“This is a very important topic for me as an
independent woman, and I hope I fulfilled this
statement with that look,” Mayerhofer explained.
Despite her noble intentions, associating
Hollywood’s version of a “native warrior” with
power and independence, Mayerhofer did
not research the traditional symbols, such as
headdresses, that she incorporated into her
costume. Her depiction of a “wild west” warrior
woman unwittingly perpetuates the image of
a stereotype, where Hollywood versions of
Indigenous traditional dress are clumped into
one misrepresentative look.
CULTURAL SHARING VS. APPROPRIATING
We live in a multicultural time where efficient
transportation, Internet and the digital age
have enabled exploration of the world’s
diversity. It is not uncommon for cultures to
borrow from each other. For example, sushi
has permeated North American culture as a
must-try food. What makes sushi a borrowed
element of Japanese culture, as opposed to
an appropriated traditional food, is that the
Japanese origin of sushi is widely recognized.
No one with zero connections to Japanese
culture would open a sushi restaurant and
claim to be the inventor of the delicious dish.
According to Deborah Root, contributing
essayist for Borrowed Power: Essays on
Cultural App