Exactly what the hell is this

[unusualmusic_lj_archive]

So the best that the designers of the Ms. Universe Canada could come with in terms of National Dress is to plunk a feathered war bonnet that is considered sacred to the Cree Indians atop a sequinned Cree-inspired bikini?

Aboriginal designer calls Miss Universe Canada’s 2008 costume “offensive”

By Pieta Woolley

Wearing a Cree-inspired, fringed leather bikini encrusted with rhinestones and a feathered war bonnet, the woman representing Canada at the Miss Universe pageant 2008 in Vietnam appeared before more than one billion global TV viewers on July 13. Samantha Tajik, 26, who was born in Iran, grew up in Vancouver, and now lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Yesterday, however, one of Canada’s foremost aboriginal designers called Tajik’s national costume “offensive”. Dorothy Grant told the Georgia Straight that sexualizing the war bonnet is tantamount to sexualizing another cultures’ spiritual symbol.
“A war bonnet to Cree people or the Prairie Indian people, it’s a sacred thing,” she said. “It’s used in ceremonies, in peace treaties, used in official addresses. It’s not used as a costume to walk on a stage with a deer-skin bikini.”
The Miss Universe Canada organization, Beauties of Canada, and Miss Universe didn’t respond to the Straight’s calls.

What, native religions don't matter, so anything at all can be done with them?

Comments

[sanguinity]

I couldn't speak for spluttering when I saw that. So much for "honoring" Native cultures. And just to show how very deeply they don't get it, they used that photo as the homepage of--

Oh, now that's interesting. That photo isn't the homepage anymore. Which, at least, is something.

But not nearly as much something as I would like.

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

Now see, the more I think of this, the more fucked up this is. Considering the ISSUES that Canada has with its Native American population? This? As their national dress? Really? REALLY? And whats so funny about this to me? The contestant is Iranian. Score one for diversity. And then they fuck it up by cultural appropriation that is insulting to boot!!! Oy!!!

[sanguinity]

Indians make great mascots, didn't you know?

Yeah, I had to click through to see what her ethnicity was, too. If she was Cree it'd be one thing -- I still wouldn't think that costume was the Best Choice for that venue, but it'd make a difference.

But this? Is crap. It's one thing when white people do this; it's just one more quarter-inch of knife-twist to know that they're just that good at spreading their stereotypes around.

I dunno if your sources pointed it out or not, but most contestants in that part of the competition were wearing floor-length gowns. Which makes the hypersexualized aspect of playing Indian that much more horrid.