The University of Windsor's Native Student Alliance is asking students and community members to be mindful of cultural appropriation when choosing their Halloween costumes this year.
Graduate student Dan Faulkner says costumes that depict indigenous dress or other cultures are not harmless.
"I understand that there are good intentions behind some people. People just appreciate the culture or think that the women look beautiful or the costumes are beautiful, but for us it goes beyond that. There is not an understanding of the issues that we deal with, a deeper understanding of our culture or even what the attire that they're wearing mean," says Faulkner.
He says parents should have discussions with their children about the depiction of different cultures in their cartoons and how they promote stereotypes if they want to be someone like Pocahontas.
"With small children, that's a great place to have that conversation. To educate them on the struggles of indigenous peoples and let them be aware of the history of the culture," says Faulkner.
Ultimately, he says if it's not your culture it is not a costume. Cultural dress stems from tradition and if you are not aware of the tradition or what it symbolizes you should not be wearing it.
