(via my culture is not a trend, click for bigger version) Cultural appropriation in fashion has now gone seriously mainstream. The favorite read of tweens and teens everywhere, Seventeen Magazine, featured this “Navajo” fall fashion spread in their August issue. On many levels, I find this even more offensive than having a generic “tribal fashion” spread. I know I always …
Awesome Contemporary Native Art: Indian Shrek and More
(image source, (c) Bunky Echohawk) Reader Carleen sent over this image, which comes from an exhibition of contemporary Native art that Susan Shown Harjo curated in DC back in 2007. I know it’s old, but you know how much I like art and images that call into question preconceived notions about Indian identity, clashing with stereotypes and challenging ideas of …
"Hipsters Like to Put Things on Their Heads": Links, Links, Links…and More!
Hipster Wife Hunting did a piece on appropriation of Native culture in fashion. I thought it was satire at first. I was wrong. Though, all my curiosities about the hipster headdress have been cleared up in this sentence: “Hipsters like to put things on their heads”. But of course! And here I was giving them credit for trying to make …
Mid-Week Motivation: Adriel Luis Spoken Word+Pocahontas
If anyone needs an extra push to make it through your Wednesday, check out this awesome video via Sociological Images. This mash-up came out of a class assignment to use art to “inspire a critical perspective”. Socimages gives the context: Last semester my colleague, Mary Christianakis, assigned her students a mash up. The idea was to take two forms of …
Why don’t you write?: Some reflections of 7 months of blogging
(Leather postcard found at an estate sale by Jodi–great use of the alcohol, right? geez.) Many of you have probably noticed the blog has been a bit quiet this summer, going from about five posts a week during the school year to, like, one–if that. I’m not going anywhere, I promise! I’ve just been finding it a bit hard to …
Random Appropriation of the Day! (Totem Cups)
(source) I initially didn’t have much to say about these “Totem Cups” by designer Rob Southcott–they’re cups. That look like a totem pole. Oh, but they are made in the land of many great Native appropriations: China. Southcott is a Toronto-based artist, and his pieces seem to incorporate a lot of the natural world with “functionality”. Lots of driftwood looking …
"Sioux Chief" Drain: Honoring Natives in a Bathroom Near You!
(image source) It’s definitely an honor to have the place where dirty, disgusting water drains in rest stop bathrooms to be named after the most revered position in your tribe, right? According to the Sioux Chief Manufacturing Company, that’s exactly what they were going for. Tipster Ann spotted this tribute to the “proud and resolute people” of the Sioux Nation …
Random Appropriation of the Day! (Crate & Barrel "Hogan" Rug)
Another Random Appropriation courtesy of my parent’s house in San Diego. My mom got some beautiful new rugs for our bathroom from the Crate & Barrel outlet, and I don’t know if you can read it, but this style of rug is called a “Hogan” rug. Still missing the Native connection? This is a Hogan: (image source) Hogans are the …
Random Appropriation of the Day: "Seneca Warrior" Paddle Ball
My sister re-discovered the joys of beach paddle ball when she was on her senior trip to Myrtle Beach, and since I’m home visiting my parents in San Diego for a couple of weeks, we dug around in the garage to see if we still had an old set. Lo and behold, not only did we have an ancient (and …
DIY Headdress from Bright Young Things
(via Ecouterre) I read a fair amount of fashion blogs, but only recently did I discover the fabulous story and photos over at The Uniform Project. The designer of the now-famous little black dress featured on the site is Eliza Starbuck, who apparently is launching a new line called “Bright Young Things.” To commemorate the launch, she offered up this …