I almost conducted a cartoonish rub of my eyes when I saw it. A man, plastic pint glass in hand, mud to the ankles, hippy-ish patchwork baggy pants, sensible festival raincoat, and on his head a giant gaudy replica of a Native American ceremonial headdress. Had I been transported back somehow to 2008, when the cultural appropriation of these sacredly significant tribal pieces was beginning to peak? Nope, it was just this summer in a damp field, almost a decade after a music festival in Canada became one of the first to ban the wearing of Native American headdresses – also called war bonnets. Glastonbury soon followed and banned their sale and since then their popularity has dwindled. Maybe Headdress Man missed the memo, somehow.
Appropriation of Native American culture, particularly in North America, has a long history. In the US there are laws against manufacturing goods that falsely imply they were produced by any of the 574 recognised First Nation tribes. In 2020 the now Washington Commanders football team finally announced it would change its name from Washington Redskins. Ireland’s prominent history with Native Americans is one of good nature. During the Covid pandemic Irish people donated in their droves to a fundraiser to help two struggling tribes, the Navajo and Hopi nations. This outpouring of generosity was in response to a relationship that has developed over the years between Irish people and those of the Choctaw tribe, who sent money across the Atlantic to starving people during the famine. A monument in Midleton in Cork commemorates this act of kindness and solidarity.
[ What the Irish did for – and to – the Choctaw tribeOpens in new window ]
It was incredibly jarring to see Headdress Man, given that the last decade or so has seen widespread acceptance that tribal knock-offs are not a good look. Festival headwear has largely evolved to reflect that. So, when I asked a friend the other day if she thought we were ‘in for a bit of an Indian summer’ as usual this September I was struck by my casual use of the phrase. Was I, a proud member of the “wokerati”, being carelessly offensive?
In Ireland we’ve worn the arse out of quips about Leaving Cert weather, even though June 2023 certainly ponied up the goods in that regard. We’ve also come to expect some decent sun and temperatures once the kids go back to school in September and for me that’s always been the epitome of an “Indian summer”. My assumption has been that the phrase refers to a positive connection between good weather and some historic activities of Native American tribes, maybe around farming or hunting. The problem is, using the word Indian to refer to native tribes is as big of a no-no as wearing a headdress to dance in a waterlogged Irish field.
We all know the story of Christopher Columbus “discovering” America in 1492, thinking he’d hit India and thus calling the indigenous people “Indians”, terminology that stuck around for centuries. The nomenclature of all the peoples indigenous to North America is much more complex than the catchall term Indian and its alternatives Native American, First Nations etc, but it is generally agreed that the latter terms are more favourable. Evolving language can be incredibly important to perception and treatment. We only need to look at how outdated and stigmatising some language referring to Irish Travellers is and recognise the importance of listening to native and minority groups when they detail the hurt language can cause.
[ Jennifer O’Connell: Is it time woke culture was cancelled?Opens in new window ]
With that in mind, is it offensive to say “Indian summer”? The term has both positive and negative connotations in North America, where the origin of the phrase is not clear and could refer to late autumn agricultural and hunting practices, but equally is sometimes perceived as a reflection of a stereotype of Native American laziness. In the great scheme of injustices against indigenous people, referring to a period of good weather in September in Ireland as an Indian summer is unlikely to stir up negative associations or great offence, but why take the risk?
I believe political correctness usually has its roots in positive progress, and I suspect those whose instinct is to proclaim it has “gone mad” usually need to examine how little they’re affected by the issues at hand. I’ll try to stick with ”back-to-school weather”. The effort in making the adjustment is minimal but excellent practice for our constantly evolving language and semantics. As for festival man, I hope he gets the weather his head was dressed for, and a stern talking-to by some sensible friends.