A Multicultural Sorority?
 

A group of American Indian students plans to file a discrimination complaint with UND’s affirmative action office Monday about a Gamma Phi Beta sorority party in November during which students dressed up in American Indian costumes and slathered their faces and bodies with red makeup.

Rest of the abstract here, but you must purchase the article.

Opinion piece here.

wow. I'm really surprised a national sorority would do that.

sarcasm much?

no sarcasm was intended. i just really was surprised. with all of the stories we've heard about with fraternities/sororities hosting offending mixers/parties/whatever, i just would have thought by now people would have learned their lessons and learned not to do something like this.

Every year that I was in grad school, some fraternity would get in trouble because members would show up in black face for the Halloween parties. *shrugs shoulders*

Okay, I am going to get flamed for this but I just want to throw out there for all to discuss:

Was it is private party? Can people not do what they want to do in private?

I totally understand the whole PC argument and I know that this sorority wants to avoid doing anything unkind, or ruin their reputation,etc, but I have to say, that unless they were parading down Main Street, isn't this a personal choice at a private party?

Some people chose to dress up as Indians and that caracature(sp) was offensive to some. I understand. Where is the outrage over "pimps and ho's" or "redneck" parties?

Let the flaming begin...:)

From the sounds of it, it was a mixer type party (or date party), so the sorority's name is attached to it.

If you want to have a get together at your apartment and have people dress up in a way that offends other people, hey, more power to you, but WHY would you have an official event, and do that with your sorority's name attached to it?

Like the columnist said:
I find it hard to believe that she had "no control" over how people dressed. She could have easily sent out a memo or something? She herself even had pictures of herself dressed like that up for the world to see on the internet.

Like I said, if you're going to do it on your own free time, whatever, but why would you do something like that and attach your sorority's name to it?

I think that this question is beside the point. Sure people can do what they want, I guess. But such choices belie claims of cultural sensitivity and respect.

For the record, Sensuret posted this in an obvious attempt to get at me.

Yes, three members of the sorority made an ill-advised costume choice - although I find it ironic that it is at the University of North Dakota - home of the Fighting Sioux (!).http://images.publicradio.org/conten...ingsioux_2.jpg


But that is hardly reason to believe that the entire membership is therefore insensitive. The sorority's response is here http://www.gammaphibeta.org/news/pre..._CATEGORY_ID=5
I'm sure Sensuret meant to post it, but just forgot.

If the sorority just shrugged their shoulders and said, "Eh", then Sensuret would have a point. But I am proud of the way it was handled, and the good to come out of it is that many more people are now aware of the need for cultural sensitivity in terms of social party themes and costuming. It's a process - and there will be missteps on the way. But the important thing is to strive to improve, to encourage and educate our members to be culturally aware.

I have long hated the "pimps and ho" and "redneck" type themes - I don't even like the "wedding mixers" because I think it is disrespectful to take something that is considered by some to be a sacrament and use it for a party theme. There's a fine line to be walked - for example, a Cinco de Mayo party can be fun, but all it would take is one insensitive person to dress in a serape and hat and talk like the Frito Bandito to make it a culturally offensive event.

Blackface is something which has its own sordid history. We know why that's offensive.

"Redface" has no such history. I don't think portraying the physical characteristics of another race is per se offensive. We need to all be a little less touchy about things. The action the natives are bringing is apparently a "discrimination" action. Who was discriminated against? Did they have a sign at the door which read "People of native ancestry not welcome!" No. Of course not.

This discrimination suit is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt by some idiots to use the law to punish thought-crime.

I guess the next time anyone holds a toga party, greek/italian student organizations need to stage a protest, right?

...

Why does it matter if it was offensive? What is it of their business?

I don't get it. How were their rights hurt in any way?

American Indians would disagree with you. Putting on red facial paint, or "war paint" may not have the same history as blackface, but American Indians have, as a people, been abused, slaughtered, lied to, practically enslaved, forced off their land, forced to abandon their heritage, and forced to live in poverty throughout history.
Treating a race of people as if they are a Halloween costume is more than ignorant immaturity.

You should know better than to play word games with the name of the action. If the "discrimination action" definition includes that of their complaint, such as the creation of a hostile environment, then they were in face "discriminated against" by the technical definition.

Does anyone have a link to the pictures? I came across them in the last couple weeks but now I can't find them. (very annoying) What I remember is that based on what I had read I was expecting people with their faces painted red (like black face). But what I saw were red hand prints and a variety of colors being used. At first I was very much "this is what's causing the problem?" After thinking about I can understand if Native Americans are offended by the photos. However, I think it's the type of image that a lot of people grew up with and so don't think it could be offensive. I firmly believe that the participants didn't intend offense. Which I think is something to be considered.

Eh...stop blatantly trying to play devil's advocate, people. ;)

**************************

Most of us aren't shocked about this situation. These things have always happened and are just getting more attention over the past 10 years.

I also dislike it when sports fans dress up in "red face" and wear Native American gear. This is one of the only (if not, the only) group of people that it is found acceptable to openly mock. Yes, it is a mockery rather than an appreciation.

And it doesn't matter if "some Native Americans do it"/"...say it's okay"/"...do rain dances at the football games...." That doesn't make it STRUCTURALLY appropriate just because some INDIVIDUALS condone it (even if they condone it in their silence).