THE DECOLONIZATION OF FASHION IN NATIVE NORTH AMERICA

The imposition of clothing as a symbol of forced civilization is part of the cultural genocide enacted in all countries that have suffered colonial rule. And even though the validity of "other" clothing traditions is beginning to be recognized today, the colonial imprint in fashion is still very much present in all areas: from esthetics to language, from economic choices to environmental repercussions. Decolonizing fashion is tantamount to questioning its every aspect in order to redefine it as a universal cultural phenomenon that has arisen with equal dignity, from time immemorial, in all cultures of the world. For Native Americans, clothing is a vehicle to tell stories that need to be told, to resist, to heal from the still-open wounds of coloniality, and to declare the beauty of their cultures. The current creative explosion of Native designers also deserves attention for their function as "catalysts" of change through their ability to combine tradition and innovation, ancient themes, and contemporary urgencies. Colonization and decolonization of fashion are issues that have received little attention, and the very perception of the impropriety of crucial phenomena such as appropriation is slow to take hold. This book was conceived to fill a great void of awareness and recognition, with the intention of building passionate participation in a renewed idea of fashion: more respectful, more equitable, more sustainable, more humane.