HomeMusic NewsFestivalsGlastonbury Festival Bans Sale of Native Headdresses

Glastonbury Festival Bans Sale of Native Headdresses

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)

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