‘Indian’ costumes cause controversy in P.A.

“Racism impacts our lives every day,” Daniels said. “Mentally, socially, and spiritually to have your identity attacked, that affects your mental well-being.”

Daniels said she followed the lead of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indigenous Nations, who dropped the word ‘indian’ from their title in the spring of this year.

“To me that is a European world view of what they saw when they came here. They’re the ones who made a mistake and classified indigenous people as Indians because they were lost. They thought they were in India,” Daniels said. “Now we’re having to pay for that mistake when it’s not even our mistake.”

Daniels said First Nations people have their own terminology to identify who they are and called on settlers to stop using the word. She said she doesn’t classify herself as a First Nations, indigenous or an indian person. She associates herself as a Nehiyaw person, the nation she belongs to.

Donald Dodge, the manager of Halloween Alley, said through a statement issued to paNow 100 per cent of the people who purchase the costumes in question from his store are of First Nations decent. He said out of respect for First Nations culture, he recommends that non-First Nations peoples interested in the costume do not try it on.

Dodge said he is fully aware of the controversy the costumes may cause, and he watches people interested in the costume closely.

Through a statement issued to paNow, CMS Famous Toys, Halloween Alley’s parent company, company administrators said they acknowledge some costumes they carry may be controversial, however their intentions are to make Halloween a celebration of life.

“We are not in the position of judging how the costumes are being used by our customers, but our intention is that every costume celebrates a part of someone’s life (and in some cases it might be celebrating a certain culture or nationality),” the statement reads.

Richard Pierson, the “chief kid” of CMS Famous Toy, said the costumes in question have been brought to his attention numerous times over the years.

“The last thing we want to do is offend people,” Pierson said. “It’s funny, in the native costumes specifically, and specifically in Saskatchewan and Manitoba where we’ve had (negative) calls over the years, the costumes sell really well.”

Pierson summed up the issue as an industrial one.

“There are industry things (which) has really nothing to do with us. We’re trying to take a positive stance and celebrate in a fun, loving way,” Pierson said. “If people choose that, that costume is offensive to them, then that’s their prerogative but it’s not up to us to make judgment calls on all these different things.”

Pierson said costume manufacturers are in charge of the packaging which comes with their products. He said those same manufacturers will listen to their customers and social trends regarding how they label their costumes.

“We’re not the ones creating packaging and putting labels on of any sort. We have no control over that,” Pierson said.

Pierson explained CMS Famous Toys uses two buyers who purchase items for the 39 Halloween Alley stores across the country.

“The store managers in P.A or in Saskatoon, or in St. Johns Newfoundland, they’re not the ones that are choosing what goes in or out of those stores,” Pierson said. “They’re just operating a Halloween Alley franchise of sorts.”

Pierson said Famous Toys previously took a headdress off the shelf when it was identified that only a chief should be wearing that piece of regalia.

“We don’t want to offend people, but we don’t want to suppress people either,” Pierson said. “We want people to have choices and opportunities and hopefully people don’t judge things as us pushing things. We’re not pushing things or an agenda of any sort.”

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas

by Bryan Eneas

‘Indian’ costumes cause controversy in P.A.

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