Jenner and Hilton in stereotypical costumes

For this year's offensive Halloween costumes, we have Kylie Jenner as an "Eskimo" and Nicky Hilton as a Pocahottie:

Kylie Jenner and Nicky Hilton Wore Some Pretty Offensive Halloween Costumes This Year

You can see the costumes there. A typical criticism:

Bristol Palin defends Kylie Jenner's 'Eskimo' Halloween costumeHey @KylieJenner Eskimo is an Indigenous people NOT a Halloween costume #CulturalAppropriation #RacistHalloween pic.twitter.com/iNSMOvcWgF

— Nakkiah Lui (@nakkiahlui) October 31, 2015And speaking for ignorant conservatives, we have Bristol Palin with two common defenses of racism: "I'm part Native" and "lighten up."

Bristol Palin Defends Kylie Jenner's 'Eskimo' Halloween Costume

Comment:  For more offenses from the Jenner and Hilton clans, see Khloe Kardashian in a Headdress, Again and Paris Hilton as a Sexy Indian.

Gay skier in a headdress

http://www.newnownext.com/gus-kenworthy-takes-down-culturally-insensitive-halloween-photo-says-he-was-just-having-fun/11/2015/

Gus Kenworthy Takes Down Culturally Insensitive Halloween Photo; Says He Was “Just Having Fun”
The Olympic freestyle skier issued an immediate about-face after deleting thr controversial photo.

By Evan Ross KatzNow that Gus Kenworthy has come out of the closet, among the legions of support being doled out comes the sharpening gaze of those looking to catch the out freestyle skier’s first big media debacle. They didn’t have to wait long. It happened yesterday.

After posting his “sexy cop” photo on Halloween proper, Kenworthy took to Instagram the morning after to give fans a glimpse at his fourth costume (the second and third were not photographed, which might have been best considering where this story goes).
[T]his is not the first time (nor, sadly, the last) that a blatantly unaware celebrity has taken the Native American Headdress and turned it into a costume.

Kenworthy should surely be slapped on the wrist for not realizing this. But what makes his indiscretion doubly offensive is his blatant acknowledgment and swift disregard. Though he’s since issued an apology, the caption of his original post makes it clear that he knew the controversial waters in which he was wading.
Gus Kenworthy: I apologize for my Native American-themed costume

By LGBTQ NationInitially, he wrote that “for everyone giving me grief, I don’t really understand why this is racist or cultural appropriation.. it’s Halloween! Just having fun! :)”

However, the Instagarm hordes weren’t satisfied with his statement, and their unremitting gush of negative commentary led Kenworthy to delete the photo and officially apologize:

“Didn’t realize I was being offensive & didn’t mean to marginalize or appropriate Native American culture. Sorry! Pic deleted.”Comment:  Kenworthy's apology translated: "Sorry you caught me engaging in hipster racism. And sorry my ironic acknowledgement of hipster racism didn't inoculate me from criticism."

For more on the subject, see Montreal Alouettes Stereotype Indians and Acadian Singer's Stereotypical Music Video.

Native people in "Indian" costumes

Adrienne Keene talks about a Metis woman who received rude comments for wearing an Indian Chief costume for Halloween. Keene empathizes with the woman but ultimately takes the critics' side:

To the Native people in “Indian” Costumes

By Adrienne KeeneAs a Native person, or a person with Native ancestry, you are not somehow excused from criticism for a racist, stereotypical costume. The costume has no connection or relationship to actual Native regalia, and pieces like the headdress actually have deep meaning that you are mocking and erasing by donning them on a night made for make-believe. You are reifying stereotypes, collapsing hundreds of tribes into a set of characteristics that don’t represent the vast, vast diversity of Indian Country. Your tribe has its own distinct culture, regalia, and cultural practices, and chances are they look nothing like the mess you’re wearing for a party.

Halloween is also the exact worst time to honor your heritage. Halloween is a time for people to dress up as characters, as fantasy creatures, and play pretend. Your culture is not pretend. It is real, and vibrant, and deserves respect–not for you to stand in faux-regalia with a red cup of Halloween punch drunkenly dancing to Monster Mash.

I also support the harsh questioning from Native peoples you may have encountered, and believe their tone, anger, and dismissiveness is completely justified. When we angrily demand to know your nation and your connection to your community, it’s because we are asking ourselves, How could this have happened?? Who are you accountable to??

The anger of Native people should be a signal to you. If you are a Native person, this is the community you are part of, and the relationships that you held are accountable to. If they are telling you that your actions are harmful, it would behoove you to listen.

So while I offer you my empathetic understanding that it is truly difficult to be a Native person growing up without close ties or cultural groundings, I’m telling you now that it’s time to listen and learn, and to grow. Reflect on your choices, own up to your mistakes, swallow your shame and embarrassment, apologize, and move forward. If you are going to claim your heritage, do research. Find out what nation you are actually from (chances are, it’s not actually Cherokee), what your regalia actually looks like, and when the appropriate times and spaces are to wear it. Be humble, listen, and take small steps. Heritage is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Native identity is responsibility, pride, and accountability, and Native cultures are beautiful, complex, and again, deserve respect–which doesn’t and can’t come from a costume shop headdress and striped warpaint.Comment:  Your typical Indian costume--chief, "brave," or Pocahottie--is false and stereotypical. I'm not sure why any Natives think their heritage would change that.

Say you're a full-blooded Navajo, Lakota, or Cherokee in a typical costume. Why should we care about your heritage? Your costume is still false and stereotypical. Even if you put Pocahontas, Tecumseh, or Geronimo in the costume...it would have no effect on the costume's authenticity. It still would be false and stereotypical.

For more on Halloween, see "Indian" Listed in Halloween Assignment and British Model Dresses as Dead Chief.

"Indian" listed in Halloween assignment

Halloween assignment featuring 'Indian' man sparks controversy at Montreal school

Teacher at École Notre-Dame-De-Grâce removed image after being contacted by parentsAn NDG dad is raising questions about an elementary school assignment that made reference to an "Indian" man.

Eric Robillard says each week his daughter, who attends École Notre-Dame-De-Grâce, is given a vocabulary sheet with the goal of matching a word with an image.

For Halloween, the sheet featured a fairy, a ghost and a mermaid—along with a man in a native headdress.

"We didn't think it was a costume," Robillard told CBC Montreal's Daybreak on Tuesday.

Comment:  Which one of these Halloween things is different from the others? Hmm, that's a toughie.

Or as I tweeted:

Halloween school assignment in Quebec: Identify the fairy, ghost, mermaid, Indian, and other make-believe items.

For more on Halloween, see British Model Dresses as Dead Chief and Ellie Goulding in a Headdress.

"Indian" costume tagged with alcohol slur

Winnipeg kids store mistakenly sells aboriginal-themed costume with 'rubbies' tag

Store owner says tag was on all costumes and was unfortunate mistake, will stop selling similar costumes

By Teghan BeaudetteA children's clothing store in Winnipeg is under fire after mistakenly selling a faux-aboriginal themed costume and tagging it "rubbies."

Once Upon a Child on Ellice Avenue was selling a tan kids costume with feathers, fringe and beaded necklaces with a price tag that said "rubbies" until someone shared the tag and costume on Facebook.

"I just thought, 'Oh my god. I can't believe I'm seeing this.' And it's actually a store called 'Once Upon a Child' that's selling this?" said Rachel Lyon, a First Nations grandma who spotted the costume on Facebook. "For a child to wear that? You know, what are you going to tell your friends? 'Oh, you've got a Native costume?' and then they're going joke around, 'No, it's a rubbies costume.' I wouldn't let my child wear a costume like that."

But store owner Dave Dunlop said it was an innocent mistake.And:The store is a franchise and sells "Rubies" brand costumes.

"One costume brand name that we have here, it's called Rubies, it's R-U-B-I-E-S. Someone in Minneapolis, who knows how many decades ago, spelled it with two B's instead of one," he said, adding whoever entered it into the system likely mistyped.

At the time, about 20 children's costumes were all out with the same tag.

"When I got to work this morning I talked to one of my friends who is Native and we talked about it. He explained it to me. What a rubbie was and I was like, 'Oh are you kidding me.' So it was just a coincidence–an unfortunate one," he said.

Rubby or rubbie is an offensive term for a person who uses rubbing alcohol as a cheap liquor substitute.

British model dresses as dead chief

Is This Model Wearing the Most Disgusting Native American Halloween Costume Ever?Leilani Dowding, a British model who appeared on the 2011 VH-1 reality series Tough Love Miami, has worn what may be the most offensive Native American Halloween costume we've seen.

Dowding posted photos of herself in the shocking outfit to her Facebook page. The garments and accessories are typically trivializing of a living culture that remains sacred to many Natives—as we've discussed often, the wearing of a warbonnet-style feather headdress on Halloween is appropriation of a deeply meaningful object for an essentially meaningless occasion.

With the makeup, though, Dowding has taken a run-of-the-mill offensive look to a new level of cultural and historical insult. Nearly half her face is covered in fake blood; a patch of the oozy red stuff runs from her hairline to her chin, and fingers of it drip down her neck and onto her chest.

In the photos' caption, she provides an explanation of her getup, and a reassurance to some who might find the image disturbing:

"I just got massacred by a cowboy. Note Fur is FAKE!!!"

That's right, she has dressed as Genocide for Halloween, and she wants her fans to know that no animals were harmed.If you're wondering who she is, she has her own Wikipedia page:

Leilani DowdingLeilani Dowding (born 30 January 1980) is an English former Page 3 girl, glamour model, television celebrity, and the UK representative at Miss Universe 1998.

Dowding grew up in Bournemouth, and has a younger sister Melanie. They were brought up Roman Catholic by their Filipina mother Zena, and British father Chris.

Backlash

Dowding soon posted the following "apology" on Facebook:Sorry if I offended anyone with my halloween costume. I had no idea that a head dress and face paint would get the same kind of horrible negative reactions that I would expect wearing a swastika or dressing as hitler would receive.. I'm aware of the genocide and have always sided with the natives who were here 1st.. I would have thought dressing as a bloody cowboy would be far more offensive... I thought the purpose of halloween is to remember all the dead.. Thank you for the news article bringing. The Filipino genocide to my attention, I am embarrassed to say I didn't know about it. I wish I had and I would probably have gone as that so that more of my friends are aware of what has been swept under the carpetTo which people responded:Clearly you missed the point if you thought "dressing up" as a Filipino would have been a better costume. "Dressing up" as any culture is wrong. Period. And that whole "bring awareness" mumbo jumbo is stinks of bull shit.

You're definitely not understanding the magnitude of your choice.

After all that has been said how can you say 'Sorry if I offended anyone'. Of course you have offended, hurt, degraded and butchered the Aboriginal culture around the world. There is no sincerity in your apology. I will say that at least you have embarrassed yourself by not knowing your own heritage. You are a beautiful, sad little woman.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Ellie Goulding in a Headdress and Gerard Butler's Girlfriend in a Headdress.

Ellie Goulding in a headdress

Ruffling feathers! Ellie Goulding's Halloween fancy dress sets off a race row with critics saying her Native American costume is 'no different to wearing black face'

Ellie Goulding posed for a picture in a Native American outfit for Halloween
Within minutes of sharing snap on internet, singer had been branded 'racist'
She was told wearing costume was 'no different than wearing black face'
Singers Sinitta and Cher have been seen in similar outfits in recent weeks
But Conservative MP Philip Davies called on the singer to ‘stick to her guns’
Miss Goulding said she wore the 'beautiful' headpiece for about five minutes
27-year-old to donate to campaign supporting Native American young people

By Sam CreightonWhen Ellie Goulding posed for a picture in her Halloween costume, she probably expected fans to admire her ‘beautiful’ Native American outfit.

What she might not have expected was to find herself at the centre of a race row.

But within minutes of sharing the snap on the internet, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding singer had been branded ‘racist’, ‘ignorant’, ‘insensitive’ and ‘deeply offensive’, and was told that wearing a Native American costume was ‘no different than wearing black face’.

Miss Goulding, 27, was following the example of dozens of stars–including singer Sinitta, Coleen Rooney, Cher, Harry Styles and Pharrell Williams–who have been pictured wearing Native American headdresses in recent months.Some background on Goulding:

Ellie GouldingElena Jane "Ellie" Goulding (born 30 December 1986) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actress from Lyonshall, Herefordshire, England. Her career began when she met record producer Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who later became her manager and A&R. After signing to Polydor Records in July 2009, Goulding released her debut extended play, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding, later that year.

Outcome

As usual, non-Indians stuck up for the "right" of white people to be racist. A couple of brave souls went beyond the usual trolling in comments sections:

Here's Why I'll Be Wearing a Native American Headdress Next HalloweenOf course, if she'd actually wanted to be offensive, she might have donned the more recognisable modern Native American costume of a fleece jacket, vodka breath, a betting slip and a pair of jeans from Big and Mighty straining under the effects of a Taco Bell paunch. But I digress.Ellie Goulding's Native American costume defended by Conservative MP Philip Davies in racism rowThe Shipley MP–who recently accused Channel 4’s Jon Snow of behaving like a “playground bully” in a heated office row–has defended the singer, calling anyone ‘offended’ “idiots.”Short version of Davies: Indians are idiots. Yes, judging by these two examples, white people are racists.

Goulding didn't apologize for her Pocahottie costume, but unlike the racists above, she apparently recognized she did something wrong.

Ellie Goulding pledges to support Native American charity after picture mishapAnother Twitter user brought Goulding's attention to the Running Strong grant program for Native American youths and asked her to donate or support the charity, to which she replied, "Then I shall! Thank you."Of course, talk is cheap. I wouldn't bet a lot on her actually making a donation.

For more on the subject, see Gerard Butler's Girlfriend in a Headdress and Glenn Beck in a Headdress.

Cultural appropriation for Halloween 2014

It wouldn't be Halloween without the racist and stereotypical appropriation of ethnic cultures. As usual, Indians noted many examples of people selling or dressing up in inappropriate costumes:

17 Redface Costumes You Can Buy: Walmart Really, Really Doesn't Get ItChange comes slowly, and while many in the United States are waking up to the racism of Native-themed sports mascots and Halloween costumes, it is the lumbering giants of commerce who will probably be the last to see the light. The NFL won't take action on the Redskins until advertisers and the media reach a tipping point. We can analogize that with a big-box mega-lo-mart like Walmart, which isn't likely to do the progressive thing about Halloween costumes until it's the best business decision.

How far out of touch is the U.S.'s largest retailer? Inspired by the "fat girl" Halloween costume fiasco, we rooted around the "Native American/American Indian" costumes and found dozens of stereotypical getups—that was expected. But the product descriptions! It's the voice of white privilege smirking at the quaintness of a minority culture. Were these written in the Mad Men era?

15 People Who Plan to Be a Native American This HalloweenWell, it's nearly Halloween, which means it's that time of year again when cultural misappropriation runs amok; when you end up at a party and some one comes clad in faux Native American garb, i.e. a chicken-feathered headdress and multi-colored racing stripes on his face. Invariably, the man's date comes costumed as a "Pocahottie," and is completely oblivious to the plague of violence against indigenous women in North America. So, folks, here are 15 people who have publicly expressed their interest in dressing up as a Native American this year.
Analyses

As usual, several postings denounced dressing up as Indians for Halloween and explained why it's wrong. Here's a selection of them:

I am NOT a costume![W]hen you wear an “Indian” or “Savage” or “Native American” costume you are basically stereotyping a culture, you are also making their culture a historical reference that sends a message to everyone: Native Americans no longer exist, only in history books and old western films. You are not recognizing the present day Native people who are professors, doctors, actors, and nurses who still identify with their Native culture and are successfully existing in the modern world.Is your costume racist?‘Indian Squaw’ outfits are almost always sexualised. To wear this is to ignore the fact that for Native American women, the rate of sexual assault is twice that of the national average in the USA. Women of colour are more likely to experience violence and sexual abuse than white women. And if their cultures and traditions are constantly sexualised and objectified, if they continue to be considered ‘exotic’ rather than human, this won’t change anytime soon.What Hazmat Suits, Ray Rice, and the Washington Redskins Have in Common With Human TraffickingIn a study titled "Of Warrior Chiefs and Indian Princesses: The Psychological Consequences of American Indian Mascots," researchers found that high school students who were exposed to common American Indian images (e.g., Chief Wahoo, Pocahontas, Chief Illinwek) had lower self-esteem and lower sense of worth to the community; and college students exposed to these same images identified fewer achievement-oriented goals. The images and portrayals that society offers marginalized populations may have implications for youth development, and they may invoke a larger discussion of the role that these images play.Halloween: The Season for Culturally-Insensitive FashionThe argument that you can "try on" a cultural identity for a day and then discard it speaks to the ability of being able to return to your special place of privilege. You can take off your headdress and sleep at night, knowing that you don't have to wake up the next morning to confront a history of colonialism and genocide that has left your community living in an impoverished reservation, having to deal with segregation, racism and gross cultural misrepresentation in the form of films, sports mascots and holidays. As the "We're a Culture, not a Costume" Campaign put it, "You wear the costume for one night, we wear the stigma for life."The Perils of Culturally Appropriative Halloween Costumes“Aren’t there bigger issues to worry about,” my Facebook acquaintance asked at one point. Part of my essay addressed this question like this: reducing a minority group to a Halloween costume is only one symptom of the majority culture’s inability to see us as people, and tendency to reduce us to stereotypes. There are other symptoms, many of them more present, more real, more hurtful. But an insult is not painless just because it is not a slap, a kick, a police dog sicced on you at a protest march.Comment:  For more on Halloween, see Gerard Butler's Girlfriend in a Headdress and Party City Stereotypes Indians.

Gerard Butler's girlfriend in a headdress

Gerard Butler and girlfriend are perfectly in sync as a cowboy and Indian while Mel Gibson shirks costume altogether at pre-Halloween party in LA

By Carolyn HiblenHere's hoping his new love has some Native American Indian in her otherwise she'll find herself at the centre of the kind of racially insensitive uproar for her outfit choice so many have faced before her.

The leggy brunette left very little to the imagination as she put her lean and toned physique on display in a tan leather bra, a tan animal skin loincloth-like skirt that was only tied at the sides, revealing her entire legs and thighs.

She wore a bone chestpiece over the top, offering a small amount of coverage, while she added height to her already impressive stature with tan suede peep-toe booties with fringing on the backs and carried a tan leather satchel over one shoulder.

She wore her long locks in plaited pigtails and kept her make-up fresh and natural, with a huge traditional colourful feathered headdress on over the top adding plenty of drama and ensuring she stood out from the pack.Comment:  It wouldn't matter if the mystery woman had some Native heritage. Nobody should wear headdresses as a costume, and women shouldn't wear them at all.

For more on the subject, see Glenn Beck in a Headdress and Sinitta in a Headdress.

Party City stereotypes Indians

It's that time of year again: Halloween, when faux Indian costumes fly across the Internet. Here's a typical example:



What's that word again when you single out one race for its qualities?

Oh, yeah...racism.

Amazing how people think nothing of mixing occupations and fantasy figures with an ethnic group.

But only one ethnic group. Can you imagine blackface costumes for "African Americans"? Or masks with big noses and beady eyes for "Jews"?

Obviously not. Yet Native costumes are not only conceivable, they're ubiquitous. Which is nothing short of mind-boggling.

"Thanks-Mas-Ween" in Cougar Town

In an episode of Cougar Town, titled It'll All Work Out (airdate: 5/15/12), Jules wants to hold Thanksgiving in the spring, when her friends and family are available.

To "celebrate," her friend Laurie wears a Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas outfit because she screwed up the previous holiday season. As Laurie put it:So today I'm going to represent all three holidays that I missed! Happy Thanks-Mas-Ween, everyone!Her outfit consists of a headband-like cord around her head, braids with feathers hanging from them, a short fringed vest, and a bone breastplate--all worn over a sexy Santa dress. You can see in the image below.



As is often the case, this bit has an uncertain effect. On the one hand, the Laurie character is dumb, and another character tells her the costume is crazy. Viewers could conclude that dressing like a faux Indian is a bad thing to do.

On the other hand, she wears the outfit for the rest of the show. And no one explicitly the costume is wrong--that it's racist or it stereotypes Indians. Viewers could conclude that if you want to be wacky and unconventional, there's nothing wrong with pretending to be an Indian.

That's the kind of mixed message a TV show shouldn't present. A straightforward message is much better. For instance, "That costume is racist, Laurie. I'm offended, so please change it."

Mascot love = lack of empathy

Win Today, Lose Tomorrow

Why Republicans Protect the "Honor" of Offensive Team Names

By Jeremiah GoulkaEvery once in a while a small controversy comes along that helps explain a big problem. This National Football League season has provided such a controversy. The name of Washington D.C.'s football team, the Redskins, is under fire. "Redskins" is an offensive term and therefore inappropriate for the team representing our nation’s capital. That's kind of obvious, right?

Most Republicans don't think so. They defend the name, as they do other Native American-based team names, such as the college football champion Florida State Seminoles, calling them tokens of "honor." They claim that the names celebrate a "heritage" and "tradition" of "bravery" and "warrior-spirit," and they publicly wonder: What's the problem?

The Onion, that fine news source, captured it in one neat, snide sentence: "A new study... confirmed that the name of the Washington Redskins is only offensive if you take any amount of time whatsoever to think about its actual meaning." So what's keeping Republicans from thinking about it?

For one thing, Republicans tend to wear a set of blinders, crafted and actively maintained by the party's functionaries and its media priesthood. They also suffer from mental roadblocks shared by American whites more generally, including a thin, often myth-based “knowledge” about Native Americans. Collectively, all of this blinds Republicans to what it's like to be on the receiving end of power at home and abroad.

That said, the GOP's power brokers know the party is facing a demographic time bomb, so why do they let their media minions form an offensive line to protect the Redskins name? Nationally, the Republicans’ short-term hopes and long-term survival may hinge on whether they can manage to make the party welcoming to non-whites. Yet they proudly wear these blinders, as I once did, continuing to "honor" American Indians--as they never would a team called the Whiteskins, the Brownskins, the Blackskins, or the Yellowskins. Here’s a little breakdown on why.Some excerpts from Goulka's analysis:Blinder 1: Intent Is Everything

Again and again, Republicans in the media sound this chord, effectively saying that if there is no intent to harm, then there’s no foul.

Blinder 2: The Messengers

See a common thread here? Democrats. Liberals. Progressives. Minorities. The Left.

The other team.

These messengers could say that the sky is blue, and the natural Republican inclination would be to think that they were lying for partisan gain. The Enemy is relentless, implacable, and vast. It must be stopped.

Blinder 3: The First Amendment Right to Offend

Here's the rhetorical formula: Sure, some people offend others on purpose, and yes they're jerks, but most people don't. It's too bad if you're offended, but what’s important is to protect the constitutional right to offend--because isn't that what the First Amendment is actually all about?

Blinder 4: Feelings are for Sissies

The implication is clear: Feelings are for losers--that is, liberals, those sensitivity-preaching, holier-than-thou, bleeding-heart, sad sacks of emotions. Grow a pair.Goulka's conclusion:So why don't Republicans just cave on this one and stop looking like jerks? Even conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer recognizes that the name "Redskins" is defunct. What do they have to lose?

To recognize that names matter, however, means recognizing that human experience matters--not just the experiences of approved people, but of all people. Republican ideology is based on protecting its in-group, fighting off solidarity with out-groups, and claiming that success and failure in American life is a moral story of meritocracy alone--to the extent, of course, that government regulations don't get in the way.

As much as Republicans may formulaically say that they care about everyone, the party is scared to death of empathy. It could lead Republicans to get past their false moral narrative and see the many ways that their policies harm minorities, women, and the poor. Empathy could even lead Republicans into embarrassing historical terrain where they might learn that, through germs and violence, whites killed off millions of Indians, and that "Manifest Destiny" is just a marketing catchphrase hiding the fact that the United States broke off from one empire and immediately started its own on this continent. And once they recognize that, they might even start noticing our empire abroad or getting serious about equality at home. Next thing you know, they might start pushing to increase taxes on the rich and funding for Food Stamps or Head Start or Medicaid... Republican Armageddon.

(Art by Michael Darmody, a student at San Juan College.)

Turning against mascots

Goulka doesn't say how it happened, but he apparently went through a conversion from mascot lover to mascot hater.

Even Indians go through this process sometimes. Some of them like or are indifferent to mascots until they experience the harm firsthand.

Here's one Native woman's explanation of why she came to oppose mascots:

Indian Mascots, a Privileged Fight

By Autumn White EyesMy first term at Dartmouth College in the fall of 2010 changed my thoughts on the Indian mascot. Loud music and girls in skimpy costumes filled Fraternity Row, it was just like any other Halloween night on a college campus. It was my first time stepping into a fraternity; I was excited and nervous, my only plans were to have fun. The first fraternity basement I stepped into, I saw a white man standing next to a pong table with a fake headdress, or “war bonnet,” as we call it. I couldn’t help but be angry, my new home and community put an image in my face that I didn’t know how to respond to. I left the fraternity with my friends to avoid the scene. As we made our way to another part of campus, a white girl in a skimpy Indian costume walked towards us. Oh hell no! were the first words that came into my mind. This time I could not control my rage. I screamed at her, “What the fuck do you know about being Native you dumb white bitch?”

That night was a turning point for me. Why was I so angry? Because she didn’t know. She has no idea know what it’s like to grow up Lakota, or on a reservation where every day can be a struggle to survive. She doesn’t know what it’s like to be around alcoholism, domestic violence, poverty, or rape. It was then that I realized that I wanted people to know it offended me. Their Halloween costumes offended me. Their Indian mascots offended me. Even their fake native jewelry and moccasins offended me.

I searched for the words to describe why the Indian mascot offended me in many different articles I read, both politically correct and empathetic ones. After my research and talking with Preston about his poem, I’ve realized that fighting the Indian Mascot is a privileged fight. It is a battle Natives fight when they are privileged enough to be experiencing life away from their homelands for once. In these environments the Indian mascot is often the predominant representation for Native people. If I had gone to a school closer to home, I would not be writing this reflection; it is likely that I would still feel indifferent towards the mascot. If I hadn’t gone to Dartmouth, I may have been able to focus more on the poverty and domestic violence prevalent in my community. Instead, I am in an environment where many of my peers lack the basic knowledge of who my people are. While I didn’t know how to react to their blatant racism, they didn’t know how to respond to my existence.Comment:  I'll spell out the connection between these two columns. Most Americans don't recognize or understand the Indians' continued existence. As far as they're concerned, Indians are primitive and superstitious savages who vanished or should've vanished long ago.

This is particularly true among conservatives whose attitude is "America, right or wrong!" They refuse to acknowledge the land thefts and massacres that enriched their ancestors.

When Indians are fictional characters to you, you don't take them seriously. You don't "feel their pain," much less the need to do anything about it. Indians are like sick and hungry Third World castoffs--poor creatures that are somebody else's responsibility, not ours.

To paraphrase Goulka, "Americans are scared to death of empathy. It could lead them to get past their false moral narrative and see the many ways that their policies harm minorities, women, and the poor." And that, not just the elimination of mascots, would help Indians tremendously. That's what the mascot fight is really about: getting Americans to realize Indians are real people with real problems.

Thanksgiving pub crawls in Indian costumes

Apparently the negative publicity about Indian mascots and costumes hasn't reached some people. The latest offensive trend is Thankgiving-themed pub crawls.

We begin with Robin Leach, the former host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, who is as clueless as his history suggests:

Strip Scribbles: ‘Innocent’ pre-Thanksgiving parties rankle Native Americans

By Robin LeachIt’s the latest absurdity of political correctness overstepping reality and trying to squash the fun of Las Vegas. A group of Native Americans is protesting plans by Las Vegas nightclubs over themed Thanksgiving costume parties where guests will wear Pilgrims and Indians outfits.

“It’s totally innocent on our part, and no disrespect or harm were intended,” nightlife party queen Tiffany Masters told me. “To call us racist is over the top. Two of us organizing one party have Native bloodlines. Another organizer has a Native daughter and really doesn’t appreciate this un-necessary drama. Our party this year is at Gold Lounge in Aria at CityCenter, and we used a model with fall foliage leaves instead of a costume.”

The protesters attacked social media sites of Las Vegas nightclub groups. “The Light Group is supporting us and is upset we’ve been singled out,” said Tiffany. “We won’t be threatened, but we have changed the name of our party to show our own sensitivity. But we still expect people will wear authentic costumes for the Thanksgiving parties. We can’t tell them what they can’t wear.

“We’ve had these parties for 10 years now every Thanksgiving Eve, and nobody has ever complained until now. It simply doesn’t make sense. All locals and nightlife industry people come together this night either because we are ‘orphans without family’ or are stuck working the holiday.”

I read some of the complaints, which stated: “Racism is real in Las Vegas. Am appalled at the audacity some event throwers in Vegas have toward my people. … It’s an incursion on me as a Native American. … I contacted several business owners because I think mockery should be stopped. … I am proud of my Native Line, and I don’t want it to be taken as a joke. … I believe in the celebration of cultures coming together—not the disrespect.”

I fail to see any racism or how a Thanksgiving Eve party with guests in Pilgrims and Native American costume shows disrespect. I didn’t hear any such accusations at Halloween, so I don’t think the wild accusations for Thanksgiving are deserved. Totally beyond me!Leach didn't hear any of the dozens of Native "accusations" at Halloween? Perhaps his cocoon of white privilege cut off his hearing. Or perhaps he's an ignorant twit.

As I tweeted to him:3 Native protests over Halloween you missed: Ireland Baldwin tweets Indian costume / Toothpaste commercial shows stereotypical costume / Vanity Fair's "favorite" Indian costumeMore creepy crawls

Miami Pub Crawl Encourages Drinkers to Dress Up Like Native Americans for Thanksgiving

By Monique Jones

This Wednesday, Miami pub crawl organizing group Keep Crawling will run a Thanksgiving Costume Pub Crawl. Dressing in costume isn't required, but participants are encouraged to come as either a Pilgrim or Native American.

While most of the jokes one could make about dressing as a Pilgrim might include cracks about looking dowdy, dressing as a Native American is tremendously more problematic. It's also offensive.

To say Thanksgiving is a touchy time to mockingly dress up like a Native is an understatement. Conventional American lore states that Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the Pilgrims surviving their first winter in America with help from the Wampanoag tribe. However, this narrative is more of a tall tale that romanticizes the harsh effects of colonization, and overlooks the mistreatment of Natives that followed: shady political treaties, forced and often violent removal of tribes from their lands, and the spread of misinformation about "savages."And:Despite all this, Keep Crawling stands by its decision to encourage crawlers to dress in costume. "We give our crawlers the option of dressing in theme of the holiday. It's up to them how they would like to dress to the crawl," said John Gaebe of Keep Crawling. "Our pub crawls are often holiday themed. We take no stance on the issue. We just provide a platform for people to have a good time and celebrate a national holiday."

So yeah, Miami, the choice is yours: dress in offensive "redface" and get hammered the day before Thanksgiving, or just go drinking on your own time without trampling on the culture of people who've been mistreated for centuries. Choose wisely.And a similarly offensive event in San Diego--a "Pilgrims and Indians" themed party after a pub crawl:



Fortunately, there was some good news:

Drinking event that encouraged Native 'costumes' canceledA Thanksgiving-eve drinking event that encouraged participants to wear Native American "costumes" has been canceled.

The Thanksgiving Costume Pub Crawl was to take place this evening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The organizers canceled the event but didn't explain why in a post on Facebook.The post itself said:ATTENTION CRAWLERS:
The Thanksgiving Pub Crawl has been canceled.
The Thanksgiving Pub Crawl has been canceled.
The Thanksgiving Pub Crawl has been canceled.
The Thanksgiving Pub Crawl has been canceled.

Our sincerest apologies. We will be pushing the Coral Gables route back to a later date. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! We hope to see you on the next crawl!Comment:  For more on "Pocahotties," see Pocahotties Show Depth of Microaggressions and Tanning Salon Promotes Indian "Color."

Toothpaste commercial shows stereotypical costume

What a Crest Toothpaste Commercial Can Teach Us About RacismThis Halloween-themed Crest commercial blipped onto our radar, and it's a very clear illustration of what, exactly, the big deal is when it comes to costumes and mascots.There are at least 12 children wearing costumes in this video. We'll run down the list, saving the important one for last:

Triceratops: A dinosaur that went extinct 65 million years ago.
Ninja: A master of martial arts from feudal Japan. Ninjas ceased to exist sometime in the 17th century.
Cow: A farm animal.
Bumblebee: An insect.
Skeleton: The human skeletal system.
Flower: A plant.
Werewolf: A fictional monster.
Boxer: An athlete.
Goth princess (?): A young lady wearing ghostly white makeup, and dressed in a princess outfit with spiky gloves and headband (forgive us, we're not really sure what this one is).
Space Alien: A fictional inhabitant of another planet.
Robot: A humanoid machine with artificial intelligence.
Chick: A baby chicken.
American Indian: A race of people.

What's wrong with this picture? All but one of the kids are dressed as things that are imaginary, or historical (if not extinct), or whimsical, or generic. Just one of them is attired as a stand-in for a living people--a living people who are still living, despite the U.S. government's efforts to kill them off. And yes, some of these people do, today, wear a feather headdress or paint their faces in ceremonial gatherings, although many do not.

Kids look cute dressed as bumblebees, or robots, or ninjas, and there's little danger that their fertile minds will form opinions about these things they will carry into adulthood. But what of the little Indian? What does his costume teach? If this is what an Indian looks like, does that define, for children, what all Indians are? Can an Indian be a lawyer? Do Indians live in houses? Do Indians speak proper English, drive cars, or even wear underwear? (And how come he doesn't have a dead crow on his head like in the movie?)Comment:  Actually, there are two skeletons--one which glows in the dark. Also a ladybug and a pharaoh. And I think the "cow" is a pink poodle.

This is a funny commercial except for the stereotypical Indian costume.

Alas, the nature- and fantasy-based costumes indicate that Indians belong in the natural or fantasy worlds. So the commercial is telling us Indians aren't modern-day people. That's false and stereotypical.

Vanity Fair's "favorite" Indian costume

Debbie Reese reported on yet another faux Indian Halloween costume in her American Indians in Children's Literature blog:

Vanity Fair's "Favorite" Halloween Costumes

the band Arcade Fire held a surprise Halloween show and Vanity Fair picked its "favorite" costumes. It labeled this picture "The Indian."



Since this was (probably) a white girl dressed as a phony Indian, Reese tweeted a comment to Vanity Fair. The magazine responded by relabeling the picture "Feathers."

As Reese noted:That, of course, is no better.

That the photograph made its way onto a list of "favorite" costumes tells me that some people at Vanity Fair, a magazine I subscribe to, are clueless about this issue. That's a bit surprising to me, especially given the coverage of fashion designers who have been called out for appropriation of Native intellectual property. Native Appropriations has been doing an excellent job of documenting the fashion industry's appropriation (click here to get a list of posts Adrienne has done on this topic). Paul Frank responded to criticism of a fashion event by working with Native designers.And:We (by we, I mean American society) are stuck in an ugly cycle in which this kind of stereotyping happens again and again, year after year. Unfortunately, it is a money maker for those who do it. On her Facebook page, my daughter pointed to the "Sexy Indian" costumes available from a Halloween costume company. She opened by referencing statistics about how many Native women are sexually assaulted (one in three) by non-Native men, making the point that dressing up and playing Indian are not harmless activities. These activities are indicative of an ignorant society that refuses to see American Indian people as people.

Ireland Baldwin tweets Indian costume

Ireland Baldwin, the daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, got in trouble for a series of tweets. Jezebel.com may have been the first to report on it.

Ireland Baldwin Defends Her Native American Halloween CostumeMom who really doesn't want to be at Disneyland Halloween and was forced to dress up but had one… http://instagram.com/p/gCLTsWEoKU/This is who I was being for Halloween at Disneyland. You all are pathetic.Deleted the picture because it was insulting all the poor little white girls who need a racial cause to be apart of for attention

— ireland (@IrelandBBaldwin) October 29, 2013

Ok everyone. I apologize if my Halloween costume offended you and your culture PERSONALLY. However, I don't apologize to a majority...

... Of you who thought it was necessary to return the favor with a lot of hateful mentions.

A Native American costume was AN OPTION at a Halloween store.

I respect all cultures and I would never mock one. I am Cherokee Indian and I am also well aware of what many tribes encountered in the past

And for some of you pathetic morons to bring my family and other matters into the discussion, you are all sad excuses for human beingsPresumably Baldwin's tweets came in response to other tweets. I don't know exactly what people said, but we can imagine it.

Commenters respond

Some Jezebel commenters responded directly to Baldwin's claims:It couldn't be a racist costume because it was based on a Disney cartoon, also there was the option in a store. If it was racist, that would mean the Disney cartoon and the store are racist, which certainly could never be a possibility.

Seriously, if you are basing the racial appropriateness of stuff off of Disney cartoons, sorry kiddo, but Disney cartoons are racist as fuck and still have a hard time with race.

When she grows out of her teenage sociopathy she will regret that entire tirade. I like that she hit just about every square on the "Racist Apologist Bingo" card. Brava, kid.

Is it me or are we seeing a LOT of privileged, white, pretty, blond girls going absolutely INSANE this Halloween with the black/brown face and getting REAL huffy when called out on it? I'm getting the distinct impression they feel entitled to do whatever they want due to aforementioned blond whiteness. It's giving me rageface because I'm also seeing a shit ton of feminists defending them. Intersectionality, time to embrace that already and not put up with this bs.

You know, there were/are a LOT of different tribes. Isn't it amazing how every single clueless white person always claims to be Cherokee?

Ireland Baldwin, you cannot claim you are part Native American in order to justify your racism, whether you really are or not. I am part African (in my ancestry for real, but am as white as skim milk) but am not using that as an excuse to do racist shit.

She's part Cherokee? Kim Basinger's Wikipedia states that she might be part Cherokee. But how convenient for Ireland Baldwin to bust that "fact" out.

You would be shocked how many people I've encountered outside of the midwest who did not know Native Americans still exist, as if they just perished or something. I get the feeling a lot of people who put on redface do so with the assumption that there are no Natives alive to take offense.

There are many, many more who DO know and just don't care.

For what it's worth, I'm 35, from the East coast, and have met exactly one person who I knew to be primarily Native American. It doesn't excuse Ireland's stupidity, but I think you're right that she probably had no reference point for modern real-life native Americans.Comment:  As I tweeted after reading this:

Claiming to be Cherokee to justify an Indian chief or Pocahottie costume = claiming to be German to justify a Scottish kilt or Greek toga.

There's a glaring contradiction in the above assertions. If Baldwin is Cherokee as she claims, what is she doing in a stereotypical Plains-style costume? If she has no reference point for Natives, why is she claiming to be Cherokee?

If you're an Indian, that doesn't give you a licence to wear whatever you want and claim it's authentic. Just the opposite: It behooves you, more than anyone, to get the costume right. To wear something that's culturally correct, not a stupid stereotype.

More coverage

Other websites reported on the controversy, depicting Baldwin as defiant:

Ireland Baldwin Defends Native American Halloween Costume: “I Am Cherokee Indian” (PHOTOS)

Ireland Baldwin Dons Native American Halloween Costume, Lashes Out at "Pathetic" Critics

Or contrite:

Kim Basinger--Ireland Baldwin Apologises Over Native Indian Halloween Costume

'I made a mistake and I apologize': Ireland Baldwin responds to backlash after Native American Halloween costume causes Twitter uproarThe uproar continued for several days following the incident, with many people seemingly unwilling to let it go.

'People make mistakes, everyone. I made a mistake and I apologize if it offended,' Ireland wrote on October 30, before addressing individual @Buri103, explaining, 'I copied a Disney character and I'm sorry that it offended you.'

On Thursday, the star managed to make light of the situation, tweeting, 'Before I dress as Wednesday Addams and Juno Macguff this weekend, is anyone offended?'Comment:  For more on Pocahottie costumes, see University Bans Offensive Halloween Costumes and Native Regrets "Naughty Native" Costume.

Blackface popular for Halloween 2013

Blackface seems to be making a comeback this Halloween. The parallels to redface, which is still widely tolerated in America, are obvious.

There's no reason, or excuse, for blackface Halloween costumes

By Roxane GayActress Julianne Hough stepped out in blackface over the weekend. She was attending a Halloween party as Crazy Eyes from “Orange Is the New Black.” That’s fine. The show is hot this year and Crazy Eyes is a popular character. Hough wore the prison oranges, had her hair done up in what charitably could be considered Bantu knots and wore a name tag that said “Crazy Eyes.” That should have been enough—the necessary cues were there.

Hough took her costume one step further, though, dousing herself in bronzer to darken her skin so she might better resemble Uzo Aduba, the actress who plays Crazy Eyes. The blackface did nothing of the sort. It never does. Instead, Hough looked like she spent way too much time out in the Los Angeles sun before stepping out that evening. Once the images of Hough in her ill-informed costume were released, the Internet went crazy.

Here we were, yet again, having this bewildering conversation about why blackface, given its historical uses and the ongoing sensitivity around issues of race, will never be an appropriate costume choice. The apology parade began, and Hough said: “I am a huge fan of the show ‘Orange is the New Black,’ actress Uzo Aduba and the character she has created. It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people, and I truly apologize.”

We know this dance. Public figure makes misstep. Public figure apologizes. That apology is then dissected endlessly, and we’re left wondering if the public figure even knows what they’re apologizing for.Is this 2013 or 1913? 7 Disgusting Displays of Halloween BlackfaceIn the last week or so, we've seen a rash of blackface episodes that makes us wonder. All of these attracted media attention, and while they're all very ugly, we'd venture to say that this handful of blackface incidents pales in comparison to the number of redface costumes that will go unreported or even unremarked.

Here's hoping that we'll reach a stage when white people pretending to be American Indian is as shame-worthy as white people pretending to be black.More about one of the incidents:

White Teen In Blackface Responds To Black Critics: ‘Worry About Finding Your Dad’

And one more incident that involved black stereotypes but not blackface:

Fraternity in hot water for “Hood Ratchet” party

Reminder: Cultural appropriation always looks bad

By Mary Elizabeth WilliamsThe Theta Xi event invitation had depicted an African-American man holding a wad of cash, and promised “bad bitches, white girls, basketball players, thugs, gangsters ratchet pussy” that “we goin back to da hood again!!” But University Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper sent a letter of rebuke to the frat Thursday, saying, “The language of the invitation and theme of the party denigrated all women and African American/black identified people through racial stereotypes and cultural appropriation. This behavior is offensive, disrespectful and unacceptable at the University of Michigan.”What's wrong with blackface?

The first rule of blackface: It’s not hard to understand, everyone

...is don't wear blackface. The end. Now why is that so hard for some people to remember?

By Brittney CooperWhen white folks paint their bodies black, they demonstrate that they see the black body as a permissive site for the expression of trauma, pain and illicit pleasures. In other words, being in a black body permits them to do everything they are uncomfortable doing in a white body: being lewd and crude, celebrating violence, acting sexually promiscuous, using racial slurs.

This is just one more lie of white racism: that black people are free to do all the things our society hates and demonizes while white people are bound by the strictures of respectability. White pathologization of the black body is classic psychological projection. Everything that there is to abhor about whiteness and white supremacy gets projected onto the black body and becomes a material problem for black people.

Now for many people who simply do not want to concede the horror and racism of these acts by Filene and the Cimenos, it would be easy to dismiss this as individual racism, to suggest that these people are clearly jerks, but that their sentiments are not generalizable.

Every year, pictures surface on social media of college kids and regular citizens donning blackface for parties. This is not an isolated incident. It keeps happening and it happens because white people do not actually believe this constitutes an injury to black people. Or maybe they just don’t care.

“We’re just having fun,” many of them say. Look, I get the cultural fascination with black skin. The American national imaginary is built on the mythic lore of black otherness–superhuman strength to supply the main labor force of the national economy, men and women with extraordinary sexual desire and prowess, unparalleled athleticism, and a deep anger that leads to a fearsome capacity for violence.When Black People Dress Up As White People For Halloween

By Danielle CadetEvery year, someone dons a controversial costume. And every year people spend several weeks wagging their fingers and shaking their heads and scolding said awful person for doing such an awful thing. And every year, that awful person--particularly when they're someone famous like sweet, little Julianne Hough--apologizes for being awful and unaware that his or her actions would be even slightly offensive to anyone, especially his or her black friends (because said person always has several friends of color with whom he or she immediately becomes even better friends with after all of the hullabaloo and accusations of racism).

But here's a very important message: Ignorance is not an excuse. It's especially not an excuse in a world where it's possible to know every verse on the Yeezus album 20 minutes after it's leaked online, or in a world where people who haven't read the viral story of the day are immediately considered stupid, uncool individuals who must spend their days living under a rock.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you have to fully understand the history of blackface--and I promise, I'll spare you a long explanation because I know you won't read it anyway. I'm not asking you to be an Africana studies major in college, or watch documentaries on minstrel shows. I'm asking you to do what you do every day, read the damn news, share stories on social, talk about things you found interesting or crazy or weird. You can't tell me you didn't read last year's story about blackface and you didn't see your black friend's post on Facebook last year (it probably said something like "really?" or "ugh" or "not again") when it happened...LAST YEAR.

The issue with hiding behind the ignorance safety net (i.e. "I didn't know it was offensive," or "I thought it was funny," or "I wasn't trying to be racist.") is you take the responsibility off of yourself and put it on everyone else. It becomes everyone else's (read: black people's) responsibility to teach you why blackface is offensive--which is the ultimate problem with privilege. It somehow becomes the oppressed person's responsibility to educate the offender turning the victimizer into the victim, but we won't even go there.Attention Thought Catalog: Blackface is always racist

A white female writer doesn't understand why Julianne Hough's blackface costume was offensive

By Prachi GuptaRheel, who at some academic level understands why blackface is degrading, acknowledges her ignorance first by stating it, and then by demonstrating it:Before I continue, let’s just get one thing out of the way. I am in fact, a white person. I’m not trying to pretend like I know what it is to be black in America and have to deal with a bunch of ignorant white nonsense on a regular basis but is this really one of those times? Like, honestly. I want to know. Because it seems like most of the people who are getting upset over Hough’s costume are white to begin with and it makes me want to say “chill out white people!” There’s plenty of actual racism going on in the world for you to freak out over and prove how not racist you are, but this probably isn’t your moment.Her distinction between “actual racism” and all that other, REAL racism is reminiscent of the embarrassing LL Cool J and Brad Paisley song, “Accidental Racist.” Rheel decides that Hough’s blackface is innocuous because Hough is “a white woman getting what is essentially a heavy spray tan to more accurately portray her favorite character.” According to Rheel, getting upset over this “seems like a trivialization of what blackface was in the first place.”

Listen up, Kelly Rheel: Darkening your face to make yourself look more like a black person IS blackface. That action turns blackness into a costume; it is a nod to years of oppression in which blackface was used as a theatrical weapon against black people, as Salon’s Brittney Cooper eloquently explains here. Always. If you’re not “trying to pretend like I know what it is to be black in America,” then please stop trying to pretend like you know what it is like to be black in America.Comment:  For more on blackface, see Mummers Parade in Redface, Blackface and 1491s on Redface and Blackface.

Below:  "Greg Cimeno's Trayvon Martin costume was idiotic, and posting pictures of it on Facebook wasn't exactly a genius move either."

University bans offensive Halloween costumes

'Offensive' Halloween costumes banned by US university

By Lucy KinderUniversity students in America have been told not to wear "offensive" Halloween costumes including cowboys, Indians and anything involving a sombrero.

Students at the University of Colorado Boulder have also been told to avoid "white trash" costumes and anything that portrays a particular culture as "over-sexualised"--which the university says includes dressing up as a geisha or a "squaw" (indigenous woman).

They are also asked not to host parties with offensive themes including those with “ghetto” or "hillbilly" themes or those associated with "crime or sex work."

In the letter sent by a university official students are asked to consider the impact that their costumes could have.

According to a student news website Christina Gonzales, the dean of students, wrote: "Making the choice to dress up as someone from another culture, either with the intention of being humorous or without the intention of being disrespectful, can lead to inaccurate and hurtful portrayals of other people's cultures.

College takes small stand against terrible Halloween costumes, annoys Fox News

The University of Colorado Boulder issued a memo asking students to think twice before wearing offensive costumes

By Katie McDonoughThere is no mention in the letter of consequences for noncompliance, just the recommendation that people try harder not to be racist, sexist or otherwise clueless this Halloween.

But here is what Fox News and the National Review think the letter said: FUN IS BANNED FOREVER AT COLLEGE. RIP FUN.

Because, presumably, college students can only have fun while they are being terrible?

“Finding a Halloween costume that doesn’t terrify politically-correct college busybodies could be a challenge this year,” whines Fox News in a piece that calls the letter a warning against the “dangers of donning a costume—almost any costume.” (Emphasis mine. Mental addition of dun, dun, dun, also mine.)

And, sure, some costumes are racist but “So bloody what?” says the National Review’s Charles C. W. Cooke, prompting a stream of comments calling the university officials “fascists” for making a non-binding request of their students.Others don't get it

Chief Wansum Tail Seeks Pocahottie: Yes, It's Halloween AgainSorry ladies, but we're calling Halloween 2013 a win for the boys.

Because Halloween in Indian country is always a horror show of snide stereotypes peddled to mainstream America as harmless costumes. Usually--like, almost always--the stereotype is the playful "Native American women are sluts." Oh, so fun. But this year we're struck by the men in the Dreamgirl "Restless Wranglers" collection of Halloween costumes: Chief Wansum Tail and Chief Big Wood.

Tribal costumes trending across nation, but not in Santa Fe

By Phaedra HaywoodOn Monday morning, 97.3 Kiss FM radio DJs Dana Cortez and The-Kandee-Man filled their drive-time show with banter about a list of the Top 10 Halloween costume ideas across the United States. Kandee gave readers a hint about the No. 1 costume idea for women—according to a list they were reading on air—saying that you might find a lot of them every day in New Mexico, but not in other places say, Texas.

The top costume idea—according to the list published on American Live Wire—Pocahontas/Native American.

“This is one of the easiest costumes to customize and accessorize to your liking,” according to the list. “Whether you want to go all out and dress like an authentic Native American, or you just want a reason to wear your moccasins …”And:“Those costumes, overall, are probably the worst representation of Native American people,” said Douglas Miles, an Apache artist and social critic from San Carlos, Ariz., whose show What Tribe?—which examines stereotypes of Native people in media—has been traveling the Southwest this year. “As far as representing who Native people are, they are good for nothing.”

Miles said Americans are becoming more savvy. “But now,” he added, “there exists a myth that we are in a post racial society, which is really not true. We’ve made inroads, but a lot of these images are demeaning and harmful over time. And a bunch of people still don’t know they are harmful.”

Miles said he has felt a shift in Native consciousness about racial stereotypes in the past few years, but he said it wasn’t surprised that no one called the radio show to complain about the costume list because there just aren’t that many Native people to complain."Irresponsible and negligent"

A Native writer tells how she feels about these costumes:

The Difference Between Being a Slut & a Racist: Pochahottie Hottentot

By Ruth HopkinsAs a Native American, I can’t tell you what an absolute pain it is to traverse through aisles of costumes this time of year, especially with children in tow. Mommy doesn’t like explaining why Party City is selling a “Cheeky Cherokee” teen costume that promises to send its wearers “heading for the woods,” or why Spirit Halloween is displaying a “Naughty Navajo” mini dress that will have women “sending out smoke signals.”

Like any decent parent, I try to teach my daughter to carry herself with pride and dignity. These racist costumes, that specifically target her purely because of her race, send her the message that Native American women are viewed as sex objects. It makes her sad and angry. She knows those costumes are not who we as Native women are, and that we should not be depicted that way. Statistically, a shocking one in three Native American women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. Encouraging the public to view Native American women as disposable sex toys is more than a grave insult, it’s irresponsible and negligent.Comment:  For more on Halloween costumes, see Can Indian Costumes Be Educational? and Native Regrets "Naughty Native" Costume.

Native regrets "Naughty Native" costume

I regret my “Naughty Native” Halloween costume

As a Native American woman, I thought my stereotypical costume was subversive. Now I know I was wrong

By Elissa WashutaI grabbed a kit of face paint and completed the look with the gaudiest headdress on the rack, a floppy, trailing rainbow of fake feathers. The night of the party, I applied the paint in two lines on each cheek, one red and one blue. Stuffed into my fake buckskins, wearing the false headdress of the wrong gender, I was a short-haired, Technicolor monstrosity.

At the party, I tried to explain what my costume was all about, but it never came out right. “I’m dressed as a sorority girl at a Cowboys and Indians party,” I’d say, or, “I’m dressed as a white girl in a Pocahontas costume.” Confused, my friends responded, “But aren’t you just dressed in a Pocahontas costume?”And:After years of teaching American Indian Studies at the university level, including classes on Hollywood’s twisting of the world’s conception of Indianness, I have become deeply ashamed of my night in costume. The iconic Indian maiden—slender, servile and ready to be defiled under her fitted dress—is a rotten fantasy that spoils too many people’s understanding of actual indigenous womanhood. In her sexed-up dress, the maiden becomes the spoils of war. By donning my own fake feathers, I subverted nothing. Instead, I excused Halloween racism, inviting anyone who met me to do the same—after all, they’d met an Indian girl who wore a headdress and everything. I know my ancestors saw my get-up, and I don’t think they found me clever.

Every Halloween, the campus population is peppered with people in costumes, their buy-in levels ranging from cat ears on a headband to a floor-length Jedi robe paired with an expensive-looking lightsaber. My students have their heads on straighter than I did, and I’ve never seen one of them dressed in one of the “Noble Warrior,” “Hot on the Trail,” “Pocahottie,” “Tribal Trouble,” “Sexy Tonto” or “Pow! Wow!” costumes I’ve seen for sale online. I hope that when the students step off campus, drop their books, peel off their university sweats and hoodies, and prepare for their night of spooky revelry, they remember that they’re on Duwamish and Suquamish land.Comment:  For more on Halloween costumes, see University Bans Offensive Halloween Costumes and Can Indian Costumes Be Educational?

Can Indian costumes be educational?

One woman tries to justify her daughter's Halloween costume:

Is it Ever Okay for Your Kid to Dress as Another Ethnicity for Halloween?

By Joslyn GrayLast year, one of my daughters, then age 8, said she wanted to be a Native American Princess for Halloween. I told her she could, but that I wasn't comfortable with a lot of the stereotypes about Native Americans. I had her pick a tribe to learn about, and said that if she could figure out what they wore, that I would do my best to make her a costume.

My daughter chose to learn about the Lenni Lenape, which is the tribe that originally lived in our area of Pennsylvania. She read books about the Lenape tribes from her school library, and found websites that explained that the Lenape now live all over the United States and Canada, and that many different tribes claim the Lenape as part of their heritage. She researched what traditional Lenape clothing looked like and learned that they used beads and ribbon for decoration, but not feathers like the store-bought costumes showed.

I like to sew, so together we made her a costume as close as we could to the pictures she found. It wasn't a perfect replica; I'm not about to use deerskin to make a Halloween costume. I realize that not every mom has the time or the desire to sew up a well-researched traditional Native American outfit-what about their kids? Are all cultural costumes really so bad?

Consider the words of Noel Altaha on the website Last Real Indians:

"Here is why you should care, whether you are Native or non-Native American. Dressing as someone else's culture has lasting impacts on everyone's psyche," writes Ms. Altaha, who is White Mountain Apache. "Due to European Colonization there has been a collective and continuous loss in Native communities. …So when you wear an 'Indian' or 'Savage' or 'Native American' costume you are basically stereotyping a culture, you are also making their culture a historical reference that sends a message to everyone: Native Americans no longer exist, only in history books and old western films. You are not recognizing the present day Native people who are professors, doctors, actors, and nurses who still identify with their Native culture and are successfully existing in the modern world.

"I do not want to make this all about a race issue because it more than that. This is about respecting oneself through becoming educated and it is about healing for a people who have and continue to suffer from the impacts of historical trauma."

I really do understand what Ms. Atlaha is saying. But I also think that Halloween can be an opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about all kinds of issues: you can talk about what's wrong with the Boys' Phat Pimp costume, for example, or why girls don't need to wear overly grown-up clothes. I used my daughter's Halloween costume to talk about the past and the present of Native Americans. By the time Halloween rolled around, she was telling everyone and anyone about the Walking Purchase, in which William Penn's sons bought/swindled/claimed more than a million acres of Pennsylvania land and forced the Lenape to evacuate.Comment:  It sounds like the daughter was talking more about the past than the present.

So Joslyn Gray's position is that if you're well-off and well-educated, with a lot of spare time and the ability to sew, you can make a genuine costume and educate your children. In other words, if you're one in a million Americans--i.e., if you're Joslyn Gray--it's okay to dress your children as Indians.

I don't see much value to asserting the positive case. The negative case is the point here. The vast majority of Americans--virtually everyone--should not dress their kids as Indians. Only if you're willing to do an inordinate amount of work should you even think about it.

Costumes = cultural appropriation

Gray has done everything she could to make the Halloween costume a positive experience. But even with the educational component, I'm not persuaded by her arguments.

For starters, as I said, the costume and the history lesson reinforce the idea of Indians as primitive people of the past. What can the daughter tell us about the present-day circumstances of the Lenni Lenape? Anything?

Also, the whole thing reinforces the idea that cultural appropriation is okay. That an Indian identity is available for the taking. That non-Indians get to decide whether and how they can exploit Indians.

None of this seems okay to me. How about telling the daughter, "No, you can't dress as an Indian. There's no reason you should get something just because you want it.

"If you're interested in Indians, we'll get some books and movies and learn about them. Perhaps we can visit them and buy some of their art and crafts.

"Meanwhile, you can be a ghost or pirate or whatever. You don't need to be an Indian."

For more on Halloween costumes, see University Bans Offensive Halloween Costumes and Native Regrets "Naughty Native" Costume.

Below:  Not the author's daughter, I hope.