Petition Closed

We, the undersigned demand Coachella Music Festival amend its Rules & Policies to include a dress code forbidding culturally appropriative attire. This policy should include but not be limited to Native Headdresses, & bindis.

MorningStar Angeline
Albuquerque, NM
1,515
Supporters

As a young woman who enjoys various types of music, I have always hoped to make it to Coachella however, as a Native American I am quite apprehensive due to the lack of regulations against cultural appropriative attire. Music Festivals should be an enjoyable experience for festival goers of all races and cultures. Members of minorities should not be subjected to attire that offends not only themselves but their entire culture.

Why is cultural appropriation wrong? What is it?

Cultural appropriation is “A term used to describe the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another. It is in general used to describe Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms, and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance. The concept has come into literary and visual art criticism by analogy with the acquisition of artefacts (the Elgin marbles, Benin bronzes, Lakota war shirts, etc.) by Western museums. The term emerged during the last twenty years of the 20th cent. as part of the vocabulary of the post‐colonial critique of Western expansionism” (Oxford Reference). It can also be simply defined as the act of “borrowing” or outright stealing an element from an entire culture and utilizing it for a purpose it was not originally created for (specifically those items of religious/spiritual importance).

Cultural appropriation has many negative effects on cultures. Minorities have long been the victims of violence and injustice and as a result, those cultures have become rightfully sensitive to content that utilizes their culture and beliefs. In some cases the sharing of cultures is acceptable and positive however, it is the intent behind the desire to participate that is the deciding factor. When a person who is not a member of a culture decides to utilize an element of a culture without permission, it then becomes appropriation. That person is exercising their privilege over the spiritual/religious significance of a culture and desecrating the sacred item at issue. Most of these cultures have been in existence for thousands of years and the traditions within those cultures are still practiced today. The cultures which are being appropriated are not an ancient part of history, they are traditions which are honored and protected to this day. Appropriating cultures means disrespecting their struggle as a mass, and also belittling the hardships of the individuals.

In the context of music festivals cultural appropriation is especially offensive because it is worn purely for the aesthetics and when this offensive behavior is not reprimanded or even taken upon review, that behavior is deemed acceptable. The Coachella Music Festival does not constitute as a religious or cultural event nor is it organized by a religious or cultural group thus wearing attire specific to a culture/religion is not acceptable.

Have any other music festivals banned cultural appropriative attire?

The Bass Coast Electronic Music Festival in BC, Canada made the decision to ban Native American Headdresses beginning in 2014. In an interview with ThinkProgress.Org, Bass Coast communications manager Paul Brooks said, “When I started with Bass Coast last year, the conversation about the ban was already on the table… We wanted to implement this dress code not just for the Aboriginal people of the area, but also for Indigenous people across Canada and North America.” In the previous year, Bass Coast did not have the resources to implement the dress code so they held workshops on site hosted by Aboriginal groups designed to educate festival goers on cultural appropriation. “If you’re asking yourself the question of whether or not you should be wearing it, you probably shouldn’t be wearing it,” Brooks continued. “I actually didn’t know Aboriginal people were actually banned from wearing them for a period of time in history. It’s de-humanizing, the dollar store kit that people buy and put together. I know people aren’t coming with malicious intent but hopefully people will look into this and make the discovery themselves that what they’re doing is disrespectful.”

Another music festival to make a change to their dress code is the Glastonbury Festival in 2014. Their change was inspired by another change.org petition specifically targeting the Glastonbury Festival and further proves why petitions can be powerful tools to get voices heard.

We ask that Coachella Music Festival take the concerns stressed in this petition into consideration, conduct their own research on the topic and take action by their 2016 Music Festival. As Brooks said, “We understand why people are attracted to war bonnets," they wrote on the festival's Facebook page. "They have a magnificent aesthetic. But their spiritual, cultural and aesthetic significance cannot be separated. Bass Coast festival takes place on indigenous land and we respect the dignity of aboriginal people.”

**********ADDITIONALLY**********

We ask Coachella Music Festival to review various structures within festival grounds. Tipi's are very much apart of Native American cultures and carry an immense significance. By keeping tipi's on the grounds you are appropriating Native American cultures.

As cultural appropriation is quite a vast topic, and is sadly impacting multiple cultures I am including some articles on the topic to encourage further research by COACHELLA and Petition supporters. Below are some links which can help you better understand the bigger picture and why cultural appropriation is wrong. 

 Thank you to Junco Canché for the artwork for the petition!

This petition was delivered to:
  • Coachella Music Festival

    MorningStar Angeline started this petition with a single signature, and now has 1,515 supporters. Start a petition today to change something you care about.

    Trending petitions