As Halloween approaches, Sarena Johnson (Caldwell First Nation) is encouraging those planning on dressing up to apply a culturally sensitive perspective before donning their costumes.<\/p>\n
Traditional Indigenous clothing is not a \u201ccostume,\u201d says Johnson, a Lecturer in Brock University\u2019s Indigenous Educational Studies programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe clothing worn by Indigenous cultures can be called regalia, but when worn by non-Indigenous people who are \u2018dressing up,\u2019 Indigenous culture is being discounted,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The iconic Plains war bonnet, for example, is a sacred item for Indigenous leaders that is often appropriated as a costume for Halloween.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Plains war bonnet has been the most popular Indigenous \u2018costume\u2019 in pop culture and has become infamous at festivals like Coachella,\u201d Johnson says.<\/p>\n
Each eagle feather in the bonnet, often called a headdress, is sacred and represents a sacrifice for the community on the part of the leader, she says. Despite its sanctity, she says it has, at times, \u201cbecome a spectacle\u201d when treated as an accessory or costume.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has even been used by some Indigenous activists who are not from the Plains to get media attention, although in today\u2019s Indigenous communities, most people know not to do this,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The negative impact of appropriating Indigenous clothing and regalia can be traced back to when settlers first came to North America, Johnson says, when public representations of Indigenous Peoples were purposely dehumanized to justify land theft and other violent acts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndigenous Peoples were shown as feathered monkeys in early colonial texts, so there could be no sympathetic identification with them by settlers and Europeans back home,\u201d she says. \u201cIn media, Indigenous Peoples have also been portrayed as the \u2018savage.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Historically, Johnson says, this problematic representation of being \u201cless than human\u201d created long-standing stereotypes that prevented settlers from relating to Indigenous Peoples, effectively separating Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe use of negative and sub-human imagery has continued, and some of the main holdouts are sports teams\u2019 logos and Halloween costumes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
In both instances, people might discount the negative impact by saying the use of Indigenous clothing or imagery is a \u201ccompliment\u201d or \u201cmeant to be honouring,\u201d she says, but those beliefs \u201care rooted in both Indigenous erasure and the colonial desire to control and represent Indigeneity.\u201d<\/p>\n
In recognition of the 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) first published its 94 Calls to Action, Johnson hopes old ways of \u201cdressing up\u201d in Indigenous clothing is a thing of the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cMutually honouring each other’s humanity is an important step in reconciliation,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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