this-is-not-native:

this-is-racism:

caribouandgeisha:

So here’s the thing : last weekend I had a birthday party and my friend said : “dress up like indians of America”.

So first, I apologize if some Native americans have felt offended by my disguise.

Where I live, in France, we also have a very strong regional identity, and at parties, people dress like our ancestors, but with objects really ridiculous, like paper toilet, and nobody get offended ! So I think there is some cultural differences between countries, and about how people react to that kind of things.

So yeah, I’m really not that racist bitch, in fact I’m really curious and open to discussion.

I’m not pretending to dress up like a real native american, it was inspired by what I knew about the image of native american in the popular culture (which is probably considered as racist from what I read) But yes, I was surprised because it’s really not considered as racist here.

“I’m not pretending to dress up like a real native american, it was inspired by what I knew about the image of native american in the popular culture.”

That stereotype has been used to degrade, demonize and murder our people for the past 500 years. The images of indigenous peoples in popular culture are the most inaccurate images you will find of us.

So if you are as curious and open to discussion as you say, please understand this: dressing up as a culture is not acceptable. We are not costumes. Maybe in France this is different, because as a white majority your people have never been stepped on, pushed aside, or murdered simply for being who you are. But when you dress up as people who were indeed conquered and murdered, you’re putting forth the image that it’s still ok to do these things (not murder, per say, but to discriminate).

See, here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s not seen as racist in your country, because your country is made up of mostly white people and almost none of the people you’re shitting on with your costume. We’re telling you that it offends us, and if you really cared about not being racist, that’d be all it takes for you to stop.

But no, apparently you care more about your right to wear a costume than you do about a marginalized group of people telling you that said costume perpetuates dangerous racist stereotypes- and that makes you racist, whether you say you are or not.