Acting WILD in Native American-Themed Halloween Costumes

A mother writes about her son’s enjoyment playing in his Indian warrior-themed Halloween costume. She says he is able to “act wild, as boys like to do – whooping and hollering, wildly jumping and running around.” She finds it amusing and cute to watch her child dancing around a backyard fire pit, “acting like an animal” while wearing Indian inspired feathers and face paint. She finds this an innocent, freeing act for her child – that is an “innocent” act at the expense of Native Americans. If parents want to grant their children permission to act like animals, then have them dress up as animals, not human beings!

Dressing in a Native American-themed costume and acting in an unruly manner sends your children a very clear message: that Native American People are animals. After all, when dressed up as Native Americans, they are allowed to act in ways that are never acceptable in their daily lives, making it clear that they as non-Indians must be inherently better (civilized, mannerly) than Native Americans (in the same manner Western beliefs place humans above animals). As in the way some non-Indian adults carelessly don Native costumes for historical reenactments or mock powwows as an escape from present societal standards, parents too have given a “freedom” outlet to their children under the guise of “acting Indian.” Contrary to what non-Indian culture may use Native culture for, Native American cultures (past and present) are not here for American society to use as a counter-culture.

And please understand, this article does not exactly take offence to the children’s Native American-themed costumes as it does to the behavior in relationship to the costume which parents facilitate such false and damaging stereotypes to be played out and therefore taught to children as fact (Native Americans are to be equated to animals). Many may have their views of Native American-themed Halloween costumes, ranging from the extremely offensive to good, clean fun. We must always acknowledge the fact that Halloween costumes are not just meant to be scary, and in fact, children do dress up to be the persons they honor and truly want to emulate (even when they are misinformed). There is however one Native American-themed Halloween costume that is truly, inherently offensive: the “sexy squaw” costume.

Another great product of our popular culture, the “sexy squaw” costume is one more way we have used, really manipulated, the image of Native Americans to fit our needs (even personal, sexual ones). As in the romance novel industry, this costume thrives by insisting Native women must crave sex, as she must have been raised to do – attributing her so called animal lusts non-Indians conceived on the Native culture that produced her (almost blaming our guilty bedroom pleasures on Native societies). According to popular culture, her true value has been assigned on her wanting to please men, both domestically and sexually. How could our manipulation of the image of Native women to fulfill non-Indian’s dirty desires be misconstrued in anyway? After all, wouldn’t the Amish feel it amusing to make bedroom-themed costumes in the likeness of their women’s customary dress too? Since the “sexy squaw” costume is loosely made to resemble an historical likeness, maybe it would be just as “fun” to dress like a sexy, African-American slave? Both costumes represent white-American sexualized views of ethnic women historically objectified and abused by white males, or is this suddenly a subject that is not in good taste anymore? How funny it is that when compared to the idea of dressing up as other ethnic groups we can see the obviously awkward subject. Only in these comparisons can we see how offensive the “sexy squaw” costume is. It is just too bad that Native Americans don’t warrant enough respect in the eyes of non-Indians to be treated with the same human respect (or compulsive political correctness) we extend to others.

Further Reading:
“Savage Desires” by S. Elizabeth Bird in “Selling the Indian: Commercializing and Appropriating American Indian Cultures” edited by Carter Jones Meyer and Diana Royer, 2001.


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