Halloween protest, 2008 edition

Students protest using regalia for HalloweenOn a sunny and cool day, there was an unusual addition to the pumpkins and bright advertisements at the Nobbies at 120th Street and West Center Road.

A few members of Inter-Tribal Student Council, joined by several community members, were holding protest signs near the store's entrance to condemn the selling of American Indian regalia as Halloween costumes.

"We are here to protest the selling of Indian costumes because we see it as a mockery to our culture," said Michael Leading Horse, a UNO student who was protesting.And:Nobbies has not acknowledged any protests and has not taken any action to stop the selling of Indian costumes, protest organizers said.

The signs were improvised on-site. Children even held signs. One said: "Here's the beef: Your costume hurts my feelings." Another one read: "We're not costumes, we're people."

Nobbies' American Indian costumes include short leather-like skirts and feathered headdresses.

"Sometimes feathers are given to recognize good works performed in the community," Balralt said. "It's offensive because people use it just as a costume."Comment:  Usually we have at least one Halloween posting a year. I'm glad to see we didn't go without this year.

I've posted dozens of Halloween-style costumes in my Stereotype of the Month contest. Below are a few of them: