Cultural Appropriation

There is an interesting conversation happening amongst some Indigenous artist. In the past 15 or so years, I think most artists have become aware that it is profoundly inappropriate to use another's cultural symbols in their art form - especially if it is for commercial reasons. While clothes designers have been a bit slow in learning this lesson, most of us accept that certain types of symbols, rituals, stories or even music belong to specific cultural groups and should not be used by others. I am not always sure if I agree that such use is always disrespectful, but I respect the wishes of those who have for so long, had so much stolen from them. The waters about who can use what are about to get even muddier as politicians, authors and singers start to claim that their sometimes minuscule amounts of First Nations heritage allow them to claim status and cultural rights.

More recently an Indigenous singer was nominated for the best folk album at the Indigenous Music Awards (IMA). She was accused of cultural appropriation because she uses Inuit style throat singing in her music but has no Inuit cultural roots. Other musical artists have withdrawn from the awards in solidarity for the protest until Inuit representation is added to IMA board.

I suspect that many of us, although we should know better, would have assumed that Indigenous people would have seen themselves as all coming from the same colonial oppression and therefore not be as concerned about cultural appropriation with the broad spectrum of a First Nations heritage. But it does remind us that we need to be aware of everyone's differences and more importantly how those individuals interpret or respond to their differences. It is difficult to always know the answer until someone tells us how they feel.

We also need to be aware that there is some flexibility in the definition of such phrases as cultural appropriation. For example the group - A Tribe Called Red - who use hip hop and reggae-influenced dance music combined with elements of First Nations music, have withdrawn from the IMA presentations. No one questions their use of a music form that derives from the black experience in the Americas because both groups (indigenous and Black) have experienced oppression. But if a group of young black men from some inner city in the USA used elements of First Nations music - there would be some loud cries of cultural appropriation.

I understand that it will not ever be okay for me to take something from another culture and claim it for my own. But surely there are some gray lines. I have attended a number of Gatherings of the Rainbow Family. On occasion sitting around the fire, I tell one of two stories that I was told by a man named Blackie - an individual from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory - at a camp when I was 9 or so. Like all storytellers, the stories have been embellished, adapted over the past sixty years. But the theme has remained true to what Blackie said and I always at both the start and at the end of the story, tell the group listening who Blackie was.

If there was an Indigenous individual around the fire prepared to share a creation story from his Nation's culture, I would not tell my story - but there never has been. So I share what I know - in respect and in gratitude. Is it cultural appropriation? Probably. Is it wrong - I do not know.

As I said the waters are ever increasingly getting muddier.