RedFace: American Indian Cultural Appropriation

As Ruth Hopkins begins her article about this case (found here), "Now I've really seen it all." And here's what it is:

Here we have Michelle Williams in apparent RedFace, in an attempt to culturally appropriate American Indians for the cover of a British fashion and culture magazine, AnOther (interesting magazine name, too, but that's a discussion for another time!).

The Huffington post also covers this case here, as they explain, "While not everyone might be offended, there have been all too many instances of fashion professionals ruffling feathers with ill-conceived Native American-inspired projects." Indeed, akin to what we observed in No Doubts "Looking Hot" video as well as the recent Victoria's Secret fashion show, this type of racism and stereotyping American Indians is alive and well in society today - even across the pond.

As Ruth Hopkins boldly states in her piece:

...just as Blackface is never okay, Redface is never okay. Ever.Some folks contend that since it's acceptable to dress up as a cowboy, they should get a pass for dressing up as an ‘Indian.' Wrong. Donning the customary dress of a profession, like that of a cowboy, or a firefighter, or a police officer, is not comparable to wearing a hackneyed ‘Indian' costume because being Native is not an occupation. American Indians are an entire race of people. We are living, breathing, human beings, made up of hundreds of separate Tribal groups, each with their own history, culture, language, and often, land base. 


Indeed, here we have a clear case of a common type of cultural appropriation that we have discussed in class (the "we're a culture not a costume" campaign, campaign ad case, etc), and the media's role in it today. Elfriede Fursich wrote in her piece "How can global journalists represent the 'Other'? A critical assessment of the cultural studies concept for media practice" about this phenomenon. Fursich writes, "Journalism and media praxis hold a unique position in the creation of representations...the strategies of media representations must be continuously questioned, because cultural practices are also constantly changing" (72). 

It appears that this strategy is, in fact, continuing to be questioned - but what is being done about it? Look at sporting teams in our country, like the Cleveland Indians (full disclosure: my hometown), Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Braves - that have faced continuous protest for their own appropriations, but still exist today. (Though my team did get rid of its "Chief Wahoo" logo on all merchandise, replacing it with a "C," which is at least a step in the right direction.) What does this continued cultural appropriation mean for our world, and how much further can it go?