I've had offensive cultural appropriation on the brain for a few days now. I've been wanting to make Sebastian a little tent or hide-out for Alex and I's attic room and the garden for a while, and thought about make a little teepee-esque structure. The teepee is an ingenious invention. I have slept in many-a-teepee throughout the summers. We had a Teepee Village at our summer camp growing up where kids would spend the entire month or two living, fire and all, instead of in a cabin. It didn't even occur to me that throwing a teepee up in the yard for my kid could be offensive to anyone.
The other day I was on Apartment Therapy (as crucial to my day as email, coffee, and oatmeal) and lo-and-behold, there was a tutorial for making a kid-sized teepee that they could colour on. And then there were about fifty comments following, the majority of which expressed horror that AT would support this offensive act of "culture appropriation." I was shocked and fascinated. I toiled over the comments, sifted through all sorts of other teepee-related designs and crafts that they had featured over the years (including a cardboard teepee cat house), none of which received nearly as much of an outcry. By the end of the day, the post was flat-out removed. A part of me thought, "Cowards!" Another part of me wondered what I was missing. I ended up at different sites dedicated to cultural appropriation, and was kind of blow away by the heaviness of seemingly-innocent mainstream allusions to First Nations culture seem to have on a lot of people. I learned that dressing as an American Indian for Halloween is racist (not saying I would do this, because it seems in poor taste, but I didn't think it would be considered racist). I'm still confused about why some acts of appropriation are racist and some are completely acceptable.
Even after all my reading I wasn't convinced that something like a child, or anyone, making a teepee-like structure with no ill-intent was still offensive, appropriation or wrong. Maybe I just don't get it. But I'm going to ask just about anyone I can for a while, First Nations and otherwise, because I'm really interested in this.
Yesterday, I was up the road at our friends' place while they prepared to renovate their basement. There, amongst a pile of thrift-store bags and old toys, was a beautifully crafted teepee-like tent my friend made for her son when he was younger. It was precious and thoughtful and, without hesitation, I took it home. If anyone has a problem with it, I'll happy engage.