Unit+3+Discussion+Board+Topics

­­­­   **All discussions will take place within the Moodle portion of the course ** **Discussion Topic 1 ** **Aboriginal Artifacts ** > > Do you agree or disagree? What impact does the imported or mass produced arts and crafts having on the Aboriginal art industry? What things should people look for if they want an authentic piece of Aboriginal art? Do you think more should be done to protect the Aboriginal art industry? Why or why not? **Discussion Topic 2 ** **Cultural Appropriation **
 * Read the following article on Non-Indigenous artists producing Indigenous Art from Australia.
 * Compare this as well to mass produced Aboriginal art that is not made by First Nations peoples.
 * In the discussion board answer the following questions:
 * What is your view on Non-indigenous artists producing Indigenous Art? The article talked about how in this case the art work was offensive because it was sacred. Does any culture have the right to own its symbolism?
 * The article states that while the Australian government prevents the direct copying of a particular Indigenous artwork, it does not prevent the general use of sacred Indigenous imagery.

 "Cultural appropriation is the adoption or theft of icons, rituals, aesthetic standards, and behavior from one culture or subculture by another. It generally is applied when the subject culture is a minority culture or somehow subordinate in social, political, economic, or military status to the appropriating culture. This “appropriation” often occurs without any real understanding of why the original culture took part in these activities or the meanings behind these activities, often converting culturally significant artifacts, practices, and beliefs into “meaningless” pop-culture or giving them a significance that is completely different/less nuanced than they would originally have had." (Source)

 The following blog sited the following quote from her blog titled "I am not Your Halloween Costume": Read the following article that is about a recent incident where a woman wrote a letter to the clothing store Urban Outfitters in regards to their new 'Navaho' clothing line that included items such as underwear, plenty of suede and fringes with non authentic tribal patterns. She described the line as "cheap, vulgar and culturally offensive."
 * You’re not just taking one thing (for example, a war bonnet) from another culture, you’re trying to mimic an entire group’s racial identity when you ‘dress up’ as them. These costumes are often borrowed from pre-set stereotypes about what another culture “looks like,” how they dress, and how they act. What people fail to understand is that these stereotypes are not benign. They have real, material effects on people's lives and their ability to move throughout the world. They both reinforce and are embedded in relationships and histories of power.
 * ...When you put on a racist costume (especially sexy ‘ethnic’ costumes like the sexy Asian girl costume), you’re speaking back to histories of colonization and exploitation and you’re reinforcing the ideologies that legitimize violent institutions that abuse and sexually exploit women of colour (though, racist costumes speak to a history of colonizing and othering people of colour in general). Whatever your intentions, by sexualizing a different ethnic group, you are saying that it’s okay to fetishize certain groups of people and you’re reaffirming that they are, in fact sexualized and consumable beings. You may think it’s fun, funny, or even ironic, but you probably haven’t experienced the effects of these stereotypes.

 "Urban Outfitters public relations director Ed Looram wrote: "The Native American-inspired trend and specifically the term 'Navajo' have been cycling thru fashion, fine art and design for the last few years. We currently have no plans to modify or discontinue any of these products."

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Your task in this discussion board is to discuss your views on cultural appropriation and how it affects you or your culture. You should use the following questions to guide your discussion.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How do the mass produced costumes affect stereotyping?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Did you find the Navaho line from Urban Outfitters offensive? Why or why not?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Should Urban Outfitters have to pull their Navaho line?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What about for sports teams, what is the effect on our culture to use names such as the Swift Current Indians,the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Cleavland Indians, or the Chicago Blackhawks, along with their logos?