My tattoos #5 - culturally appropriative "indian maid"
I saw this image on a sheet of "flash" and thought it was beautiful. After some time having this tattoo I realized that I was probably guilty of cultural appropriation. . .
But it was another apprentice work from Russell Griswald and was free of charge. While I still love the color and the image, I realize that it is actually politically incorrect and makes me somewhat uncomfortable in the presence of certain company, for sure.
I got this tattoo because I have always been fascinated with native american culture, how we have lost so much of that history is saddening. This tattoo was purely out of vanity, so I am somewhat self-conscious about it. Women never wore headdresses as far as I know, and the features on this portrait are not apparently native american. I hope you can forgive me or give afvice on how to make right on this.
Down with colonialism!
Down with racism!
Love from awkward situations,
Tommyinthesun
"We assert a posture of zero-tolerance for any "white man's shaman" who rises from within our own communities to "authorize" the expropriation of our ceremonial ways by non-Indians; all such "plastic medicine men" are enemies of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people."
This type of thing is what really ticks me off. People acting like they are healers and shamans, and reeling in upper-class white people with their clean and safe version of spirituality that steals distorts a tradition that is already having a hard time existing without people taking it away and making it more appropriate for consumption.
The biggest question to me is "What is your intent?". In this case there is intent to profit, not to share culture because of a true appreciation. I completely agree that extorting culture for money is wrong. But the whole "white people can't have dreads" argument is a far cry from this. The term Cultural appropriation has been so broadened it means nothing.
Update: White people participating in Yoga is now 'cultural appropriation'...
I think cultural appropriation is a lot more complex than that definition entails. I think there are certainly instances that occur today and have occurred throughout history that are rooted in disrespect and meant to delegitimize others, but I don't like how black and white (for lack of a better term) this issue has become. In my personal opinion, I do not agree that dipping into each other's cultures should be viewed as harmful or wrong. I think your tattoo shows nothing disrespectful or demeaning and therefore should not be viewed as wrong simply because you do not share the same ethnicity as the woman pictured.
I could ramble on but I'll leave it at that haha.
I just think it's bad to profit off of novelizing or stealing another peoples cultural art forms or customs. Kind of like the Dia De Los Muetros and how all the big stores sell "sugar skull" stuff.
Fuck cultural (mis)appropriation! Is it off-limits to show appreciation or adoration of an element of a particular culture? In reality, I think that should be perceived as flattering and very, very far away from offensive.
If you take it upon yourself to take something from my culture that you may perceive and go as far as to tattoo it on your body from the position of "this is a beautiful thing," why should anyone be offended by that? The only emotion that I can think of that evoking is some sort of sincere flattery.
People want something to rage about, fuck that! We can all be cool.
I think the only time that it is an issue is when someone is profiting financially or socially by novelizing or commercializing the cultural heritage of another group of "less fortunate" people.
Cultural (mis)appropriation shouldn't take our time in doing other important things. Infact, it shouldn't be a social discussion because history has shown us how deceptive this ideology could be. Love your life!
i think about cultural appropriation a lot! i also have a questionably culturally appropriative tattoo myself! props to you for sharing this and starting this conversation.
i recently read a really great book that talked about this from another perspective. In it, Ta-Nehisi Coates was wondering why the Zulus hadn't created a Tolstoy, and whether this made the Zulus culturally inferior (obvs wrong and racist), or whether the Zulus have their own Tolstoy who has been ignored (which would also be shitty).
In the end, he realized that Tolstoy is the Tolstoy of the Zulus-- "unless you find a profit in fencing off universal properties of mankind into exclusive tribal ownership." He points out that the fencing and the exclusivity is the basis for the whole fake concept of races to begin with.
It was a really great book-- really clear and insightful. Between the World and Me, if you haven't read it already!
Cool ! l like it !
What do you think of cultural appropriation?