Life With the Dead

Part 2 of the “Unpopular Opinion?” Cultural Appropriation discussion

Firstly, I’d like to thank all for the overwhelming and wonderful response to the beginning of the discussion on cultural appropriation here. I personally found the responses by saaraeliisavaris and gardant well worth reading.

Still, I feel like we, the Tumblr community, focus much more on the negative colonial mentality of entitlement than we do on the education of those who are committing cultural (mis)appropriation (to borrow from gardant’s much more appropriate terminology).

I think, after some reflection, my qualms in hearing the terms ‘cultural appropriation’ and ‘cultural appreciation,’ shouted high and low on the internet, do not lie in defense of those who commit material misappropriation. Perhaps it would be better to take a moment, whenever we see something wrong or out-of-context, to explain why we (or anyone else, for that matter) might be offended by what we see.

An example of dissecting cultural misappropriation:

Our stereotypical “fashionable-girl-in-a-headdress,” the British “model” Felice Fawn.

(via delacroix):

“ In general, this kind of cultural appropriation is really disrespectful and offensive because it trivializes something sacred. But adding sexualization to the mix takes it from disrespectful to downright dangerous because Native American women are sexually victimized at rates far higher than women of every other ethnic group in the United States:

• Over 1 in 3 Native American women will be raped at least once. They are 2.5 times more likely to be raped than women of any other ethic group.
• During those rapes, Native American women are 20% more likely to be battered, injured, or assaulted with a weapon than any other ethnic group. (At least 90% are battered, 50% sustain serious injuries, and 35% are assaulted with a weapon.)
• 17% of Native women are victims of stalking, compared to the 4.5-8% among other ethnic groups. Native stalking victims are at least 1.5 times more likely to be raped or killed than women of other ethnic groups.
• Native American women are the only group more likely to be raped by a stranger than by someone they know. (Typically, women are 73% more likely to be raped by someone they know. Native women are raped by strangers 70% of the time. )
• Native American women are the only ethnic group more likely to be raped by someone of a different race. 86% of rapes perpetrated against Native women are committed by non-Natives (70% being perpetrated by whites). 
• Until a new law was passed a year and a half ago, that meant 86% of rapists were untouchable because tribal authorities had no jurisdiction over non-Native defendants and federal authorities almost always decline to prosecute rapes. 
• Under the new law, though, tribal courts can only impose a maximum sentence of 3 years. The average rape sentence for assaults against women of other ethnic groups is 11.8 years.

There’s an obvious pattern of intense victimization and injustice there, and I think objectification plays a large, steady part in that especially due to our society’s ingrained colonial attitudes. I think anything that furthers those attitudes—even with non-malicious intentions—puts Native American people, especially women, at risk. ”

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