Cultural Appropriation: Exploitation or Assimilation?

n his paper, “From Cultural Exchange to Transculturation: A Review and Reconceptualization of Cultural Appropriation” Richard A. Rogers defines cultural appropriation as being, “inescapably intertwined with cultural politics. It is involved in the assimilation and exploitation of marginalized and colonized cultures and in the survival of sub orientated cultures and their resistance to dominant cultures” (Rodgers 474). To put it simply cultural appropriation usually is when the majority race, white, try to adapt some form of a minority culture and often turning it into a sort of trend. This can happen to a variety of races in a multitude of ways, the use of Japanese kimonos, cornrows that are associated with the black community turning into

There have been constant instances by fashion companies, music festivals and even makeup brands. Over the last few years, music festivals have been known for common places where the cultural appropriation of Natives is seen as a fashion trend. The attendees and even some performers are known to be decked in headdresses, faux feathers, and war paint as a fashion statement or costume. This not only disrespects the Native people and their culture but perpetuates the stereotypes and reduces them to a costume. Festivals like Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) are common places that are known for their attendees

These instances of appropriation can especially be seen within fashion brands that feed into this festival trend that has been rampant for the last few

They go on to say, “The collection has absolutely no connection to nor was it inspired by Native American cultures”. On its website this is the description that MAC provides for the collection, “Sound and self-expression converge in the vast canvas of the desert. Lose control and imagine yourself in lips painted reckless shades of red and coral, or a flash of gold. Let your eyes escape reality in teal, cobalt, mandarin and charcoal, as free-spirited nails glisten in succulent tangerine and the perfect, buttery nude. Join the tribe. Feel the vibe” (MA.C. Cosmetics). This imagery plays right into the idea of who Native Americans are, using words and phrases such as “reckless”, “lose control” and “free-spirited” but yet their claim that this is inspire my music festivals, the known place of cultural appropriation. The fact that the company denied that it had any association to any Native culture and yet feeds into the stereotypical idea of what their culture is like, especially with the description that is