Learn how to decorate, choose games, make costumes and more in this free video series that will teach you how to throw a tasteful Native American-themed party for your child.
To see the rest of the videos in this series, click on the link below. Note that there were originally 15 videos in this series, but now only 4 remain in total (probably because of community backlash).
How to Throw a Native American-Themed Birthday Party
Learn how to decorate a Native American theme in this free video series that will teach you how to throw a tasteful Native American-themed party for your child.
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15 Comments
This video generalizes and trivializes distinct and diverse groups of people and cultures. Native Americans do not all live in tipis or, in this case, tee pees, use coffee cans for drums and eat baskets of plastic tropical fruit.
I wonder what sort of uproar an "African American Themed birthday party" would cause?
This is clearly racist although the author is not remotely aware of her ignorant and destructive generalizations will have on American children.
How incredibly ignorant ... shows a complete lack of knowledge of native diversity and individual tribal cultural heritages. I hope the creator of this video is not in a position to be teaching this garbage to children,
by not being created in the first place!
I would never allow my kids to be that ignorant. First of all this woman is clearly not American Indian... which should throw up a huge red flag to parents... secondly she has an agenda... either to get paid for this and or to reinforce the old paradigm of all American Indians live in a tee-pee... and wear brown leather and a headress... No one in their right mind would have their kids host or take part in such a ignorant display. This woman wants kids to be stupid. This is definately not about education... its about something really wierd.
I just have to say that these videos do not in any way, shape or form represent American Indians accurately. There are many, MANY different American Indian Nations in the United States alone. Each have their own distinct culture and ways of living. Not all Native Americans lived in a Tipi (the correct spelling). I myself am an American Indian. More specifically, I am a Hunkpapa Lakota from the Standing Rock Reservation in North/South Dakota. And, as Native Americans from various "tribes" or Nations, our culture/s and ways of living had and continue to have real significance for us. There is a deep psychology and thought behind the rituals and the cultural norms that exist for us. Putting paint and multi-colored feathers on children and having them dance around in what one thinks of as an "Indian style" only serves to trivialize our deep rooted and very real cultures. A lot of our rituals are sacred and are held and performed with the highest respect. Our cultures are not fun little party favors to be played with. There is a time and a place where these things are carried out and these videos take what is sacred to us and degrade and disrespect our ways of life. Furthemore, they promote ignorance to young children about who we, as American Indian people, are.
This video could be better by not posting it at all.
Hi. Unfortunatelly I don't know much about the beautiful traditions of Native Americans but I don't see the reason for such a harsh reaction. We are talking about kids birthday parties. Should we deny our kids wishes or what? How about all the other birthday themes? I've never heard the Japanese, Chinese or Hawaiians complaining. I don't think this was meant to do any harm just to make kids enjoy. And if that makes them more interested in one culture and eager to learn more, is that really so wrong? Imagine that the Egyptians forbid us to use mummies for halloween. And I'm from Eastern Europe, should I freak out every time some movie shows us as terrorists or gangsters? Come on.
Tina. I am a Hawaiian and I am complaining. And if you haven't heard Hawaiians complaining then you haven't been paying attention. Yes. I understand this is a well intentioned "how to" but if people really paid attention to the very cultures they are supposedly honoring they would not engage in such hackneyed portrayals (your lack of knowing much about beautiful traditions duly noted). Indigenous, native, or first nation people are not leprechauns OK! They are still fighting for preservation and representation. Having one's culture appropriated OVER and OVER by outsiders makes this video appear to be yet another mockery. You will have your stance and native people and their sympathesizers will have theirs but please try to see it from our perspective. After all the loss we've endured that is the least you could do despite the fact that your privilege doesn't behoove you to do. There is this little concept called genocide. Heard of it? How about colonization? They have a way of making native people cranky when it comes to these issues and if you took the time to educate yourself about the history you would either find some other costumes for your kids or you would have them meet real native people who have stories to tell. The video wasn't meant to do harm but native people are telling you that it does. Will you listen?
Seriously, you mind when people make a luau party? Would you really prefer that nobody is interested in your culture at all? Look, I'm an ex Yugoslavian Jew, living in Germany. And I'm more tolerant than all of you guys here. If anyone should complain about stuff it should be me. But if I know people don't mean me any harm, what's the point. I've been to an October fest in America, (hahaha by the way) should I have told them how wrong they were? No, they were having fun, and when someone asked me about the real traditions of Bavarians I actually told them, and so they learned. I really don't believe everybody thinks we just wear Leder Hose all the time and drink beer. And people tell me merry Christmas every year, I don't scream Hanukkah back at them. I smile and thank them, because they are trying to be nice, they just don't know any better. Everybody should know when to feel insulted and when to smile at people's ignorance and maybe help them. After seeing the video (well, only the first part) I read a lot about Native Americans (and still am – I work in the library). So there you go. But after having read the annoyed comments I didn't feel like learning more I just felt sorry for all the intolerant people out there who feel the necessity to be so defensive. What would you do if someone insulted you for real, straight to your face? This here, this is completely innocent.
If you don't want to get upset about your traditions being co-opted that is your prerogative. I can't tell you how to feel about your traditions just as you can't tell me how to feel about mine. I think you gave up way too easily on your drive to read up on Native cultures. Either your drive wasn't that high to begin with or you are just more invested in winning this argument. I understand the difference between good intentions and actual hate mongering. I don't want to alienate any well intentioned folks and I feel bad if I have. Nobody said that the creator of this was a bad person. Still, if you are going to borrow someone's tradition it only makes sense that persons of said tradition should have something to do with that. I might care how it would look to the people I am honoring. If you don't care then there is no point in arguing. But I suspect you do and that is why this dialogue is bothering you. If I met you in person and we could talk face to face I am sure we could come to a good understanding even if we agree to disagree. Blogs have a way of making people fight harder than usual.
I see you point. OK. It's kind of weird wasting my time here anyway :-) I won't be coming back. Cheers.
ugh #$%@ this video and the people that make and do this kind of #$%@. Seriously this is bull#$%@, cool you killed all of the NATIVE americans and now you can play pretend and dress up as them, as if nothing happened. you think this is some funny little theme party you can throw, the nerve. seriously get the #$%@ out of america
I am a Native American and I have taken no offence to this whatsoever and neither has my wife. I don't live in a Tipi but my forefathers did, I am proud of my ancestry and where I come from this video is just touching on our traditions and cultures. Our Tribes are dying out and this video highlights our culture so that it never will die, they our making sure that we stay alive by keeping our oldest stereotypical traditions, and i for one thank them for this because I as a Native American wish to share my beautiful culture with my fellow beings. If you are one who has criticized and complained about this video then you should be ashamed of yourselves, I am proud of where I am from and will NOT share your victim mentality! Our Forefathers were skilled hunters, craftsmen and survivors and yes perhaps now we don't all live in Tipis because like I have already mentioned I don't but if you are a true Native American then your family will have, I feel honoured that this video was about us and that children are interested in our culture. Thank you to whomever made this video.
I wonder if a group of people clearly disconnected (for the sake of argument, lets say Germans since they try to exterminate Jews just as others tried to exterminate natives) dressed as hacidic and orthodox and any other Jewish people did, wore prayer shawls, the white robes--and draped the tables with them as well, ran around with yamukas on the boys and girls, threw mazuzahs on the tables, had a chuppah (wedding canopy) above the birthday girl's seat , had a pinata designed as the ark of the covenant and taped the tefilin boxes to their foreheads and rocked fervently back and forth to mimick the morning prayer routines) .....do you think this would offend Jewish people and be considered anti-semetic? (It would be so offensive that it would garner news coverage and spark protests) Well....that's EXACTLy what this stupid party theme does to native peoples. This is not mere curiosity. It does not incorporate the culture of the native people and incorporate their practices, but mocks the people and misuses items associated with us. Just as a "jewish themed party" thrown by Germans mocking sacred Jewish practices would be considered anti-semitic. Why would the native nations deserve less respect? This video is not just ignorant, it is harmful and promotes mockery.
I find it interesting that every video posted by members of the native nations who protest this video are automatically disliked.....typical.....
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