drum circle cultural appropriation
Adrienne K., from the excellent blog Native Appropriations, recently appeared on the Al Jazeera English show The Stream to discuss issues of cultural appropriation of Native American cultures in fashion and home decor, sports mascots, and so on. Oberlender I. I appreciate your candor in this piece and am sure many of us have felt the same regret (and perhaps a little shame) when we have not spoken up in public when weve felt it was called for. Dressed in turkey feather or porcupine and deer head- dresses, wearing leather chaps, and stripped to the waist, the band of 18 warriors, led by heap big chief Francis Burshears rushed into the lodge room and captured the attention and applause of more than twice their number. You cant truly appreciate without this deeper awareness. What is cultural appropriation, and how does it differ from cultural Not surprising in a state that forced out the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations in its greedy quest for gold, that led to a notorious act of genocide the Sand Creek Massacre. Idk which is why I'm asking. By the 1860s, the Dakota brought the Omaha Dance into Anishinaabeg country where it was referred to as the Sioux Dance. Is the source and inspiration of the music and traditions being acknowledged? Its also worth considering why a movie about a key aspect of Black culture needed a white main character and a mostly white cast. Appropriation is already a microaggression against people of color. But I do thank this festival for doing away with theirs, whatever the reason. Appropriating these items for your own use without taking time to recognize and explore their significance diminishes, demeans, and disrespects that culture and its people. The issue of cultural appropriation in the classroom is definitely one which educators should reflect on. It's a controversial topic, one that activists and celebrities like Adrienne Keene and Jesse Williams have helped bring into the national spotlight. Here's how to opt, The relationship people have with their bodies is more complex than their Instagram caption or photo. 224-49. Even if youre familiar with the term and know its something to avoid, you might have some lingering uncertainties as to where the line between appropriation and appreciation lies. I shared the picture of the Wildhorse Pow Wow drummers on my meditation FB page, OceanCrest. It was a small Native American drum, the type that is suspended from a stand and played by several drummers at once with large padded drum sticks. In her stories, the founder of the American wizardry school is a white woman. ~ Basil Johnson. Hethushka dancers wore their warrior regalia, including roaches, scalps of opponents represented by braids of sweet grass, eagle bone whistles, and feather belts or bustles. Cywinksaid even if people are learning the language and participating in the ceremony, it doesn't mean they can lead the ceremony, adding that part of the protocol is conducting ceremonies within those languages, not English. Consequently, white people continue to benefit and hold positions of power. Black denies accepting payment for drum circles. Thank you for this post. Everything! Cultural Appropriation Definition and Examples - What is Cultural Last medically reviewed on August 24, 2021. A Calgary man has sparked a debate in Nunavut over cultural appropriation after he was filmed wearing Inuit sealskin clothing and demonstrating drum dancing and throatsinging at an Aboriginal. In September, the Koshares issued their first press release: Scouts of Troop 230 met last evening and perfected a formal organization of the Indian club, which will be known as the Koshare club. People try to pretend like one thing is insulting to a culture, without understanding the complexity of a culture and everything else it has. I did it on a volunteer basis for approximately 10 years," she said in an emailed response to CBCNews. if anything I'd think the whole purpose of a drum circle is respecting! Such laws would have limited application since they could only be applied within the tribal domain; but they would give a tribe the power to issue resolutions that strongly condemn specific acts of appropriation. The description Patrick Victor Naranjo writes: Cultural properties and the traditional knowledge associated with these indigenous identities are not relevant to the dominant perception of American Indians, as represented by the Cleveland Indian mascot and Koshare dance performance. He even goes so far as to explain jazz, a music style created by Black artists, to a Black character and take on the role of white savior in his efforts to keep jazz alive. These traditions, imported to North America with the enslaved Mandingue population, were incorporated into African American culture and re-introduced with subsequent African American interest in African culture from the 1940's until present. You can also make needed recipe modifications with an underlying understanding of the cultural context of the dish while still giving credit to that culture. (2019). You might not realize, but that design comes from a stereotype about [Y] culture. When Uzoruo was blocked from communicating with Black, she reached out to Anthony Barr but saidshe never received a response. When a person from a specific culture explains that your actions are harmful, theyre harmful. I loved going out dancing in my street clothes, sitting on the wood benches around the arbor, listening to the old men at their drums, and looking at all the beautiful dancers in their colorful regalia. Why? Although its appropriation has, by no means, replaced Native American dance itself, it has provided a representative of dance that distorts and misinforms a tribal reality. In the morning as we were settling in, it would have been so easy to go over and say something about feet on a drum and West African reverence for the drum, needing to respect the drum and the culture of its origin. The drum leader introduced the drum, talking about how it came to her and naming the man who made it. Does cultural appropriation cause harm? There was Papeekawis who gave dances to the Anishinaabeg and instilled in them a love for dancing. Cultural appropriation is using or taking something from another culture without giving proper recognition or respect to that culture. Specific dances include the ghost dance, eagle dance, deer dance, butterfly dance, and chiefs dance. Discussion of Cultural Appropriation - Sociological Images TikTok influencers eventually began to share videos of themselves performing the dance, without crediting Harmon. People who appropriate cultural elements dont recognize or honor the true meaning or purpose of those elements. Their repertoire includes dances from the Sioux, Kiowa, Ojibwe, Blackfoot, Navajo, Comanche, and Hopi. And social media can be used to apply pressure to expose flagrant acts of appropriation. The halftime show was the main feature. Henna: Its history and cultural significance. Probably the most authentic Finnish thing you can do is rent a lakeside cabin for a few days, though your choice will be limited at short notice. Also, she recognized her responsibility to remind drummers to be respectful of the drum. See additional information. Aaron Carter-Enyi, Kevin Nathaniel Hylton, Canadian Music Educator / Musicien Educateur au Canada, Pan African Journal of Musical Arts Education (JMAE), PhD dissertation, University of British Columbia, Mainstream or marginal? Culture refers to the traditions, customs, beliefs, and practices of any given ethnic, racial, or religious group. the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information. When you witness a friend or loved one appropriating someone elses culture, you might wonder whether its best to keep quiet. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Cultural appropriation is not, and never has been a good - Reddit To the rhythm of a grand entry song, the dancers formed a circle at the center of the field around the Vikings logo, and performed break dances with songs appropriate for each category. Its real motivation is sales, not salvation. Among the Anishinaabe, a new dance style emerged for women ziibaaska`iganagooday, the jingle dress. Traditional councils were overshadowed by progressive tribal entities that would become formalized under the Indian Reorganization Act in 1936. Uzoruosaid she found Black'sresponse to Indigenous people's concerns around non-Indigenous people leading ceremony to be dismissive and problematic. The only good option is to listen, learn, and change your behavior. Ironically, both the Far Left AND Far Right now agree that white people shouldnt play hand drums. In other words, people who appropriate generally pick and choose only the elements they consider appealing and ignore the rest, along with any important cultural context behind those elements. It includes people of all ages. Lastly, there was Chibiabos who brought songs to the Anishinaabeg and taught them that music was the language of the soul. Cultural . It represents the dark side of colonialism that, by its nature, subjugates the things that culturally diverse people value, and turns them into a commodity that they can profit from. All rights reserved. Cultural appropriation takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way. He said they claimed to be shamans or medicine people practising different Indigenous ceremonies, and he said this still goes on today. On November 22, I was part of a halftime dance performance at the TCF Bank Stadium where the Minnesota Vikings celebrated Native American Heritage Month. The Nandobaniishimowin dance complex consisted of several interconnected dances. What defines cultural appropriation? - BBC Culture Not everyone criticized this look. I also am sharing this on my personal FB page. In fact, the screenshots were from two different pages on Black's website. Cultural appropriation, then, happens when another culture borrows any of these cultural elements, typically without asking permission or crediting the source culture. "A lot of people that I know don't support non-Natives taking these kinds of ceremonial situations and turning them into their money-making happenings," he said. Can people of this culture freely use this item without discrimination? Uzoruo emailed Black in the hopes of opening up a dialogue, but said the response she received was disappointing. They also fail to give credit where credit is due. I came across a check list someone posted about this kind of issue and have added to it and modified it a little : A viral video that surfaced via Instagram and Reddit on Sunday shows a verbal dispute that took place between a Las Vegas street performer and a passerby regarding the cultural origins of his. The Indians were members of Boy Scout Troop 230 and of the Koshara (note spelling) club which grew out of that organization. Am I using this item (or clothing, word, practice, and so on) to learn more about the culture? Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Two non-Indigenous new age healers in Ontario are being called out by a Black-Indigenous woman for appropriating ceremonies in their practices. Each team will form a drum circle and perform their collective voice, no more than 1-2 minutes. These groups include the Kwahadi Dancers Venture Crew 9, Aabikta Indian Dancers, Coyote Night Dancers, Kaniengehaga Dance Team, Kootaga Indian Dancers, Inc., Kossa Indian Dancers, Crew 476 Lakota Dancers, Paumanauke Dance Team, Sahawe Indian Dancers, The Mic-O-Say Dancers, Tsoyaha Indian Dancers / Mossy Creek. Heres the first clue: If a person of color says your behavior is culturally appropriative, take that criticism at face value. What we want to achieve in our classroom is the promotion of cultural appreciation, not cultural appropriation. Each team will be given $10 to purchase necessary materials on Friday, June 23rd 2017. I just think because its Canada and Canada already has a thing with the Aboriginal people that possibly a drum circle may be appropriating given the context. Since that misrepresents Japanese culture, it would become appropriation. The name was derived from the term Nandobaniiwin, meaning warfare. Most importantly, dance became a way to decolonize my identity that had been subjugated by the boarding schools my parents and grandparents were forced to attend. So in honor of Canada turning 150 work has been planning all these competition events. In short, dance has a deep and rich history among tribal peoples. Two non-Indigenous new age healers in Ontario are being called out for appropriating ceremonies in their practices by a Black-Indigenous woman. Legon Journal of the Humanities (2016). Adele wore this hairstyle, along with a Jamaican flag bikini, to celebrate the canceled 2020 Notting Hill Carnival, an annual event originally created to share Caribbean culture and promote multiculturalism. Here are our top picks for online, BetterHelp is an online therapy service that allows you to text-chat with a licensed therapist. Basil Johnson writes: These performances [were] more like ballet in style and purpose than ordinary dances. (n.d.). Black said in an email that sheaccepts payment only for weddings. Sounds like an excuse. This is such an important step that hopefully will lead to more people thinking about what they can further do to work with those communities. The Koshare program relies on corporate funding and grants, and individual membership donations for their activities and for their museum. I went to an elder, gave him asemaa (tobacco), told him of my dream, and he said that the manidoog (spirits) were telling me to dance. A study of the musical practices of three African immigrant performers in Norway, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Performing Blackness and African Diasporic Identity: Djembe Drumming in Washington DC, Performing Blackness And African Diasporic Identity, Contemporary Women Drummers and Social Action: Focus on Community Service, Drum Circles and the Effect on Wellbeing in a Community Setting, The Politics of Representation and Transmission in the Globalization of Guinea's Djembe, Teach Me Drums: Learning Rhythms through the Embodiment of a Drumming Teacher in Virtual Reality, Medical Ethnomusicology and Its Applications within Western Music Therapy, Introduction to The Beat of My Drum by Babatunde Olatunji, Rhtythms of Culture: djembe and African memory in American American cultural traditions, How We Got into Drum Circles, and How to Get Out: De-Essentializing African Music, Banging the same old colonial drum? Background: Wellbeing plays an essential role in a complete and health community. I just wanted to let you know people from that culture might find it offensive and hurtful.. James. What is cultural appropriation and how do we avoid it? - CELA Cultural appropriation is an idea that comes from sociology and is when a dominant culture takes items from a minority culture and incorporates them. I'm sorry, but I hate drum circles. It was only a six and half minute performance, but it left an indelible impression on the dancers, singers, and crowd of 52,000 fans. Getting henna body art might seem like a harmless way to appreciate something beautiful. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. The end result? Do those count as appropriation? Someone youve offended may offer an explanation, but you shouldnt expect them to fully educate you on what counts as appropriation and why. RHYTHM, DRUMMING, AND SHAMANISM - Society for Shamanic Practice A drum circle is a celebration of life and community with the goal to share rhythm and form group consensus. It was against this backdrop that J.R. Buck Burshears founded the Koshare dancers in 1933. The results will be compared with the hopes of yielding similar themes. [1] A Lesson from the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 about Cultural Appropriation and Tribal Sovereignty: What Santa Clara Pueblo Can Do to Protect Tewa Cultural Property, 2012. Someday I knew I would be a dancer. This notion fails to take into account that people of other cultures are often forced to assimilate, or adopt aspects of the dominant culture, to thrive, if not survive. In my opinion, if all your culture boils down to is drums, its a shit culture and i dont care about it. Six dance categories were represented mens traditional, womens traditional, grass dance, jingle dress, fancy shawl, and fancy feather. After we closed, I spoke with a friend who has been drumming in West African traditions for a long time. (2016). The recipe, originally named Weeknight Ginger Chicken Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Soup), presented a fusion version of pho that failed to acknowledge actual elements of pho, including key ingredients, the effort and time required to make it, or even the traditional presentation of the dish.
