People Petition That Offensive "Indian Costumes" Be Removed From Yandy Costume Website

Updated on October 5:

It seems Yandy has taken some action in regards to its “Indian Costumes” section — but not by removing the appropriative costumes. Rather, the website changed the main description of the section that includes costumes depicting native peoples (though it’s unclear if this was a direct result of backlash). It now reads, “The most natural and sexy look, you’ll be the trendsetter of your tribe in these sexy Native American costumes! Share your love of the rich, indigenous culture by rocking a fun native costume for your next powwow.” The individual costume descriptions are also listed as “Native” or “Native American” costumes; though the main page is still categorized as “Indian” costumes.

Not only that, but people are also alleging that Yandy is deleting their negative reviews and comments on its website and Facebook. “Proof that @yandy deleted my review as somebody ‘liked’ it yesterday and now this message came up when I clicked on it,” one person wrote on Twitter alongside screenshots of an allegedly deleted Facebook comment that calls out Yandy for its “immoral” sale of the Native American costumes. “#CancelYandy that is actively silencing Native ppl and those that are backing us up on their atrocious ‘Indian’ costumes!” Others shared that Yandy allegedly deleted their comments as well.

The description changes and the lack of response to the backlash not only disregard concerns about the costumes themselves — which are still available — but also actively silence the voices expressing that concern. Some have pointed out the difference between Yandy’s apparent response to the outrage over the “Indian” costumes and to the outrage over the “Sexy Handmaid’s Tale” costume. “@yandy pulled Handmaid’s Tale costumes when white women complained, but won’t pull racist costumes of Indigenous ppl cuz there isn’t enough outcry,” one person wrote on Twitter.

In fact, the Phoenix New Times also pointed out that in 2017, Yandy’s then-interim CEO (now co-CEO) Jeff Watton told Cosmopolitan they were aware of the criticisms of their Native costumes but according to the report, they still weren’t interested in removing them because they’re top sellers for the site. “If it gets to the point where there is, I guess, significant demonstrations or it gets to the point of contentiousness that maybe is along the lines of the Black Lives Matter movement, where you have major figures in the sports world going to a war of words with the president, then it’s become too hot of an issue,” he said of a hypothetical decision to phase them out.

Though that statement is from one year ago, it seems to align with the fact that Yandy is not only still selling the Native American costumes but also does not seem to be listening to criticism — and thus contributing to a long-running issue of degradation and erasure of indigenous peoples and their cultures. “To say our voices don’t matter unless backed by athletes or major representation erases us,” one person wrote on Twitter. “Our voices matter. But not to Yandy.”

Teen Vogue has reached out to Yandy for comment on the latest allegations. In response to Teen Vogue's initial request, Yandy declined to comment.

Previously:

Earlier this week, people called out the clothing and costumes website Yandy for its “Sexy Handmaid’s Tale” Halloween costume. Following the backlash the company removed the costume from its site and issued an apology, but the work isn't done yet. One person pointed out that Yandy is still selling lots of appropriative costumes that have yet to be targeted by widespread social media outrage.

“Now that you’ve gotten the costume based on a fictional dystopia removed, can ya’ll muster up enough backlash to do something about the site’s entire ‘Indian Costumes’ section?” a Twitter user named Lilya wrote on Friday, September 21. Her post included screenshots from Yandy’s website, showing more than 30 “Indian Costumes” that include various stereotypes and appropriations of traditional Native American clothing and accessories. (It's not the only point of contention on the site. “I’m also good if they dropped this garbage as well,” one commenter wrote alongside a screenshot of Yandy’s equally offensive Mexican costumes.)

The Twitter post calling out Yandy for its “Indian Costumes” section went viral, with thousands of people similarly expressing outrage. “Constantly being forced to justify our humanity isn’t new,” one commenter wrote. “Its ‘Older than America’. Its tiring and time consuming, emotionally draining, because its always something non natives love to laugh about.”

“Walk two miles in another’s moccasins with a sexy Native American costume from Yandy!” the website’s description at the top of the page reads. “Sexy Indian costumes are here and are a great talking point at any party. Want to be a princess? Try an Indian princess costume like sexy Pocahontas. Look through our selection below for your next pow wow.”

The description and the costumes themselves are both prime examples of cultural appropriation — which unfortunately runs rampant on Halloween. Cultural appropriation dehumanizes entire groups of marginalized people, co-opting their customs, language, symbols, and clothing — and it's something that Native American peoples have called out time and time again.

“We’re seen as just like TV characters...the savage with the fringes and these boots that aren’t even accurate,” Valerie Reynoso, who is part Taino Arawak, previously told Teen Vogue. “Even our body paint has meaning and then you just put on this cheap paint that you probably got at the Dollar Store for fun because you thought it was funny, like my existence is just comical or hilarious to you.”

And describing costumes as "sexy" is all the more troubling when you consider the fact that, according to RAINN, Native Americans are twice as likely as any other group to experience sexual assault. Per the Indian Law Research Center, more than half of Native women have reported that they've experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. According to a report from research conducted by Amnesty International from 2005 to 2006, the DOJ indicated that 86% of reported rapes or sexual assaults against Native women are allegedly perpetrated by non-Native men.

While Yandy may still be selling these costumes, this can certainly serve as a reminder that it’s never OK to appropriate another person’s culture; and that includes on Halloween. “Halloween would be the worst time to co-opt a person’s culture because it’s a day of dressing up as things that are completely out of the ordinary or very old, or very provocative,” Gianna Collier-Pitts previously told Teen Vogue. “So wearing someone else’s culture on that day is incredibly offensive because you’re basically saying their culture is other in a way that is almost funny, humorous, or scary.”

Teen Vogue has reached out to Yandy for comment and will update this post if we receive a response.

Get the Teen Vogue Take. Sign up for the Teen Vogue weekly email.

Want More from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Why This Mother Won't Let Her White Daughter Dress Up as Moana for Halloween