Bruce Bisset: Relief dressed up as racism

Many people were probably bemused when Trelise Cooper's Fashion Week show blew up in a culturally insensitive tizz over her models wearing faux American Indian headdresses: they look great, it's fashion fun, what's wrong with that?

But then many people seem to be taking John Key's word that Nicky Hager's book is full of untruths and smears and are not even bothering to read excerpts from it; they'll blindly vote blue without a care because they can't be bothered finding out why they shouldn't.

Since there's nothing like a fashionista brouhaha invoking the race card to push Dirty Politics off the front pages, the Right will be jumping all over it in glee-filled apologist relief.

However, there's a lot more to the feather bonnet of Wild West films than we kiwis, raised playing cowboys and Indians, might at first appreciate.

For starters, it was not common as the misconception has it across First Nation (American Indian) tribes, but only amongst those of the Great Plains, such as the Dakota, Lakota, and Cree. Nor was it an item of everyday apparel; on the contrary, "warbonnets" were given only to those deserving to be honoured, and worn only on particular occasions.

Most often they were given to men who had distinguished themselves as warriors, but other acts might earn one too, and sometimes women remarkably equal in First Nation cultures, but who were usually celebrated in other ways also earned a bonnet.

In short, the feathered headdress was a sacred vestment, much as the korowai (ceremonial feathered cloak) is to Maori.

Understandably, then, people of the Plains tribes are offended when they see others wearing imitation headdress that mocks the form of what, for them, is a special cultural treasure. Perhaps the distinction between whether this is racist or merely culturally insensitive depends on whether you know wearing one will give offence.

Dame Cooper it appears did not know, and has apologised for her ignorance. From a Western Eurocentric perspective this may still seem strange: if you make something in flattery of the genuine article, with good intent, surely that's a positive form of praise?

Not in the eyes of the Plains tribes. Given the genocide of the Indians by the early settlers, it is a very raw subject. Especially as in the US it is far too common for non-native people to make a display of wearing warbonnets, knowing they will give offence.

That's a racist act, and that's why fluffing for fashion is in Dame Cooper's case no excuse.

Moreover, it shows how deeply embedded racism is that such cultural misappropriation could be taken for granted. It is as much a statement of privilege as was Stephanie Key's near-nude selfie "art" piece a year or so back that portrayed her decorated in an elaborate pink mock-First Nations headdress and lace knickers - wrong on so many levels.

On that subject, I agree @Peace's "Kill the PM" song - if a semi-literate ramble over a repetitive bass lick can be called such - is trash and denigrates Stephanie as much as her father, but the right-wing bloggers resurrecting it some 18 months after it was released (to immediate oblivion) to try to prove the left is nasty too rather ices the dirty politics cake.

The point is that it's nowhere near sufficient to imagine all is right with the world simply because you ignore or refuse to acknowledge the wrongs.

As citizens we have a duty of care that demands we inform ourselves, for the betterment of all regardless of race or creed. Try hard to do that before you cast your ballot.

That's the right of it.

Bruce Bisset is a freelance writer and poet