Bass Coast Music Festival: British Columbia Concert-Goers Banned from Wearing Native American Headdresses
At this year's Bass Coast Festival in British Columbia, concert-goers will not be allowed to wear Native American headdresses or war bonnets. The dress code imposed on the Aug. 1-4 EDM festival was posted on the Festival's Facebook wall.
"For various reasons, Bass Coast Festival is banning feathered war bonnets, or anything resembling them, onsite," the Canadian festival wrote. "Our security team will be enforcing this policy. ... We understand why people are attracted to war bonnets. They have a magnificent aesthetic. But their spiritual, cultural and aesthetic significance cannot be separated."
"Bass Coast Festival takes place on indigenous land and we respect the dignity of aboriginal people," the statement said. "We have consulted with aboriginal people in British Columbia on this issue and we feel our policy aligns with their views and wishes regarding the subject. Their opinion is what matters to us."
The recent trend of donning these feathered head coverings have been growing in popularity at other festivals, such as Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival. Bass Coast's lineup includes a band named A Tribe Called Red, an aboriginal trio that blends Native American sounds with EDM music.
"I have yet to speak to someone who is First Nation who wears fake headdresses and war paint to EDM concerts," A Tribe Called Red band member, Ian Campeau, said to Huffington Post Canada. "It's 'redface,' just like 'blackface.'"
Recently, celebrities like Pharrell Williams received backlash after appearing on the cover of "Elle UK" magazine wearing a headdress. Williams later apologized, writing, "I respect and honor every kind of race, background and culture. I am genuinely sorry." Khloe Kardashian also got negative criticism from wearing a feathered headpiece at niece North West's first birthday party.
Bass Coast representatives insured that security will be removing any of these insensitive Native American dress elements but did not give details on how they planned to monitor the four-day festival in Merrit.
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