Cultural appropriation involves adopting elements from minority cultures without understanding or respecting their original context. Native American culture has long been ignored and destroyed by European settlers in the US. However, Americans now incorporate Native cultural elements into commercial products for economic benefit, such as Victoria's Secret using a feather headdress and Mac cosmetics using Navajo prints without credit. This appropriation treats Native culture as a fashion statement rather than respecting its deep significance. Society must recognize that another's culture is not a trend to exploit parts of while ignoring its full history and meaning.

1. By Keely Curry

2. Cultural appropriation is the act of adopting elements of
an outside, often minority culture, including knowledge,
practices, and symbols, without understanding or
respecting the original culture and context.
(dictionary.com)

3.  The culture and traditions of Natives has been ignored and destroyed by white
European settlers in the United States from the time they first arrived till present
day.
 Despite this erasure of Native culture by American settlers, Americans are now
trying to incorporate Native cultural elements into their own products for
economic benefit.

5.  Victoria Secret Fashion Show (2012) – Karlie Kloss was “November” in a segment
for the months of the year, wearing a feather headdress, suede fringe, turquoise
jewelry, and leopard-print accents to resemble Thanksgiving. This glamorized the
horrific genocide indigenous people experienced at the hands of European settlers
and American colonists.
 Elle Magazine (July 2014) – Pharrell is seen on the cover wearing a Native
headdress. This made a part of Native culture seem like a “fashion statement.”
 Mac “Vibe Tribe” collection - Packaging includes what look like Navajo-inspired
prints, and the name acknowledges Native culture yet there is no credit given to
their inspiration
 Native costumes for Halloween
 Redskin Logo / Name – racial term that many teams use as their team name
 Lone Ranger Film (2013) – Influenced by a Native yet there was no planning
surrounding production to accurately display Natives

6.  Pre-1790 – Ignoring Natives
 European explorers came onto Native land and claimed it as their own. Naming this
land as “America” after one of the explorer’s who “discovered” it, even thought there
were already people living on the land
 European explorers and settlers tried to assimilate Natives into believing in Christianity
instead of following their traditional views
 1790-1900 – Ignoring Natives
 Indian removal takes place in the 19th century when Natives were forced to leave their
lands and move West by the United States government
 1900 – Present – Appropriating Natives
 Non-Native society is consistently exploiting aspects of Native culture for their own
economic benefit

7.  Society needs to realize that one's culture is not a trend. You can't take certain
aspects of a culture that you like while ignoring all of the others.