journalist and authors who provide information of cultural appropriation and their studies of the historical context that discusses of White Colonist that massacre millions of Indigenous American and colonizing their language, tribe’s clothing and way of living to be accepted as part of the white colonies. I provide a historical context of Native American living in Texas during the 1840s. They discuss the importance of Native American living in the present days, and Native Americans experience cultural appropriation by White Americans that have oppressed Native American in the past for their culture, and now they are used for “fashion” and “fun”. These authors and journalist have provided information of historical context, and discussion of cultural appropriation and appreciation, and the population issues of Native Americans, I could not find more information in my research using the CUNY library database of cultural appropriation of the Native American culture.

The first section of the paper will provide important events and information about cultural appropriation of Indigenous Culture; I provide with information of the history of Indigenous people during Pre-Columbian era, the population changes of Indigenous people, Understanding between Cultural Appropriation and Appreciation. In the second section, it provides arguments from writers’ point of view of cultural appropriation and appreciation. I will be using Jamaica Kincaid’s autobiography “On Seeing England for the First Time” to state an example of cultural appropriation. In Antigua, the British colonies invaded Kincaid’s daily life and education. She did not know of the history of her home country and instead, she was taught the history and map of England. Her father didn’t hate England and embraced it by wearing shoes, clothes, and hat. Kincaid did not like England for the lies she have been told in school and seeing the reality of England. The autobiography is like the topic of the essay of The Oppression of Native America culture. Native Americans were forced to change their style of life and clothing to satisfy the British colonies. History of Native Americans is erased, and instead, white Americans are adjusting history in the United States to state that they were here first.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

In the United States, indigenous Americans represent people descended from the Pre-Columbian Native population of the earth within the nation’s contemporary limits. The term “Indian” arose with Christopher Columbus. These peoples were composed of many tribes, bands, and social groups, and some of these groups exist intact today as part autonomous countries. For some, much appropriation evokes memories of centuries of dominance by this island and “white colonists”, who had the land of native peoples, attempted to push them to assimilate through residential schools and excluded them from mainstream cultural life. Members of native “First country” were not permitted to vote until 1960 unless they relinquished their Indian position. Robert Jago, the native author, says that cultural appropriation contributes to “the hypersexualized perspective” of native women, the story of the drunken Asian and that “football-mascot-inspired stereotype of the violent warrior”. (the Economist.) with the specific group of people.

Young Native American Thomas Moore, before and after assimilation, circa 1897. (White Wolf)

“During the 1840s, Texas presented a distinct structure. By 1793, most of the Indian population Native to South Texas took either refused or got thus intermarried with this American population that these missions at Texas have secularized; and by 1825, most of the Indian population in this region had disappeared from the historical record. After 1836, a couple of remnants of that Tonkawas and Karankawas even wandered through their homelands, but they were just refugee groupings. These Caddoes and Wichitas, tribes when native to the Piney forest and North Texas likewise sought shelter region of the Red River in Oklahoma.”

Native peoples have existed referred primitives, savages (Greve) or savage. These policies were common within the heights of European colonial expansion, but even remain in specific societies in contemporary times. For native peoples, cultural appropriation is better understood within this context of social genocide and acculturation. Indigenous ways of living have been threatened since communication, most notably within the residential education period. For ages, laws forbade native peoples from practicing their cultures and engaging in ceremonies.

Population Changes of Native Americans. Most native peoples live in rural communities and constitute between 3 and 5 percent of the nation’s overall population. At some states, this native population accounts for between 17 and 25 percent of the population. The rising impoverishment of their lands, especially in the highlands, has led to substantial move to these cities. There are no numbers on how many native people live in urban areas although data from native organizations indicates that their ratio is higher in some provincial capitals, e.g., for instance, Neuquén.

“In a survey conducted at 2006–2007, non-Native Americans admitted they seldom found Native Americans in their everyday lives. While compassionate toward Native Americans and expressing sadness at the time, most people had just a vague understanding of the issues facing indigenous Americans today. For their role, Native Americans told investigators that they thought they continued to experience bias, mistreatment, and inequality in the wider world.”

An understanding between Cultural Appropriation and Appreciation.

America is all about being one “melting pot” or “dish” allowing other races, cultures or social groups to stay together in music while still being valued for their differences. Yet it should be noted that there is a difference between valuing society and appropriating one society. Over the last three years the period “social appropriation” has grown more crucial, particularly in the media. Some of you might stay expecting: “Well what constitutes society appropriation?” and “reason is it the terrible situation?” Cultural appropriation is determined by Susan Scafidi, a Fordham University law professor and author of “Who Owns culture?

Cultural appropriation is believed to be detrimental for various reasons. Firstly, it tends to hold native peoples into the period without recognizing that they are still living, practicing religious ceremonies and that modern native peoples expand their worldviews and living throughout all segments of society. In that manner, it has been observed that social appropriation continues to be native peoples as the conquered set of the time, limiting understandings of native peoples as leading and valuable members of contemporary society. This is because the dominant culture’s values and practices have been shaped by its own history, traditions, Cultural appropriation is disputed in the fashion industry because of this notion that some trends commercialize and cheapen the old heritage of native civilizations. The non-Native person wearing the Indian war bonnet as a “fashion clothing” this usually cited as an example of cultural appropriation. (Keene, Adrienne)

There is a discussion about whether architects and style families see the history behind the clothing they are bringing from other cultures, besides the moral matters of applying these civilizations’ shared intellectual property without consent, acknowledgment, or compensation. In response to the criticism, some fashion experts assert that the event is actually “culture understandings,” rather than cultural appropriation.

According to Taté Walker, writer of “4 Ways to Honor Native American Without Appropriating Our Culture” people can appreciate Native American culture by Supporting Native American Artists, learning about the Native-Led Movements, not to support companies that dehumanize Native Americans. Support non-native companies or organization that honor native culture and support them. It is understandable that people want to appreciate their culture, but they are accidentally appropriating it without noticing it. Many of Native American artists experience plagiarism, and Non-Native American is making a profit out of their work and taking away the authentic native artisans who learned their craft through many generations.

Native-Led Movements fight to end violence against women, revitalizing indigenous languages, teaching spirituality, staging rallied to protect the environment and to reform justice and education. People should support Non-Native companies or organizations that honor Native culture; these companies or organizations know the history of indigenous people and understand cultural appropriation is demeaning and unacceptable. One festival in Canada’s Bass Coast Festival has banned people from wearing headdresses.

Works Cited

Friedman, Vanessa. “Fashion’s Year in Cultural Don’ts.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/fashion/fashion-racism-cultural-appropriation.html.

Nittle, Nadra Kareem. “Understanding Why Cultural Appropriation Is Wrong.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 14 Jan. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/cultural-appropriation-and-why-iits-wrong-2834561.

Arewa, Olufunmilayo. “Cultural Appropriation: When ‘Borrowing’ Becomes Exploitation.” The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2019, theconversation.com/cultural-appropriation-when-borrowing-becomes-exploitation-57411.

Gray, Briahna Joy. “The Question of Cultural Appropriation.” Current Affairs, A Magazine of Politics and Culture, 6 Sept. 2017, www.currentaffairs.org/2017/09/the-question-of-cultural-appropriation.

Matthes, Erich H. “Cultural Appropriation and Oppression | Philosophical Studies.” Philosophical Studies (2019): n. page. Print.

The Economist. “Canada’s war over “cultural appropriation”.” The Economist, May. 2017, https://www.economist.com/news/americas/21722692-writers-wrong-side-debate-lose-their-jobs-canadas-war-over-cultural-appropriation. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.

Greve, Charles T. “Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1.” Biographical Publishing Company. p. 35., 1904. Retrieved 2013-05-22.

“Walking a Mile: A Qualitative Study Exploring How Indians and Non-Indians Think About Each Other.” Public Agenda. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2008-07-25.

Keene, Adrienne. “But Why Can’t I Wear a Hipster Headdress? Archived May 13, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.” at Native Appropriations – Examining Representations of Indigenous Peoples., April 27, 2010.

White Wolf. “140-Year-Old Pics Show Native Americans before and after ‘Forced Assimilation.’” White Wolf, www.whitewolfpack.com/2017/05/140-year-old-pics-show-native-americans.html.

Alex. “U.S. Indian American Population, Percent Increase by County.” Vivid Maps, 14 Jan. 2018, www.vividmaps.com/2016/02/us-indian-american-population-percent.html.