this-is-not-native:

k-irstyy:

A pair of shorts spoke to me today and it was magical. They said, “Kirsty, be a modern day Native American girl for Halloween.” And in response, I bought feathers and leaves and painted stripes on my face.

What the hell is a “modern day Native American girl”? You do realize we still exist, right? And while I can’t speak for the rest of my indigenous sisters, I’m pretty sure none of us are running around in “feathers and leaves and painted stripes.”

You know what’s even more fucked up?  If we DO wear feathers, or moccasins or shawls, or beaded broaches in our hair, or even if we wear braids, we get a lot of negative attention.  We are being ‘too native’.  We are told that this is inappropriate in professional settings.  We are mocked.  We are treated with suspicion, particularly if we are in ‘positions of power’ (as teachers, managers, what have you). 

We have to do our best to blend into non-native culture, visually, to keep ourselves safe.