Ruth Hopkins: Native Americans are not Halloween costumes

Say what you will about whether using Halloween as an excuse to advertise your goodies is right or wrong, but I can assure you of one thing: dressing as a sexy pirate, a hot nurse or even a slutty pizza slice, is not the same thing as dressing up as a sexy Indian princess, cheeky Cherokee or naughty Navajo. They aren’t just examples of having a little fun with patriarchy (and figuratively slapping Susan B. Anthony and your grandmother in the face simultaneously). It’s racist.

Native Americans are not costumes, we’re human beings. The traditional clothing we wear is called regalia, and looks nothing like the faux 1950’s Hollywood shit that pop culture pawns off on consumers as “Indian.” All Native American people are not the same. There are 566 federally recognized Native American Tribes in the United States. Each possesses its own distinct culture, language, heritage, and land base. Furthermore, we don’t take kindly to non-Natives debasing our sacred objects. The war bonnet, for example, is reserved for Native American warriors and chiefs who’ve fought bravely for their people. Each feather in a war bonnet symbolizes a single act of courage in the face of death and destruction- and no, fielding crowds of sweaty, irritable shoppers to buy a fake headdress at Spirit Halloween doesn’t count. War bonnets are more akin to Purple Hearts.

As a Native American, I can’t tell you what an absolute pain it is to traverse through aisles of costumes this time of year, especially with children in tow. Mommy doesn’t like explaining why Party City is selling a “Cheeky Cherokee” teen costume that promises to send its wearers “heading for the woods,” or why Spirit Halloween is displaying a “Naughty Navajo” mini dress that will have women “sending out smoke signals.”