to ask if you think this would be offensive

[TirednWorried]

I have to put together themed group dances for eachof 15 classes for an end of year show, so i am looking over the last 10 or 14 years to see of there is anything that can be reused.
One is a native American themed dance to Running bear which afor anyone is basically about Romeo andJuliet type scenario between young lovers of different tribes.There would be no headdresses etc but the dance id quite sort of hoppy and arms folded like a native american. I;ll get them to where neutral coloures legging and T shirt and probably plaits in their hair.
Is that offensive / too much do you think?
YABU yes poor form
YANBU OK

@Glitterblue

There's always somebody offended about something these days so you'd be likely to offend someone, I'm sure.

This is so rude.

I had years of growing up having my culture appropriated/taken the piss out of.

Having various games and dances and 'dress up' in school and never being able to speak up as I was already bullied.

It IS offensive. Very offensive.

Thankfully people can now see this, and actually this thread is pretty heartwarming to see. Just the odd twat popping up, but most people can see that this is wrong, and would speak up about it.

Mumsnet isn't really the place to ask these things. People on here love to be offended. I doubt most people irl would care.

I doubt it as they are 6 and 7

@Glitterblue

There's always somebody offended about something these days so you'd be likely to offend someone, I'm sure.

Aye glitterblue there's always some old cunt bitching about how you can't day anything these days too, am I right?

There's always somebody offended about something these days so you'd be likely to offend someone, I'm sure.

Mumsnet isn't really the place to ask these things. People on here love to be offended. I doubt most people irl would care.

Seriously have you not learned anything using blanket ridiculous statements as a cover up for racism and xenophobia.

@RuggerHug 😅 Good one. 👍

@Lavender24

Mumsnet isn't really the place to ask these things. People on here love to be offended. I doubt most people irl would care.

Most people aren't First Nations. But if Indigenous people don't want it, don't do it.

My DD has been taught drumming, helped carve and raise a totem pole, and done some lək̓ʷəŋən dance. Taught and supported by FN teachers.

Just having kids hop about with crossed arms and plaits is offensive.

Don't do it. That you're even hesitating should alert you to the fact that there's something amiss here. Don't do it. People who spout that we're all offended by everything these days are just mourning their loss of ability to be racist/offensive/derogatory with no push back.

@TirednWorried

I doubt it as they are 6 and 7

Ask the parents then.

I don’t think she’d dare

@Lavender24

Mumsnet isn't really the place to ask these things. People on here love to be offended. I doubt most people irl would care.

You know there are absolutely loads of us in the UK right?

So there are plenty of us who would personally take offence, and, thankfully attitudes have changed a lot since my childhood and plenty of other people see how wrong it is too and would speak up about it.

Can you imagine what it was like for me as a child in school, having to play cowboys and 'indians' in PE, being cast as pocahontas, and every fucking time there was a 'round the world' theme in school, or any role that could vaguely cast an Indigenous person they would role out their headress, plait my hair, stick a couple of stripes of facepaint on and away I go with offensive cultural stereotypes all in the name of entertainment.

Mn is absolutely the place to ask, and if you're surrounded by people who don't care then you better have a rethink of your social circle, because your current one is racist.

@ABCeasyasdohrayme

Absolutely not.

My heritage is not your entertainment.

Please also look at the meaning of plaits for us before casually throwing it in there as dress up.

Isn't it better that the OP asked? She didn't want to offend.

Isn't it better that the OP asked? She didn't want to offend.

Better to ask, much better to do a little homework. Much much better to do some proper self-auditing of prejudice. I mean you don't know what you don't know but it's not difficult to learn.

OP, if you wouldn't do the cakewalk, don't do this.
simples.

In the current climate of extreme sensitivity you'd be insane

@logsonlogsoff

Basically I would not have ‘white’ kids doing dances from non-white cultures unless they have crossed over into general acceptability- Ie kids trying out a Cossack dance = Fine, Irish dancing, scoring dancing = fine

Aren't Cossacks and Irish people white? How do you know they crossed over into general acceptability? Who decided that? Maybe those Cossack and Irish dancers really resent people trying and making a mockery of their lovely dances?

@MrsTerryPratchett

Isn't it better that the OP asked? She didn't want to offend.

Better to ask, much better to do a little homework. Much much better to do some proper self-auditing of prejudice. I mean you don't know what you don't know but it's not difficult to learn.

The op could read the wrong thing and make a wrong judgement for a right reason. Or they could ask and make the right judgement. I don't see why anyone should be offended by that.

In the current climate of extreme sensitivity you'd be insane

I don't think it is "extreme sensitivity".

The destruction of First Nation and Native American culture and people is well known. Huge Hollywood films have been made about it.
We know this, even in the UK.

They have been dehumanised, and now their culture is co-opted for entertainment purposes.
This translates to: you deserve zero respect. You now have to contend with people mocking your culture. If you dare to speak up, we will silence you and tell you that you are too sensitive.

All that is being asked is to have a level of respect and understanding, without trivialising or mocking or using it as a form of entertainment.
I don't think that's too much to ask.

The fact you're questioning it should be enough of an indicator that it is not ok!

Do the dances need to be ‘themed?’ Can’t they just wear colourful costumes and dance to different songs? At their age they’re not likely to understand the themes anyway so it’s not like they’ll be able to portray the characters of different themes, they’re just dancing along to the music.

What about something inspired by Billy Elliot (t-rex and glam rock)?

Christ on a bike, no! What on earth woukdvtry possess you to think that this was a good idea? 🙈

People who spout that we're all offended by everything these days are just mourning their loss of ability to be racist/offensive/derogatory with no push back.

This. 1000x this.

I think @dancinfeet explains it well. I’d be pleased for my children to properly learn about dance in other cultures, but absolutely horrified for them to be asked to join in perpetuating racist stereotypes, just to provide a bit of variety in a show.
Aside from all that, Running Bear would be a frankly weird song choice for 6 year olds anyway. Were you planning some kind of upbeat suicide medley?