Following an impassioned call for change, the famed Glastonbury festival has banned the sale of feathered Native headdresses on festival grounds.
It’s become a trend recently for festival-goers to don headdresses traditionally worn by Native peoples. The concern is that this frivolous use of a culturally significant item overlooks its importance and uses it as a simple prop – a case of cultural appropriation.
Cultural appropriation is the act of adopting a garment, accessory, or other aspect of a different culture than your own in a flippant way, without regard to its historical and ethnic context.
The news comes after B.C.’s electronic music festival Bass Coast banned the wearing of headdresses altogether this past summer. In a statement, Bass Coast said:
“We understand why people are attracted to war bonnets. They have a magnificent aesthetic. But their spiritual, cultural and aesthetic significance cannot be separated.”
(Main image: Kevron)