Mocking vs Imitating

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

What about the silk jackets with the loop button/ fasteners that are hanging on sidewalk racks in Chinatown? Or silk scarves? Some of them are beautiful and I am sure they are meant to be bought and worn by locals and tourists from all over. Same goes for First Nations art and some beautiful handcrafted clothing and jewellery. There was a non-Aboriginal woman at church wearing rubber rain boots with a Haida print on them - First Nations designed and intended to be sold to and worn by whoever.

Speaking of Chinatown, I saw a Caucasian man wearing a round woven hat with a point on it - the type the Chinese rice farmers wear - in Chinatown (maybe he lives in an apartment near there). It was raining, and made a good inexpensive rain hat. They're sold in a couple of gift shops there. Should he not wear it?

Southwest native and Mexican textile patterns are back in. They were a late eighties and early 90's trend. If people like them, esthetically, why is it offensive?

Should I, with my mixed background, be wearing a tartan, with lederhosen, and Aran sweater, and some Wellington boots?

As I think others have said, I think it's when it is making a joke out of a culture that is the issue - especially an oppressed minority - which is why something like blackface is offensive - but I think it can go too far when people get offended over just wearing something from a different culture. Around here - so many ships would go out of business if everybody was offended by that. There's clothing styles from all over the world available.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Typo: shops

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

I saw some fake acrylic knit Cowichan sweaters in a cheap retail chain store. I can understand why that upsets the First Nations people near here who make a living, and have for several decades, selling wool, handknit Cowichan sweaters. The store also sold clothes with Southwest native prints - obviously knock offs. Is it just as wrong? I guess maybe it is. What about moccasin and/ or western style boots with a bit of fringe? I've seen plenty of those too.

MAC cosmetics got in trouble not long ago for selling a southwest inspired line of earth toned/ terra cotta toned make-up colours. Maybe it was the packaging or lipstick colour names that offended.

 

[Luce NDs]

If we could step into the beyond and look at ourselves ... would we appear ridiculous?

It is a thought that's out there (as intellect even)!

 

[paradox3]

Should I, with my mixed background, be wearing a tartan, with lederhosen, and Aran sweater, and some Wellington boots?

The creation of Aran sweaters began as cottage industry to provide an income for the women (mostly women, I believe) of the Aran islands. They were meant to be sold and worn by anyone. As far as I know Irish people have no objection to this.

Aran sweaters, including cheap knock-offs, have come and gone a few times in mainstream fashion.

The same could be said of Scottish kilts. Which are also marketed to tourists in Scotland.

When it comes to native attire, I think we need to be guided by our aboriginal brothers and sisters. What do they market to tourists? What do they consider sacred to their own culture?

 

[paradox3]

The problem is not non-natives dressing in native attire. The problem is non-natives dressing in crap and claiming it is native attire.

History doesn't record many "sexy" Native North Americans running around in whispy clothing.

And for the record most on duty nurses aren't checking catheters in vinyl scrubs and stilleto heals.

A few good points here!

 

[Waterfall]

Being asked not to wear native costumes for hallowe'en requires a more in depth understanding of the situation and realizing that most white people are incapable of arriving at such depths other than honouring what is being said.
We dishonour and trivialize what is being said when we bring up stupid examples of why it should be okay.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

The creation of Aran sweaters began as cottage industry to provide an income for the women (mostly women, I believe) of the Aran islands. They were meant to be sold and worn by anyone. As far as I know Irish people have no objection to this.

Aran sweaters, including cheap knock-offs, have come and gone a few times in mainstream fashion.

The same could be said of Scottish kilts. Which are also marketed to tourists in Scotland.

When it comes to native attire, I think we need to be guided by our aboriginal brothers and sisters. What do they market to tourists? What do they consider sacred to their own culture?

I was thinking that the cultural combo of clothing of my ancestors would look funny worn all at once. I missed the mark on that one.

I agree.

 

[crazyheart]

Sweetgrass was a controversy a few years ago. It is a sacred grass used for the

smudging ceremony. First nations did not want people to pick it and sell it. (I think)

 

[KayTheCurler]

I was given a sweetgrass braid. I doubt I would know what it was if I saw some along a stream or a walking trail . Don't even know where it grows - never really thought about it until now..

 

[paradox3]

I was thinking that the cultural combo of clothing of my ancestors would look funny worn all at once. I missed the mark on that one.

Sorry Kimmio, I didn't mean to suggest you had missed the mark. Your post gave me an idea, that's all.

 

[Luce NDs]

If posts can give rise to dissociated thoughts and idea's ... imagine what totem can do ... thus need for unassociated logs ... good for creative myths to amuse those beyond the understanding part ... credit due to Joseph Campbell as collected from his version of Creative Mythology !

Can scattered thoughts be imagined in a collecting sense ? What I gather is a singular gift ... others say it is disconcerting BS ... that takes a confined abstract ... a restrictive sol?

Strange words; great curiosity and interest ... in others an offense, or they find alien words offensive ... an injury to those that believe they understand enough ... when our misunderstanding about eternal things can cause relief by backing into dark arias ... thus whispers in the pines ...

There is often a lot to those silenced words ... as alien thoughts from another time ... when putdown of the weak was popular by oily fitches (garches)!

The code is expansive ...

 

[BetteTheRed]

Sweetgrass was a controversy a few years ago. It is a sacred grass used for the

smudging ceremony. First nations did not want people to pick it and sell it. (I think)

It's strange stuff. It only grows where it wants to. Likes a bit of moisture. You'll tend to find it in the odd place where you'll naturally find nettles here - a bit moist, humid. I bought a piece from a herb specialist and it didn't come back, which I took to mean that it wasn't going to be happy anywhere in my little microclimate (which is not terribly moist, nor humid). Just looks like regular grass, so you have to know what it smells like (it's a very subtle, although unmistakable, odour) and then tread on it accidentally.

 

[KayTheCurler]

I have a sweetgrass braid in my car - a gift from an indigenous friend. I really like the smell.