Oneida Indian Nation: OutKast display offensive
from Utica (NY) Observer Dispatch


I'm sorry Ms. (Janet) Jackson

Just one week after the "wardrobe malfunction" involving Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl, CBS faces a new headache about live entertainment it aired.

The unhappiness this time comes from Native Americans across the country who were offended over what they said is hip-hop duo OutKast's misuse of American Indian culture during its Grammy performance Sunday night of the award-winning song "Hey Ya!"

The Oneida Indian Nation released a statement saying CBS should have never allowed a performance that "reinforced stereotypes and undermined all the good work being done in the entertainment industry to embrace and promote diversity and unify all through music."

"It was just a mockery of Indian culture," said Chuck Fougnier, Wolf Clan Representative to the Oneida Nation's Men Council and chairman of the Oneida Indian Nation's Foundation. He was critical of the performance that included background dancers wearing provocative, green buckskin dresses while dancing around a smoke-billowing tepee.

The performance also featured a member of the band wearing a war bonnet and Andre 3000 of OutKast wearing a headdress.

"Smoke Billowing Tepee" [snicker]

More

Oneidas: OutKast display offensive
Use of headdress, tepee at Grammys called 'mockery'
Thu, Feb 12, 2004

JESSICA RYEN
Observer-Dispatch
By KEVORK DJANSEZIAN, The Associated Press

[image]Andre 3000 of the group OutKast performs "Hey Ya!" Sunday during the 46th annual Grammy Awards. American Indians across the nation, including the Oneida Indian Nation, called the group's performance offensive.

Just one week after the "wardrobe malfunction" involving Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl, CBS faces a new headache about live entertainment it aired.

The unhappiness this time comes from Native Americans across the country who were offended over what they said is hip-hop duo OutKast's misuse of American Indian culture during its Grammy performance Sunday night of the award-winning song "Hey Ya!"

The Oneida Indian Nation released a statement saying CBS should have never allowed a performance that "reinforced stereotypes and undermined all the good work being done in the entertainment industry to embrace and promote diversity and unify all through music."

"It was just a mockery of Indian culture," said Chuck Fougnier, Wolf Clan Representative to the Oneida Nation's Men Council and chairman of the Oneida Indian Nation's Foundation. He was critical of the performance that included background dancers wearing provocative, green buckskin dresses while dancing around a smoke-billowing tepee.

The performance also featured a member of the band wearing a war bonnet and Andre 3000 of OutKast wearing a headdress.

Fougnier said he does not have anything against OutKast or its music. "I'm sure they didn't understand what they were doing," he said. But, he said, he does have a problem with CBS.

"Where were the people making the decisions, asking the question 'Are we doing something wrong here?'" Fougnier asked. "Somebody needs to ask the question what's appropriate."

Fougnier also was upset because the Oneida Nation hosted a Grammy party that raised $10,000 for Oneness (a diversity group whose primary goal is to eliminate racism and promote racial unity through music) in Los Angeles the night before the Grammy telecast.

"We are very sorry if we offended anyone," said Chris Ender, senior vice president of communications at CBS. "That was the last thing we wanted to do."

A representative from Arista Records, which owns OutKast's record label LaFace Records, said no one was available for comment Wednesday.

Around the country, some Native Americans were expressing their unhappiness with the OutKast performance.

"CBS knew about the performance because OutKast was allowed to perform it during rehearsal. The five-minute tape delayed broadcast was supposed to be used to cut out anything offensive, but apparently that was only if someone bared their breasts," wrote Shayai Lucero, a former Miss Indian World from Laguna, N.M., in a letter to the editor of Indian Country Today, an Oneida Nation-owned publication based in Canastota. "It didn't include mocking an entire race."

Ender declined to comment on the specifics leading up to the performance, saying the Recording Academy produces the Grammy telecast.

Louis Gray, managing editor of the Native American Times and president of the Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism, wrote a story titled "Hip-Hop act has Native Americans hopping mad at performance" for Tuesday's edition of his newspaper.

"I was watching it as it was broadcast and enjoying the show," Gray said from his Tulsa, Okla., office Wednesday. "When I saw it live, I was mortified. I was deeply offended over the use of Indian dress and I could not believe it."

Gray continued to say that he thought such a thing should not have happened on the heels of the Super Bowl.

"It shows a great deal of insensitivity regarding Native Americans in this country and it seems we have a long way to go," Gray said.

Fougnier agreed.

"When it comes to issues of racism, American Indians are left out of the conversation," he said. "And we cannot continue to let this happen -- not if we want a real and lasting change in this nation."

Dawn Houle of Overland Park, Kan., also wrote a letter to the editor of Indian Country Today, which appeared on the publication's Web site, www.indiancountry.com.

"Justin Timberlake stood up and apologized for his behavior at the Super Bowl," she wrote. "I think OutKast and CBS should stand up and apologize for theirs."

posted by prof_booty | 09:40 AM