Remove Native American costumes from the shelves in Canada!
- Shaina Stephens
- Closed on
- Target:
- 20,000
- Region:
- Canada
- Website:
- www.facebook.com
This petition is closed.
Indigenous peoples of Canada historically went through assimilation, from colonization itself to the residential schools. Examples would be the reservation system, the fur trade, the potlatch ban and the rules against use of native language and clothing in the residential schools.
This oppression of our Indigenous culture is still being perpetuated in todays society, only manifested in different ways. One example of this would be cultural appropriation. In mainstream society, Indigenous culture is being reduced to fragments of history and mythology.
Halloween is a time to dress up as monsters, princesses, mythical creature, characters... and "natives." These costumes undermine the rich and tragic history indigenous peoples underwent to keep our diverse cultures alive.
Mocking, mythologizing., and dehumanizing, these costumes create and reinforce negative stereotypes. Therefore, We are calling on the Government of Canada to fully commit to article 11.2 and 8.2(e) of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which states that Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and uphold their cultural practices and customs without any ethnic discrimination or propaganda designed to reduce and diminish our cultural identity and sovereignty.
The goal for Canada is reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples, and an apology was the perfect first step. but now, it's time to take the next baby-step; removing these costumes and stopping the appropriation of Indigenous cultures.
The Remove Native American costumes from the shelves in Canada! petition to 20,000 was written by Shaina Stephens and is in the category Culture at GoPetition.