"Cultural Appropriation"

[Amarok]

I'm not talking about stuff like that . I'm talking about stuff like taking my tribes sacred symbols our language our art  acting they  invented it . Trampling all over it's  cultural meaning and then profiting off of it . And I'm not even going to get started about the governments attempt to essentially erase my culture. Something we had to fight hard to get back . Sorry if I sound hostile but it's something that steams me off .

There's no question that native peoples have been horribly abused in the past, and I'd say they are marginalized now, especially in the US.  This must certainly be openly accepted, and denying it or making fun of it is certainly wrong.  In my opinion, the Redskins need to change their name, because it's clearly racist-- you could never EVER have a "black skins" or "white skins" team.  But none of this abuse or racism is actually cultural appropriation.


What if some white girl had a decorative dream catcher and/or she was wearing leather moccasins?  Would you be deeply offended?  Would you confront her in the street and try to rip the dream catcher off of her throat?  What if she quotes native mythologies, or even gets a tattoo of one on her ass?

Would you organize a student union body at college to push for new rules-- staff requiring sensitivity training, no non-natives being allowed to wear sweaters with certain patterns, nobody wearing certain hairstyles?  If so, I think you are fighting oppression with oppression, and in a particularly hypocritical way-- this girl 100% for sure isn't responsible for the oppression of your tribe, your culture, or anything else.  She's just a chick with a decoration she likes.  But I'm pretty sure this is not what you are saying.

To all the above yes accept the violence part . She may not be responsible for it's beginning but she is responsible for it's continuation . There is nothing oppressive  about protecting what's ours . And what so many have tried to extinguish or exploit  or trivialize . And frankly we have put up with it for long enough .

As for the racial stuff yes it's not  cultural appropriation but it is bullshit