Ottawa, ON) October 31, 2023 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) urges all Canadians to practice thoughtfulness and sensitivity when selecting Halloween costumes, ensuring that they honour and respect all Nations and cultures. Cultural appropriation and insensitivity continue to be a concern, underscoring the necessity for heightened awareness of the impacts of our choices. Dressing as an Indigenous or any other Nation or culture as a costume, can oversimplify, misrepresent, or make stereotypes of rich and diverse traditions, perpetuating harmful myths and are generally inappropriate and disrespectful. Even worse, costumes are being worn meant to depict Indigenous women in a sexualized costume. which is another symptom of the complete disregard of the high rates of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous women and girls.

Halloween has become a time for fun and creativity, but it is essential to remember that costumes weren’t meant to perpetuate racial stereotypes or be offensive in nature. Specifically, we ask that people do not dress up as an Indigenous person as we are Nations with rich and diverse cultures and practices and not characters to be paraded around in a costume.

Cultural appropriation and insensitivity have been long-standing issues, and it’s crucial that we all be aware of the impact our choices may have. Dressing as an Indigenous or any other Nation or culture as a costume, can oversimplify, misrepresent, or make stereotypes of rich and diverse traditions, perpetuating harmful myths and are generally inappropriate and disrespectful. Even worse, the sexualized costumes which are supposedly to depict our women is another symptom of disregard in the plight of missing and murdered women.

If you’re struggling to come up with costume ideas, we encourage you to explore creative alternatives that do not appropriate someone else’s identity or culture. There are countless imaginative and enjoyable costume options available that are not offensive and racist. Let’s use Halloween as a chance to have fun while also being mindful of our choices and their potential impact on others. Respect for one another’s Nations and cultures is essential, and it starts with our everyday actions, including our choice of costumes on Halloween.

“Whether it is a sexually explicit “Indian Princess,” or a mockery of a “Chief” with someone wearing a headdress as a costume in an attempt at being funny, shows complete ignorance and a lack respect for Indigenous Peoples. To support Reconciliation, we need to acknowledge Canada’s true history and we need to work on rebuilding relationships based on equity, dignity and respect, not damaging them further,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 23 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate Canadians about the history and impacts on 7 generations of Indigenous children, their families, and communities from attending Residential and Day Schools and the subsequent Sixties Scoop. By fostering empathy and understanding, the LHF encourages people to address discrimination and injustice and contributes to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of all.

The LHF has more than 30 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow, and the LHF is working on making exhibitions available online. The LHF also has curricula for grades K-12 along with Activity Guides for all ages, Workshops and Training, and Podcasts all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and more.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Teresa Edwards, B.A., LL.B / J.D.
Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel
Legacy of Hope Foundation
tedwards@legacyofhope.ca