We are not a costume.

In anti racist halloween, beautiful Natives, Halloween, I am not a costume, I am not your costume by Adrienne K.Leave a Comment

Happy Halloween! If you didn’t get your fill from my Open Letter to the PocaHotties and Indian Warriors This Halloween, or the follow up of Halloween Costume Shopping: A Sampling of the Racism for Sale, here are some human reminders as to why you might not want to dress up as a stereotypical Native this Halloween: (lots more photos after …

Halloween Costume Shopping: A sampling of the racism for sale

In costumes, Halloween, I am not your costume, pocahottie, racism, spirit halloween store by Adrienne K.153 Comments

“Sexy Indian Adult Costume” After my open letter yesterday, I feel like some people still aren’t getting it (maybe it was the 100+ comments telling me to eff off?). Despite my appeals to emotion and greater human decency, it seems that many people in the world of thar’ intranets need some more physical reminders as to why dressing like a …

Open Letter to the PocaHotties and Indian Warriors this Halloween

In Halloween, I am not your costume, open letter, pocahottie, white privilege by Adrienne K.592 Comments

Dear Person that decided to dress up as an Indian for Halloween, I was going to write you an eloquent and well-reasoned post today about all the reasons why it’s not ok to dress up as a Native person for Halloween–talk about the history of “playing Indian” in our country, point to the dangers of stereotyping and placing of Native …

Your Daily Combo Merman-Indian Chief Christmas Ornament

In chief merman, christmas, mermaid, random appropriation, wtf by Adrienne K.35 Comments

“Chief Merman Christmas Ornament from December Diamonds is a traditional tribal chief that leads a tribe.” He must be the “traditional tribal chief” of one of those NW coast tribes. They really like their salmon. Ayyye. Yeah, I have no idea. Luckily this guy is only $23.95, much unlike our lovely $7000 “Pueblo Clown Goes to Sturgis” from last week. …

Winslow Health Center on the Navajo Nation Gets Their Groove On

In Navajo, pink glove dance contest, winslow Indian health care center by Adrienne K.4 Comments

Just a quick, positive post for today. I know many of you have seen all the coverage that Sasha Brown’s Open Letter to Urban Outfitters has been getting (making it to ABC news, Jezebel, all over!), and I’m really happy after truly years of writing about this stuff (especially at Urban), the word is finally getting out. I want to …

Representing the Native Presence in the "Occupy Wall Street" Narrative

In decolonize wall street, lenape homelands, occupy wall street by Adrienne K.140 Comments

I have yet to feel connected to the Occupy Wall Street movement, or even the Occupy Boston movement happening here in my backyard. I consider myself an activist, an at-times radical, and I clearly feel passionately about advocating for voices unheard and on the margins. But, Occupy Wall Street hasn’t appealed to me. There has been a lot of coverage …

Anthropologie "Haida Poncho"–is Haida the new Navajo?

In anthropologie, haida, tribal fashion, urban outfitters by Adrienne K.20 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I drew attention to how obsessed Urban Outfitters is with the term “Navajo” to represent a catch-all stereotypical southwest/plains asthetic. Then this week, reader Julia sent me a link to the Anthropologie website, with several “Native” inspired pieces. The one that caught my eye was the “Haida Poncho,” shown above. I just thought it was …

Your Daily Pueblo Pirate Clown on a Tricycle

In Indian Store, kachinas, pueblo, pueblo clown, random appropriation, wtf by Adrienne K.3 Comments

What do you get when you combine a ken doll, some sharpies, maybe a little tempra paint, a small dancing mud kachina that looks like a bear, and an intricately carved to scale wooden three wheeled motorcycle? This, apparently. Thank my dad for this one–he was driving through Vista, CA on his way home from jury duty and spotted “The …