I was browsing twitter trending topics this afternoon, and saw that #powwow was a trending topic–way far down, but still! So I investigated, only to find out that none of the posts had anything to do with any powwow I had ever attended. Apparently this weekend was the 39th annual “Orlando International Pow Wow,” a travel trade show. read the …
"I bead contemporary Native life": The Art of Teri Greeves
AK note: Repost from the always fabulous Beyond Buckskin‘s Jessica Metcalfe. If you haven’t seen her blog, I highly recommend it. She blogs about Native fashion and Indigenous designers, and always has insightful and interesting commentary. This is one of her “Designer Profiles”. Teri GreevesKiowa Teri Greeves grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming and began beading when she …
Random Appropriation of the Day! (Plastic Indian Necklace)
Another great find from regretsy.com (a blog that combs etsy.com for weird and hilarious postings). This masterpiece was included in their “Top 10 Horrible Necklaces,” and awesomely titled “Dances with Plastic.” Beyond the ridiculousness of the necklace itself, we have the description: “I love the native american culture”? right. He’s “hunting…perhaps for dinner. or lunch.”? awesome. But let’s also point out: …
Random Appropriation of the Day ("Cherikee Red" Soda)
(image source) Cause we all know that changing the “o” to an “i” in Cherokee makes it all ok and not racist, right? Feast your eyes on Cherikee Red, a cherry flavored soda available (yes, in 2010) in the great states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Besides the appropriation of the Cherokee name and the fantastically insensitive connection to the word …
When Non-Native Participation in Powwows Goes Terribly Wrong
Let’s set the scene: Friday afternoon, Stanford powwow–one of the largest powwow’s on the West Coast. Three Native powwow committee members and a friend are checking in on the vendor booths, making sure things are ready to go, and they come across the group pictured above. 6 non-Native girls, decked out in warpaint, feathers, fringe, and moccassins–playing Indian at its …
Random Appropriation of the Day! (Pee Pee Teepee?)
Thanks(?) to my friend Jerold for sending over the “Pee-Pee Teepee: For the sprinkling wee-wee”, found in an airport gift shop in Seattle.Click the picture if you want to read the accompanying poem. It’s a winner. Comes in many color and pattern choices for your little man…and this is making me uncomfortable. haha. (Thanks Jerold!) AK note: apologies for the …
Masking Tape and Markers=Beautiful Native Street Poetry
A comet flew through my soul Not far from Black Hills Gold Uphill from a Snaking River Did yellow hair die sinners? Cheyenne Cherokee Navajo Pontiac How The ____ Did Indian Names Wind up on Cars? Four Sleeping Giants View a Corn Palace Circus From a cold land As spirits roam alone Bury my car at wounded knee Many years …
But Why Can’t I Wear a Hipster Headdress?
(image from http://www.facebook.com/iamhowlingwolf, which is an entire post in itself. geez.) I’ve posted a lot about the phenomenon that is the hipster headdress (see here, here, and here), but I’ve never really broken it down as to why this trend is so annoying and effed up. A lot of this will be review and is repeated elsewhere on the site, …
Katy Perry at Coachella: "A sight for Squaw Eyes"
I thought this one deserved its own post outside of the hipster headdresses. Observe the outright ignorant racism of The Sun in the UK: (original post: here) Notice 4 things: 1. The headline: Katy’s “Poca face”? 2. The text: “Katy Perry looks a sight for squaw eyes”? and she could have “doubled for Pocahontas”? 3. Her pose: please tell me …
The Hipster Headdress Abounds at Coachella
(image via www.shockhound.com) Can you believe it’s been almost 3 months since I first grappled with “The Strange Case of the Hipster Headdress?” Since then, I’ve definitely been shocked by just how much the trend has invaded indie/hipster culture, as well as more mainstream outlets (like Ke$ha on American Idol). Two weeks ago, the Coachella music festival was held in …