“Historically, members of racial and ethnic, as well as sexual and gender minority communities, have been ridiculed and portrayed as deviant, lazy, sub-human and unintelligent,” said Jabbar R. Marginalized groups can become a target if people are given a pass to assume a new identity. “When we dehumanize others, we position ourselves to justify and accept other forms of violence such as sexual assault and murder.”ĭiscriminatory representations are not limited to race and ethnicity. “Misrepresentation and acts to dehumanize others have long been a way for certain groups to exercise racial superiority,' said Dennis Martell, former director of Health Promotion. Halloween can be an opportunity to creatively dress and decorate, but experts say it’s important to consider how costumes that portray specific groups of people in demeaning ways - as criminals, hyper-sexualized and or grotesque caricatures - can perpetuate harmful stereotypes. While most think of Halloween as a time to dress in costume and celebrate all things spooky, it also can become a breeding ground for racist, sexist, ableist, culturally insensitive and biased behaviors. This story was originally published in October 2021.įor many visible and invisible identities, Halloween summons more than ghouls and goblins. Our history does not fit inside a plastic bag on a shelf.OctoHenry Mochida, Beth Brauer and Bethany Balks You are not honoring diverse Native cultures by adorning yourself with a costume sold to the masses depicting the false ways we are seen. This starts by not dressing up, and not supporting or allowing Indian costumes within your space. It is time to change the dominant stories and create our own narratives and shift the face of public opinion. The goal is to move hearts and minds toward greater respect, inclusion, and social justice for Native Americans. They are held by mostly non-Native people, coming from a place of ignorance and blatant disregard, and oftentimes racism and oppression.įirst Nations’ Reclaiming Native Truth is a national effort to foster cultural, social, and policy change by empowering Native Americans to counter discrimination, invisibility, and the dominant narratives that limit Native opportunity and access to justice, health and self-determination.

They are not ours, nor created or told by us. These untrue narratives make us invisible or reduce us to stereotypes. Too many people in the United States hold false stories and beliefs about Native Americans in their hearts and minds. We as a society are still accepting this mockery. This is the situation with Indian costumes. These narratives reinforce stereotypes and allow oppressive systems and norms to stay in place. These stories are passed along by family and friends, by the news media, entertainment and pop culture, education and public art, and policies, and much more. One of the points that came out of this research was about narratives – the broadly accepted stories that reinforce ideas, norms, issues, and expectations in society. In 2016, First Nations conducted unprecedented research to increase our understanding of the dominant narrative about Native peoples in the United States called Reclaiming Native Truth. Accepting the use of Indian costumes perpetuates a misrepresentation of Indigenous cultures and dehumanization of Indigenous peoples, creating psychological trauma that manifests in depression and shame – especially among our Native youth.Īccepting costumes means accepting the status quo Native men are characterized with big headdresses and loincloths, and Native women are put in scant, faux leather-fringed dresses, adorned with small headbands and feathers. Our society is much too comfortable mocking and sexualizing Indigenous peoples. This tells us a lot about the value assigned to Native Americans in this country, and how we still have a long way to go to universal cultural respect. While in many ways the nation is beginning to recognize that practices like blackface are indeed offensive and wrong, there are others who cannot grasp how dressing up like an Indian princess, warrior, queen, or chief is similar and just as bad. Wearing of these costumes is a sign of the overall acceptance of cultural appropriation and bastardization of Native cultures. This blatant disregard for Indigenous peoples and their (very different) cultures is disrespectful and offensive. Systemic racism comes in many forms, and one way it is popularly seen is in undignified, mass-produced Halloween Indian costumes. Environmental Justice and Indian Country.Strengthening Tribal & Community Institutions.Advancing Household & Community Asset-Building Strategies.

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