‘Cowboys and Indians’ party a teaching moment
They smeared on “war paint,” donned headdresses and danced around a bonfire hollering “stereotypical” chants.
It was all intended in fun, this unfortunate collision of ignorance and racist attitudes. In less enlightened times, it would likely have caused nary a raised eyebrow.
The celebration by a group of graduating students at Lethbridge’s Chinook High School, though, took place this past May long weekend in an urban centre less than 65 kilometres from the Blood Tribe/Kainai First Nation, the largest reserve in the country at more than 800 square kilometres and, with nearly 13,000 residents. the second most populous.
The reason why much of the country now knows about the party is thanks to Tieja Medicine Crane, who just celebrated her own graduation from another Lethbridge high school. The teenager politely called out the partygoers on social media for their insult to a culture that has resided in the area for the past 10,000 years.
Medicine Crane tempered her outrage with a brief cultural/history lesson, pointing out that the wearing of a headdress is a high honour and that many indigenous people have been “ridiculed and laughed at for wearing our traditional clothing … my culture is beautiful and does not deserve to be treated as a party theme.”
Some of those party attendees were more outraged over the teen deciding to speak out, berating her for being overly sensitive. Many more, though, lauded her. “I’ve got a lot of support,” says the 17-year-old who plans to study criminal justice at Lethbridge College. “But I also got criticism from a lot of older people, which really blows me away.”
It’s been a busy time for those calling out cultural appropriation infractions toward First Nations peoples.
A young woman at last month’s Coachella music festival in California, wearing a Native American headdress as a party hat, was called out by a Cherokee blogger; the recent Twitter exchange among some high-profile Canadian journalists about starting up an “appropriation prize” for artists received international attention and the condemnation of indigenous artists and leaders.
It’s about time, says Linda Many Guns, of the growing number speaking out, pointing out that members of the Blood Tribe held a unity rally this past February after a theatre troupe in Cardston, a town right on the reserve’s doorstep, staged a production of Peter Pan featuring white actors in stereotypical costumes as members of the Henny Penny Tribe.
“People are taking it upon themselves to point out where there are actions and activities that are insensitive, or when there is misappropriation of some of our artifacts,” says Many Guns, a professor at the University of Lethbridge.
Still, online shaming and careers blowing up when cultural appropriation lines appear to be crossed makes her uncomfortable. “We can turn this into a positive thing,” she says. “It can be a teaching moment done with kindness.”
She’s proud of young people like Medicine Crane, who are “standing up and saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute, those are very precious to us, they are earned.’
“I don’t blame them,” says Many Guns, of those who don’t realize they are being insensitive with cowboys and Indians themed parties and using traditional clothing as costumes or fashion statements.
“A huge part of our population has been left totally in the dark,” she says in reference to ignorance about First Nations culture. “There’s been a political decision ... to keep it out of our history books. It is a learning we are all going through.”
That lack of knowledge is something she combats every day as an educator, with an approach that is imbued with humour.
“I got an email recently from someone who told me I should change my last name because they found it offensive,” says Many Guns with a laugh.
“I’m not kidding.”
For the young woman who called out fellow grads in her city, she has no regrets.
“It’s everywhere and we have to talk about it,” says Medicine Crane, who met with Chinook High officials on Monday. “I believe in discussing it in a positive way, to help educate others.”