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For me to fully enjoy this comeback I’d like to say a few things in regards to @bts_bighit and @BigHitEnt having a teepee/tipi used as an aesthetic decoration in the countdown live & why it may have been uncomfortable for some Indigenous Americans/American Indians, but not for
others. This is in no way to give hate or blame to the artist or the company. This is to EDUCATE and CREATE AWARENESS of one’s culture and traditions in the hopes that we can can continue creating a space that inspires/produces healing and comfort for everyone around the globe.
Which is not only part of BigHit’s mission, but also what BTS teaches us everyday by sharing their own Korean culture with us and allowing us to experience and respect it they way they would.
As an American Indian/Indigenous American, who is part of the Diné tribe (Navajo Tribe), I’d like to say I am NOT mad or angry. However, I am a bit irked that a sacred part of my traditions are being used as a decoration that is not related to the true meaning of having/using a
teepee/tipi. This is where it gets tricky because the teepee/tipi could have different connotations to different tribes. There are 566 tribes that are Federally and State recognized in the U.S. and there more in Canada (I’m unsure about how many tribes are in Canada as I do not
live in the immediate area, nor have I done enough research to give factual statements/opinions.) For tribes like the Blackfoot, Iowa, Cree, Pawnee, Plains, etc., the tipi is/was used traditionally for lodging. The structure allowed the tribe to not only live in it, but also gave
them the ability to move around the lands so they could follow the Buffalo, an animal that was essential to their survival. Today some tribal members do use the tipi for camping. (I’d like to input that I do not know the full extent of what each tribe still practices.
As I mentioned there are so many tribes and each tribe differs in what is taught.) For the Diné tribe, the teepee is used for a Peyote Ceremony or “meeting.” This meeting’s main purpose is to help heal an individual who is ill. It is an overnight ritual that consists of everyone
sitting in a circle around the fire and singing songs to drumming and consuming peyote. This to help the individual therapeutically so they could overcome whatever sickness they have and having a support in praying for a better outcome. Each family also differs in their
teachings as to what is okay and what isn’t. For example, some will keep the Peyote Ceremony strictly for illnesses, but others will use it for the upcoming school and pray for the students to keep a healthy mentality as they go though the school year. Or it could be used
to celebrate a birthday like a newborns first year. Like I said, it all depends on the teachings that one was brought up with. But it remains that the teepee/tipi is sacred artifact/tool that we use throughout the year. Which brings us back to to why I believe that the
teepee/tipi should not have been used in the BTS Countdown Live. The teepee was stripped of its true value by becoming an asthetic decoration. Which is what CA is about. A person taking an element from a culture not their own and remaking/reducing it into a meaningless
pop-cultural item. Whereas cultural appreciation truly honours the arts and culture by taking the time to learn and interact, to gain the understanding of a culture, or cultures, different from your own. My main hope is to give insight to my tribes teachings and to give further
reasoning as to why being mindful of others is so important. I know it’s hard and know we can’t remember every culture in every city, state, or country, there’s too many, but we live in the year 2020 where we have so much information in the PALM OF OUR HANDS. Which is why
I wanted to inform you of my tribes teachings. I will be emailing BigHit about this because we should be able to learn from each other to help create a better tomorrow for everyone.
Keep steaming #DynamiteMV my lovely #BTSARMY i sure did as I wrote this. The video &song is amazing
I love you
and #BTS so much!!! And I thank to anyone who took the time to read this thread all the through. Good night everyone!!! #DynamiteToday @BTS_twt
I love you and #BTS so much!!! And I thank to anyone who took the time to read this thread all the through. Good night everyone!!! #DynamiteToday @BTS_twt
