Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters provides many, many examples of cultural misappropriation, and in a discussion about the mindful treatment of native cultures, this goes high on the "do not" list. In March of 2012, Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit against the Philadelphia based company for labeling over 20 products on their website as "Navajo." The products ranged from the extremely offensive (flask) to the random (socks) to the laughably absurd ("hipster panties").
Not only is it in violation of the Indian Arts of Crafts Act of 1990 to falsely suggest an item is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe, Navajo Nation has separately trademarked their name to prevent against this sort of thing.
Additionally, these patterns are not Navajo; they are vaguely southwestern, but not Navajo. Its more than likely that Urban Outfitters is conflating "Navajo" with “generic Indian” and contributing to the further erasure of the distinct tribes and cultures in the US.
Urban Outfitters is not the only company that markets the image of a girl who dawns bright and bold "tribal" prints as “free-spirited,” and “adventurous.” Instead of allowing the patterns and styles to represent and honor the culture from which they came (a culture than has endured centuries worth of oppression while struggling to save their culture from erasure), they are instead used to evoke the image of a carefree teenager.
Not only is it in violation of the Indian Arts of Crafts Act of 1990 to falsely suggest an item is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe, Navajo Nation has separately trademarked their name to prevent against this sort of thing.
Additionally, these patterns are not Navajo; they are vaguely southwestern, but not Navajo. Its more than likely that Urban Outfitters is conflating "Navajo" with “generic Indian” and contributing to the further erasure of the distinct tribes and cultures in the US.
Urban Outfitters is not the only company that markets the image of a girl who dawns bright and bold "tribal" prints as “free-spirited,” and “adventurous.” Instead of allowing the patterns and styles to represent and honor the culture from which they came (a culture than has endured centuries worth of oppression while struggling to save their culture from erasure), they are instead used to evoke the image of a carefree teenager.