Big ups to Osheaga!
The annual Montreal music fest announced on its Facebook page Monday that headdresses are no longer permitted at the festival.
“Please note that First Nations Headdresses are not permitted at the festival,” the FB post reads. "The First Nations Headdresses have a spiritual and cultural meaning in the native communities and to respect and honor their people, Osheaga asks fans and artists attending the festival to not use this symbol as a fashion accessory.”
The moves comes after organizers at the Winnipeg Folk Festival faced backlash over allowing a woman to wear a headdress and face paint on festival grounds, even after being asked by festival goers to remove the costume.
Indigenous items, or Indigenous inspired fashion, are common to see at music festivals around the world. But the practice isn’t cool. Headdresses are an important part of First Nations traditions, and cultural appropriation — when one group adopts parts of a culture, usually a culture that is or has been oppressed — is offensive.
What do you think about music festivals moving in this direction?
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