Happy Wednesday everyone! I have a couple of fun Native videos that have been making the rounds on the internets that I thought I would share. First up, the latest video from the 1491s–the Native sketch comedy group that brought us the Wolfpack auditions, Day in the Life of a Powwow MC, as well as the gorgeous poem Geronimo E-KIA, …
Oh, (Miss) Canada.
So, apparently, Miss Universe Canada Chelsae Duroche decided it would be appropriate to wear a headdress for the “National Dress” portion of the competition. Her stereotypical stoic Indian pose is helpful too. From what I can find, I don’t think Chelsae is Native. But honestly, that wouldn’t have mattered. That’s a straight-up costume shop headdress right there. UPDATE: “Miss Canada …
"Indian Market Special" Fail.
This weekend is Santa Fe Indian Market in New Mexico, a big deal art market that draws thousands of Native artists, art buyers, and visitors to the area. Apparently “Estrella’s Moroccan Spa” thought they would capitalize on the huge influx of folks with money to burn by hosting an “Indian Market Special”–but of course, Indians=a fake chicken feather headdress on …
No Khloe, I do not like your "tribal look"
Our dear friend Khloe Kardashian is back at her dress up antics. Remember back in October when she tweeted a picture of her wearing a headdress? Well this week she stepped it up a bit and posted a picture from a professional photo shoot with a huge war bonnet. See above. The accompanying tweet read: “What do you guys think …
Oh Spirit Hoods.
Oh Spirit Hoods. One of those fashion trends that makes me pause, cock my head, and say “really??” If you’re unfamiliar (meaning you’re not one of the 15,000+ people who “like” the brand on facebook), Spirit Hoods are furry animal hat/scarf combos that are all the rage with tweens, celebs, and hipsters alike. I’ve gotten a few tips recently about …
The Today Show thinks "Tribal Jewelry" is a "Summer Outfit Maker!"
Right on the heels of our great discussion on Al Jazeera’s The Stream, the Today Show decided to feature “tribal jewelry” as one of its go-to summer “outfit makers.” I’ll embed the video clip below, but I don’t know how long it’ll be up on the site, so I took some screen shots and made a quick transcript as well: …
Don’t Trend On My Culture, aka that time I was on Al Jazeera.
In case you missed it, I was a guest on Al Jazeera English’s social media news show The Stream yesterday. I was super nervous going into it, but ended up having a lot of fun and feeling like my voice was actually heard for once. The host asked some tough questions, like “In a multi-cultural society, isn’t a certain level …
Dear YMCA, I haz the sads.
On Friday, I wrote about the Indian Guides program at my local YMCA. I decided to write a letter to the director of the YMCA, as a community member and former employee–telling them exactly why the practices employed by the Indian Guides are so hurtful. I’m posting it here, but I also sent it directly to the Executive Director. (If …
Hoya Hoya, Cultural Appropriation! Or Why Suburban White Folks Shouldn’t Play Indian
A few weeks ago I was home visiting my family in southern California, and went to my local YMCA with my sister to work out. They’ve done a lot of remodeling since the last time I was there, including adding oversize (like 4 feet tall) photos on the walls of staff, kids, members, and events. Most of them are nice, …
Playing Indian at Stanford Powwow, Year 2
Last year about this time, I posted about some local high school girls who decided to dress up and play Indian at Stanford’s powwow. The post caused a huge ruckus, I ended up getting “legal threats” from the girls’ parents, and a lot of people hated me for a minute. But since the internet has a memory of about 2 …