Arguement Analysis on Cultural Appropriation

When most people hear of Native Americans, they cannot help but think of elaborate headdresses, red skinned warriors, and lively dancing. Although these aspects of Native American culture are fascinating, more important is where they fare in our society 's past and present. Restrictive laws and acts such as the Indian Removal Act, the Indian Reorganization Act, Fort Laramie treaties, and the Trail of Tears forced Native Americans from their lands. When settlers and the American government saw the resistance of Native Americans to forced assimilation, they resorted to racial discrimination and relocation to reservations. This history of discrimination has fueled calls for the United States government to pay reparations and the return of Native Americans to their indigenous lands.

During the end of the nineteenth century, the United States had formed policies which reduced land allotted to Native Americans. By enforcing these laws as well as Anglo-American ideals, the United States compromised indigenous people’s culture and ability to thrive in its society.

Any level of intrusion and unwanted exposure to another person’s culture will inevitably have a detrimental effect on your own. The Native American Indian people’s forced appropriation of western European culture has had such a negative effect on their culture that many tribes were entirely decimated. The American Indian people’s culture and society was built almost entirely around their connection to the land, which was taken away from them.

Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of the elements of one culture by members of another culture. Cultural appropriation is portrayed as rude, called cultural misappropriation, and claims to be a violation of the history of a culture. Often unavoidable when cultures come together, cultural appropriation can include using another culture's traditions, such as fashion, symbols, language, and cultural songs without permission. Even though society consistently uses Native American and African American styles at festivals, in magazines and on celebrities, this form of cultural appropriation is not right because we are not using it for the right reasons.

Historical trauma, as Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart expressed, is being carried on the genes of Native people without being notice, is something heavy that cause pain and unconformity that it is slowly killing them. As the article refer that historical trauma is “the cumulative emotional and psychological wounding, over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma experiences.” Meaning that the things that happen in the past are still hurting people now, and it needs a great attention and cultural focus. It is really important to show a true respect to Native American culture, so it will be able to accurately help Native Americans from the roots of the problem. A lot of people will argue that what happen to the Native American community happened long time ago, but according to this article, Healing the American Indian Soul Wound, actually is something that kept on happening not so long ago, for example, “it was only in 1994 that native peoples were allowed to practice some forms of religion without fear of reprisal by state and federal government policies” (p. 345). It is surprising that this was still happening in 1994, which is so recent, and it shows a lot of immaturity from the government on the topic of respecting others as human beings. I actually argue with people that cultural genocide over Native Americans is something that I will not doubt is still happening now. I have a strong belief that

But, in the case of Native Americans our American culture create stereotypes based upon what

The position of several Native Indians’ people in the United States today is due to colonization of the Americas almost five centuries ago. Since the conquest and appropriation of their land, Native Indians have experienced several mishaps and complications. They are continuously discriminated against to where they are even excluded from political and social issues in our society. Indians are often labeled with stereotypes that are detrimental and destructive. In fact, if an average United Statesians was to describe their idea and thoughts of what Native Indians are like, one would get a list of stereotypical behaviors that is seemingly unfavorable and negative.

They might have the rights they fought for, but they are not free of discrimination. People are not educated about the loss these two cultures have gone through. In, “The First Americans,” The Grand Council Fire of American Indians says, “...” People who are uneducated are the ones who appropriate culture. Culture appropriation is a sociological concept which views the adoption of one culture by members of a different culture as a largely negative phenomenon. It happens every day. It happens when celebrities use African culture in their music videos to promote their music to make more money or when people dress like Native Americans for Halloween, but shame other parts of Native American

A man stands proud and tall, an elegant headdress of feathers adorning his head. He is not at a ceremony, nor is he going to war to preserve his way of life. He is not Native American, either, and he is not alone. At the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival, people like this man gather in throngs to listen to alternative rock and electronic dance music. They often claim to be honoring Native American tradition, but others consider his choices offensive. Cultural borrowing and assimilation have been, and continue to be an integral part of American society, but some think that this diffusion has gone as far as theft. In order to determine that, however, on must cast a discerning eye on both arguments.

Ever since the European settlements began in the America’s in the early 1500’s, indigenous tribes have endured continuous hardships in order to coexist with white settlements and still maintain a sense of self and native cultural identity. Many of the hardships experienced by the Native American Indians were the results of empty promises made by European settlers who used foreign laws, religion, and language barriers to oppress those Indians who were willing to conform. Later, and further into the development of the United States, foreign laws and languages were used as a premise to manipulate the Native Americans into giving up their promised lands so big businesses could harvest their resources. Because the Native Americans were a

Myths and stereotypes create many dangerouse and challenging environments for both Native and Non-Native Americans, but most importantly, I will focus on Native Americans. As a result of Native mistreatment by Europeans though out history,

Americans have for some time been intrigued with the symbolism and legend of Native Americans. From early students of history to Mark Twain to Hollywood, Native Americans have been seen as savages, aggressors, monotonal in voice, and drunks. Local Americans have impacted America's origin including natural issues to the eating regimen and sustenances we eat. It was not until the entry of the European pilgrims that Native Americans confronted the decay of their progress and culture. Occasions of the past have demonstrated the relationship between European pilgrims and Native Americans have not generally been lovely. The expanded history between these two gatherings has negatively affected indigenous individuals, because of the death toll and

Native Americans are composed of numerous, distant tribes, bands and ethnic groups, many of which survive as intact, sovereign nations. Once a self-governing, self-sufficient people, America Indians were forced to give up their homes and their land, and to subordinate themselves to an alien culture. From the origin of their tribes in the 1500’s to the early nineteenth century, American Indians have experienced oppression. Today, American Indians are more numerous than they have been for several centuries (Andersen & Collins, 2012). Today, Native Americans have a unique

2.Certain myths about Native Americans make them feel as if there is no progress within their community. Within the media, Native Americans are often portrayed towards living in archaic conditions with structures such as teepees. These images often lead people to think that the Native community has not evolved with the white society. Thus, when images of Native chiefs and princess’s are shown they offend them because they are only represented by the white supremacist viewpoint. These images make people believe that the Natives are stuck at a certain time period. Whenever images like the “Nobel Savage” are introduced it causes many within the Native community to get fueled with anger because it is not true, for Natives had already developed civilizations amongst their own people with equality for all. The Nobel Savage ideal portrays them as vulnerable people, when in fact; Native Americans were capable of

Americans are taught one narrative of the colonization of North America; it is the European or white man’s version of events. Children all over the United States see pictures of Indians barely wearing clothes and wearing headdresses covered in feathers and larger than the very heads they sit on. Though, this narrative is not contained to inaccurate history books it is represented in books, movies even advertisements. Time and time again Indians are portrayed as savages who lack morals and are devoid of humanity.