Spectrum and Context of Cultural Appropriation

One of the most visual and often overlooked forms of appropriation happens on the days we celebrate the most: Holidays. This module will consider problems that arise with holidays by examining and discussing visuals representing popular celebrations, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving. Discussion of what these holidays mean to us and how they create false narratives of others will help facilitate a better understanding of how damaging particular forms of appropriation can be.

i. Halloween, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s, and Columbus Day

ii. How are holidays tied to our identities and oppression?

iii. Rethinking how you celebrate

The taking of culture and identity is perhaps strongest when it comes to American sports. From professional to high school, Americans have an unwavering loyalty to their team. This loyalty has led to misunderstanding, racism, and bigotry on a national scale when it comes to the appropriation of other cultures and identities. Looking at the recent changes of sports team’s names and the history behind that fight will help educate students about the harm mascots can cause.

i. Why do we create caricatures of groups considered “other?”

ii. What is the harm caused by mascots and racist representations?

iii. Reimagining the idea of tradition and legacy tied to mascots, high schools, teams, etc.

The spirituality of minority groups in the United States has been massively impacted by capitalism, federal laws, and society taking what it wants to fulfill its own wants. From music festivals to self-proclaimed “gurus,” this module will take a hard look how appropriation dilutes and breaks down the spiritual practices of Native American and Indian cultures.

i. What is the impact of capitalism on spiritual practices?

ii. What is the spectrum of cultural appropriation when it comes to spirituality?

iii. Re-dreaming or re-envisioning your spirituality to be anti-oppression and tied to positive impact and change

Shreena Niketa Gandhi is a cultural historian of religion with expertise in religion, race, the Americas and Hinduism, and currently teaches at Michigan State University, where she starts of the first few weeks of all her classes introducing students to the concept of structural white supremacy and why that is important for a better understanding of religion in the U.S.

Her research and public scholarship are on the history of yoga, and she is revising a manuscript on this using the framework of white supremacy and cultural appropriation. She also provides trainings for yoga studio to help their students think about cultural appropriation and making their yoga practice one that is anti-oppression.

Through her scholarship, she hopes to make all Americans from all backgrounds better understand how we have all benefited and suffered because of systematic white supremacy and racism, and her scholarship on yoga is one illustration of this system. Professor Gandhi is also a part of the Feminist Critical Hindu Studies Collective, and together with her feminist collective they have published in Religion Compass, Text and Performance Quarterly and the Washington Post.

Eric Hemenway is an Anishnaabe/Odawa from Cross Village, Mi.

He is the director of a tribal archives and has done extensive work under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Eric has worked on numerous exhibits, signage projects, curriculums, programs, professional developments, presentations and consultations with organizations on working with tribal communities throughout the country.

He currently sits on boards for the Michigan Historical Commission, Little Traverse Conservancy and Clarke Library at Central Michigan University.

He is a former board member for the National NAGPRA Review Committee and Michigan Historical Society.