The act of dressing in apparel that mimics or caricatures indigenous peoples in the course of the Halloween season is a fancy difficulty. These ensembles typically contain stereotypical depictions of clothes, headdresses, and face paint, perpetuating inaccurate and dangerous representations of various cultures. Such portrayals cut back the wealthy tapestry of Native American traditions to a single, typically demeaning, picture.
The importance of understanding the affect of those decisions lies in recognizing their potential to inflict cultural hurt. These appropriations typically trivialize sacred symbols and traditions, contributing to the erasure of Native American identification. Traditionally, this sort of misrepresentation has been used to justify discriminatory practices and insurance policies in opposition to indigenous communities.