Festival season is upcoming. The carefree attendees have often been accused of wrongly wearing accessories which originate from other cultures, but are we just a hypocritical society, only obsessed with calling others out?

 

Every summer, young people flood to festivals in search of a good time. Yet, people are angry at how festival goers dress. This follows cultural appropriation which is the adoption of one culture by members of another culture.

 

Some attendees opt to wear bindi’s or headdresses, which originate from Hindu and Native American cultures. Many cultural appropriation advocates suggest that festival goers should think before opting to wear something like this. This is because the accessories come with meanings which could be portrayed as hurtful to people who originate from such cultures. For example, the Native American headdress consisted of feathers which were earned by warriors who took on brave acts for the tribe and the bindi represents the third eye of the body which wards off bad luck.

 

However, are we being too sensitive about cultural appropriation? Whilst it is important to respect other people’s cultures, surely we should advocate cultural appreciation, which is treating a culture with respect and courtesy, rather than cultural appropriation. Cultures should be allowed to be appreciated and enjoyed by all members in society, because they are the basis of our upbringing.  Instead of limiting festival goers to their own culture, we should take the view of using elements of other cultures in a respectable way and appreciating them for what they are: works of art.

 

The importance of cultural appreciation is immense, especially with today’s societal views. With Islamophobia on the rise, building tension between many different cultures, we should advocate cultural appreciation now, rather than holding prejudice views.

 

So if you’re going to a festival this summer, remember to treat other cultures accessories with dignity if you choose to wear them. 

Katie Wedge, Bromley High School