Appreciation vs. appropriation: How can you tell?
Cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation: What's the difference?
One step to remove racism is to learn the difference between these two ideas.
When in doubt, Google it. There are endless amounts of research and discussion on these topics. The more you learn, the better and more solid you will feel in your appreciation, and the less likely you will be to accidentally lean into appropriation.
Cultural appreciation is when someone wants to learn about another culture simply to expand their minds and bridge the gap across cultures. This is an important piece of coexisting.
Cultural appropriation is when someone simply takes one aspect of another's culture and uses it for their own personal interest - or worse, to profit off it. This is a lack of understanding of the culture, an unwillingness to learn, and a lack of respect for those you're taking from.
It can be hard to hear that we've been accidentally doing something offensive, but its really best for all if we can accept it with some grace and use it to change the way we look at things going forward.
It can be hard to hear that we've been accidentally doing something offensive, but its really best for all if we can accept it with some grace and use it to change the way we look at things going forward.
How can you protect yourself from being blindsided by an accusation of racism? The easiest way is to educate yourself and to question yourself. Once you start the research, you begin to get a pretty good feel for if something is offensive or not. You'll also likely start to be more okay with hearing that something is racist. You'll have a better understanding that it's not your own individual fault, but that you have the opportunity to help stop it from happening more. Since racism is the foundation of our country, replacing that foundation while the structure is still standing can get a little shaky.
It is possible to live a fulfilling, relaxed life full of art and culture without offending other people.
As an example of cultural appropriation, I specifically chose to write about something I love, have made, and had hanging in my room the entire time I was growing up: Dreamcatchers. Even though I love them, I now understand they are not mine to take. They are part of the culture of the Ojibwe tribe. I am not an Indigenous person. In fact, my ancestors came over and took land from Indigenous people. I do not need to take another piece of their culture on top of that. With this knowledge, I can let dreamcatchers go. As much as I've always thought they were beautiful, they are for Indigenous people to enjoy, not me.
As an example of cultural appropriation, I specifically chose to write about something I love, have made, and had hanging in my room the entire time I was growing up: Dreamcatchers. Even though I love them, I now understand they are not mine to take. They are part of the culture of the Ojibwe tribe. I am not an Indigenous person. In fact, my ancestors came over and took land from Indigenous people. I do not need to take another piece of their culture on top of that. With this knowledge, I can let dreamcatchers go. As much as I've always thought they were beautiful, they are for Indigenous people to enjoy, not me.
If I was to completely research every aspect of the history of Dreamcatchers and purchase one from an Indigenous person (or sit down with an Indigenous person and learn how to make them; that would be cool actually...) that might be okay. But even then it would be iffy. Just to have dreamcatchers hanging in a white person's home is pretty offensive.
When in doubt, Google it. There are endless amounts of research and discussion on these topics. The more you learn, the better and more solid you will feel in your appreciation, and the less likely you will be to accidentally lean into appropriation.
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| Source: Powwows.com |
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