Native Appropriations is a blog that criticizes and analyzes the ways that Indigenous people are depicted in mainstream culture.[1][2][3] Active since 2010, the website is created and maintained by Cherokee Nation scholar Adrienne Keene.
Though much of the blog's commentary is critical, it is not exclusively so: Nelly Furtado, for example, has been praised for her respectful engagement with Native hoop and shawl dancers.[10]
Coverage and influence
Keene observes that Native Americans are barely represented in mainstream media, and journalists often turn to non-Native sources, rather than to Natives themselves, on the rare occasions when they do cover Native issues.[11] However, the increasing popularity of her blog and appearance on other social media such as Twitter has made her a widely quoted expert[12] on matters to do with appropriations, with mentions in the BBC,[11]NPR,[1]The Guardian,[13] the Phoenix New Times,[14]Al Jazeera,[15]Time magazine[16] and other major news outlets. The Guardian has credited her with leading a successful campaign against stereotypical imagery created by Paul Frank Industries: the company later invited Keene and other experts to help design new product lines working with Native artists.[13]
