Comments on: Native, Naturally

By: GirlieGirlArmy.com

GirlieGirlArmy.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:02:11 +0000

Lovely.

By: George

George — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:38:28 +0000

Love the Simple Shoes shown here. I have the first and last pair and love them! BTW, I got the first pair for $27 shipped via Amazon.com compared to double or triple that amount on Simple’s website.

By: TheDiscerningBrute

TheDiscerningBrute — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:17:22 +0000

Thank you for making that comment. This was definitely something I thought about as well while compiling this. I feel similarly – but at the same time if we come across this art in a thrift store, should we ignore it? Is it offensive to use this art? Where is the line between appreciating art (many American Indians do sell their art) and offensively “stealing” culture to make a buck? I’m not sure. Although this certainly is an easier and clearer appropriation than most, almost all textile design has a sorted past. Fashion is a form of visual communication -and I’m sure many don’t talk about the disenfranchised fisherman of the early 1900s or prisons when someone is wearing a black and white striped shirt or how the Keffiyeh went from being the Palestinian national symbol (and a sign of solidarity) to being sold at Hot Topic, stripped of its meaning in the US – or even how so many of us wear camouflage and military clothing designed for war yet don’t agree with war. The examples go on. Where does one draw the line, and whose art can we wear?

By: Philly Vegan

Philly Vegan — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:53:09 +0000

I kinda see this as another theft of American Indian culture. Don’t just take my word for it…after seeing this, I called a buddy of mine on Pine Ridge (lived there for a while when resident of South Dakota) and his response was “What do you expect; its nothing new.” When so many of the peoples who created these designs are living shorter lifespans in abject poverty, there’s something wrong about cashing in on their culture.