You Win Some, You Completely Lose Some: An Interview with Cultural Appropriation-ers

What's up cultural appropriation-ers! How you doin', feeling good?

First off, a question for our audience: have you heard of cultural appropriation? For those of you who haven't... Let's get started with a simple definition: cultural appropriation is the adoption of some specific elements of one culture by a different cultural group. I would like to add, it is often rooted in little to no education/knowledge and respect of cultural elements and/or a culture.

Let's get going with our interview picture and plus, it may help to really nail this home:
(Almost any picture can be used in lieu of the above)

The Interview:

Q1) So, what does this picture make you feel like? Good? Special? In-the-know of fashion and pop culture? Creative?
Answer from the young wannabe and/or hipster: Um, well, like, my friends all have one and it's fun to party in, I don't even remember this picture being taken (laughs). But, this is what Natives used to do right, I mean well not all the time, but they did it... didn't they? You should see the video of us doing the Native warrior call with it, but then my friend passes out in the video.. so maybe not.

Q2) Do you know what this is, where it came from and why it is important to their culture?
Answer: Who's culture?

Sub Q2) Native American culture...
Answer from the person who is too cool for school, yet not too cool to be like everyone else: You mean Indians? It's their costume, and it's better than being naked all day. I don't care, I just wear it for fun.

Q3) How would you feel is people started to wear Scottish kilts out shopping and partying (in North America)?
Answer from the person who only wears non-offensive cultural appropriation 'stuff': I'd laugh, who would wear a kilt?! I mean really.

Sub Q3) Well, what about the Pope's mitre hat? You know, the one that is simliar to a chess piece. It is a religious appropriation, but still.

Answer from the person who just wants to be accepted: That would be really mean and cruel, and plus it would kind of be weird, you know? Why would you wear something like that, that's just mean.

End of The Interview.

Here I thought Natives/Indians/Indigenous People/Aboriginal People and whatever else is out there were making headway - but, before I get all sappy, we are! It's just a shame we are being posterized, manipulated and mocked in the worst of ways. And that some of these ways receive more attention than the the 'authentic' Native American 'stuff'.

As I sit here with my moccasins on blogging, I wonder, who else is wearing moccasins out there and why?

FYI: A sarcastic, yet real post (I'm hoping). All answers from 'The Interview' are either taken from overheard conversations and taken from blogs, or completely made up. But, both come with a twist of parody and a pinch of hyperbole.

Neech.