Evenko Bans Indigenous Headdresses To Combat Cultural Offenses
Evenko Is Not Allowing Aboriginal Headgear at all Three of its Summer Festivals: IleSoniq, OSHEAGA, and Heavy MTL.
When all three festivals announced online that they were banning native American headdresses, there was an instantaneous reaction from the public. The initial face-value response was overwhelmingly positive, people are in full support of the policy.
However, with any serious decision, there were people voicing their opinions about the new rules and some people even stated that it’s putting too much attention on one particular culture. The actual purpose of the ban seems to be hidden in the surge of feedback, so here is some clarification to help your considerations.
Evenko’s reasoning for this relatively new implementation is explained on Facebook, “The First Nations Headdresses have a spiritual and cultural meaning in the native communities and to respect and honor their people, îleSoniq asks fans and artists attending the festival to not use this symbol as a fashion accessory.”
Essentially they want to stop the growing mass of festival attendees who felt it socially acceptable to buy an inauthentic aboriginal headdress and wear it out without any prior reflection.
Photo by Joel Ryan
Yet the underlying reasons for the ban go much deeper than just stumping your whole attire agenda. The real offensive is the inconsiderate values attached to those wearing the headdress and negligence to historical and horrific facts.
The First Nations people living in Canada have seen their culture disappear because of residential schools which were operational for over a hundred years. By 1920, all First Nations children were forced into residential schools where their kinship, identity, and heritage were stripped away.
A large portion of the aboriginal population remaining seek to conserve and emphasize their traditional ways of life. One way is through dance; bodily movements and routines are taught through every generation. Another attempt is by replicating ancestral apparel; such as hand stitching moccasins, colour dying dresses, or even recreating headdresses.
Ultimately the indigenous headwear is not made for festival goers, but is to be worn and fitted for its original community and for chiefs of a high status on special ceremonial occasions.
So how can someone justify their own cultural appropriation of a sacred garment when they lack insight about the historical significance associated to that garment?
Photo by Mike Morin
A theoretical line needs to be drawn between socially appropriate symbols and culturally offensive material. The separation is not easy because what one person might think is fine, another could interpret as extremely rude. Thus, when in doubt, it’s best to be as respectful as possible.
Hey Alex, to touch on this it really comes down to cultural appropriation.
Wearing a headdress for some comes with cultural and racial generalizations about a certain type of people, but then is deemed cool when people with privilege take it upon themselves to wear it. Wearing it at a festival is a way of ignoring and not acknowledging the privilege you have to wear a headdress without worry or burden of some of the generalizations that often get applied when those of the very culture wear it. It is something we see the privilege majorities do often to minority cultures and traditions.