Your Yearly Reminder why Cultural Appropriation is Never Okay

A brief history lesson in answering the “why’s.”

TW: Mentions of violence against Indigenous communities, cultural genocide.

As the fall approaches, arrives the famous holiday that becomes the bane for many cultures and heritages: Halloween. Let’s start with an important reminder: cultural appropriation is never okay. Still isn’t, especially in 2021. Why do we “gatekeep” our practices? The reason why begins with colonization and continues with today.

In 1876, Canada established the Indian Act, a policy that controlled many aspects of Aboriginal life, suppressing traditional ceremonies. Many cultural objects such as totems, masks, pipes, were outlawed yet collected by the same government officials that sought to eliminate them.

Residential schools in both Canada and the USA contributed to cultural genocide, the infamous quote “kill the Indian in him and save the man” becoming the motto for these places of torture. Forced to abandon their names and identities, generations of knowledge became lost.

Modern-day battles of MMIWG2S, land rights, proper representation in media, combatting racist iconography, are also included in the attempts to erase Indigenous peoples. This is just the tip of the iceberg in a centuries-long history of oppression. From the beginning of colonization, we have lost autonomy over our own identities and practices. Thus, practicing and reclaiming culture involves protecting those same cultures.

Not only is it disrespectful to improperly mimic regalia, practices, and beliefs, it quite literally mirrors history’s attempts to erase Indigenous identities.

When you claim you only mean to honor Indigenous people, is it about respect or objectifying a culture you want to claim? How can you respect Indigenous cultures if you cannot respect their decisions to keep some practices closed?

A declaration of the community of whether or not an action is cultural appropriation is not an invitation for debate for those outside of that community. Instead, take the time to listen to the community, support their businesses, aid their fights.

It’s impossible to briefly discuss cultural appropriation with all its history and modern context but sometimes the answer is simple as this: treat Indigenous people as human beings.

Not objects, not fictional, not history. Thank you.