I tend to agree with the folks saying you should try to dress up as an actual person (with at least an attempt at accuracy). Since the OP describes the outfit her DD already has as a long sleeved fringe dress, what about dressing up as Princess Tiger Lily from Peter Pan? If you made an effort to get the costume accurate, would that be offensive? (I know there are major issues with the portrayal of the "indians" in that movie; not sure they would spill over into a halloween costume.)

Anonymous wrote:"But dressing up as a "Chinese person" or a "Native American" still, to me, isn't ok."

We've heard your objections, and since you have no further arguments than it "isn't ok" to you, we disagree with you.

Veterans have traditionally been a marginalized group, and they are a protected class. Is it offensive to dress up as a soldier or sailor?

Actually, yes. http://www.spousebuzz.com/blog/2013/03/uniforms-as-fashion-accessories-tribute-to-the-military-or-sign-of-disrespect.html

Anonymous wrote:Np: I'm just gonna put it out there – my son is going as Bart Simpson this Halloween and will be wearing a full body, including head, yellow bodysuit. So if any of you have jaundice, I am sorry. The costume is not meant to be offensive, it is simply a reflection of my sons love of The Simpsons.

FWIW, he did have jaundice as a baby.

Since this is so amusing, suggest having him dress as an orthodox jew--payot and kippah.

Maybe not so funny now?

Anonymous wrote:Np: I'm just gonna put it out there – my son is going as Bart Simpson this Halloween and will be wearing a full body, including head, yellow bodysuit. So if any of you have jaundice, I am sorry. The costume is not meant to be offensive, it is simply a reflection of my sons love of The Simpsons.

FWIW, he did have jaundice as a baby.

Are you comparing dressing as Bart Simpson to dressing as a Native American or those who wear Black Face?

Np: I'm just gonna put it out there – my son is going as Bart Simpson this Halloween and will be wearing a full body, including head, yellow bodysuit. So if any of you have jaundice, I am sorry. The costume is not meant to be offensive, it is simply a reflection of my sons love of The Simpsons.

FWIW, he did have jaundice as a baby.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's dressing up as a specific person, I don't think that's offensive at all OP

No, it's actually worse because she's ascribing "generic Indian clothing" to someone who may or may not have worn anything even remotely similar. Native culture is unique to tribes and regions, and throwing on a fringe dress and calling yourself Sacagawea because that's the only Native person you know is absolutely offensive.

If she wants to be Sacagawea, rather than just wanting to wear that specific dress, help her to research what Sacagawea actually would have worn as a member of a certain tribal community.

Yes. This is what I wanted to post. Help her get her details right, take her to library, fabric store, etc. She'll learn a lot and feel proud to be posing as an important figure from history.

Yes. This.

My husband is Cherokee (so I can't speak for any Shoshone - who may feel differently) - but I think dressing as Sacagawea is fine (as long as it is Sacagawea) but dressing as random Native American is not ok.

Plus, I think it would be great to have your daughter to a bit of research into what the Shoshone wore vs. other tribes (one of the plain clothes with a woven basket). I really think the museum of the American Indian would be a great place for this.

If you are just going to plop a feather on her head and call it day - please, please...just dont.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's dressing up as a specific person, I don't think that's offensive at all OP

No, it's actually worse because she's ascribing "generic Indian clothing" to someone who may or may not have worn anything even remotely similar. Native culture is unique to tribes and regions, and throwing on a fringe dress and calling yourself Sacagawea because that's the only Native person you know is absolutely offensive.

If she wants to be Sacagawea, rather than just wanting to wear that specific dress, help her to research what Sacagawea actually would have worn as a member of a certain tribal community.

Yes. This is what I wanted to post. Help her get her details right, take her to library, fabric store, etc. She'll learn a lot and feel proud to be posing as an important figure from history.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't bother me at all, but as this board illustrates, some people would find it distasteful or even offensive and might judge you and your daughter for it. Which sucks, but it is what it is.

It seems like a lot of people here agree that it is okay to dress up as Sacagawea, but not as a generic "Indian girl." The problem with that is, how are people supposed to know she is Sacagawea? Would she be wearing a nametag? Because if it isn't obvious, people who don't ask might be offended regardless.

What's going to happen if someone is offended by this child's costume?

The offended party will come straight to DCUM to post an angry rant.

Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't bother me at all, but as this board illustrates, some people would find it distasteful or even offensive and might judge you and your daughter for it. Which sucks, but it is what it is.

It seems like a lot of people here agree that it is okay to dress up as Sacagawea, but not as a generic "Indian girl." The problem with that is, how are people supposed to know she is Sacagawea? Would she be wearing a nametag? Because if it isn't obvious, people who don't ask might be offended regardless.

What's going to happen if someone is offended by this child's costume?

Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't bother me at all, but as this board illustrates, some people would find it distasteful or even offensive and might judge you and your daughter for it. Which sucks, but it is what it is.

It seems like a lot of people here agree that it is okay to dress up as Sacagawea, but not as a generic "Indian girl." The problem with that is, how are people supposed to know she is Sacagawea? Would she be wearing a nametag? Because if it isn't obvious, people who don't ask might be offended regardless.

I'm not going to spend my life worrying about the harpies who are going to judge a 7 yo girl for her Halloween costume. Good grief.

Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't bother me at all, but as this board illustrates, some people would find it distasteful or even offensive and might judge you and your daughter for it. Which sucks, but it is what it is.

It seems like a lot of people here agree that it is okay to dress up as Sacagawea, but not as a generic "Indian girl." The problem with that is, how are people supposed to know she is Sacagawea? Would she be wearing a nametag? Because if it isn't obvious, people who don't ask might be offended regardless.

I mean, folks can ask her. My oldest dressed up as a major character from a out-of-date children's book last year, and almost everyone asked who she was. Older folks in particular were charmed to hear her answer.

If OP's daughter wanted to be Sacajawea, she could start by looking up what kinds of clothes were common for Shoshone women. Since she's famous for, in part, carrying her baby with her, she could wear a baby carrier with a doll. She could carry a map. Something. Anything but "generic Indian girl."

It wouldn't bother me at all, but as this board illustrates, some people would find it distasteful or even offensive and might judge you and your daughter for it. Which sucks, but it is what it is.

It seems like a lot of people here agree that it is okay to dress up as Sacagawea, but not as a generic "Indian girl." The problem with that is, how are people supposed to know she is Sacagawea? Would she be wearing a nametag? Because if it isn't obvious, people who don't ask might be offended regardless.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"No, but when a group makes up a disproportionate percentage of our ruling class, as veterans do"

Citation, please.

Up until Clinton 1 every President served in the military. Bush 1 after.

Huh?

John Adams, Martin Van Buren, Cleveland, Harding, Wilson, Taft, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt, Clinton, and Obama. (and now Clinton II).

And we're talking about now, not the history from 25 years ago. But you can't even get that right.

Forgive me for not respecting your judgment on the costume issue, but you're clearly an idiot.

Beats being a bitch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"But dressing up as a "Chinese person" or a "Native American" still, to me, isn't ok."

We've heard your objections, and since you have no further arguments than it "isn't ok" to you, we disagree with you.

Veterans have traditionally been a marginalized group, and they are a protected class. Is it offensive to dress up as a soldier or sailor?

NP here. The bolded is absurd.

How do you figure?

Veterans have traditionally been one of the most honored groups in the US. They are applauded, celebrated, and honored in any number of ways, and rightfully so IMO.

LOL. You clearly don't know any history prior to 1991.

LOL indeed. You mean prior to 1891?

My grandfathers must have fabricated the stories of adulation they received when they returned from WWII, and I must be imagining the veterans having the place of honor and being cheered in every 4th of July parade I attended as a kid. Not to mention the thousands of monuments across the US honoring veterans, or the numerous national civic organizations (Rotary, Lions, etc.) that have expressly honored and served veterans for decades.

Their certainly have been dark moments for veterans (Vietnam, the calls to exile them as "dangerous" after WWII), but on the whole veterans have long had an honored place in our society.

I suppose that there are regional exceptions (today's oh-so-sophisticated coastie urbanites don't have much respect for anything or anyone) but the above is true of much of our country, even today.