the critic

from the 'worlds best photos' series by neil krug.
as much as i love the outdoors and romance, this is not a style of fantasy i admire. it is time that contemporary artists and stylists investigate the native american symbols they rip off, perhaps find alternatives or stop associating them with cigarettes and coolness. try giving a thought to how laughable your urban adaptations are perceived by the people who developed their culture based on deeply rooted spirituality, serenity, and necessity. then think about how, for our country's entire political history, native americans have been used and abused for their resources and now their image. until i see these homages presented with more integrity than in a retail environment or fashion magazine, without a care to its actual history nor being involved to benefit its critical future, im not buying it.

The Indian Arts and Craft Act of 1990  

The more ethnicity is a rational choice, the more restricted that choice is likely to be. This limitation results from the fact that when ethnicity is a valuable social resource, access to favored ethnicities is likely to be heavily socially and politically regulated. On the other hand, ethnic options are often most broadly available when the cost of ethnicity is relatively low and the benefits mostly symbolic. 

— Joanne Nagel