Kappa Sig's Indian Problem

When Kappa Sigma fraternity hosted an offensively-themed “Cowboys and Indians” party in Fall 2009, members of the University community spoke out against the blatantly racist costumes of American Indians party guests wore. Representatives of Kappa Sigma apologized and said that they were not trying to be racist, but did not understand how deeply unsettling their actions were. The Inter-Fraternity Council promised to lead a dialogue to increase understanding of ethnic and cultural issues within their member organizations. After Kappa Sigma hosted another “Cowboys and Indians” party this Friday, October 29th, they can no longer hide behind their claims of ignorance.

Misinformed, not Intolerant
Kappa Sigma’s 2009 “Cowboys and Indians” Halloween party was heavily-attended and heavily-documented. A few days after the event, Facebook pictures revealed that not only had party attendants dressed in stereotypically loincloths and feather headdresses, but some had painted their faces red and posed for pictures where they pretended to “scalp” each other.

The entire affair was a textbook example of the tone-deaf, cultural offensiveness that saturates insular groups in American society.

Neal Fox, the Minority Rights Coalition Chair at the time, published a guest viewpoint article in the Cavalier Daily on November 3rd condemning the party. In the subsequent days, student leaders were mobilized to speak out against the event.

Then-IFC president Charles Gamper contacted the American Indian Student Union, and apologized for the offensively themed event, offered to facilitate a dialogue between IFC and AISU about cultural awareness and the racial issues exacerbated by the behavior and costuming of the party’s attendants.

Representatives of MRC, IFC, AISU, Kappa Sigma, and Black Student Alliance (who were invited because of their experience with a similar 2002 incident) met to discuss the incident and come to a consensus on the appropriate course of action to rectify the situation. Brooks Tate, then-president of Kappa Sigma said that the fraternity members were not racist and did not wish to be perceived as racially intolerant, but that they were merely misinformed.

Fox and Gamper jointly wrote another Cavalier Daily guest viewpoint on November 5th to expand on the issues raised. The IFC offered a pseudo-apology, stating that it “cannot control the actions of all its members, but it can engage the community in examining the underlying causes of regrettable events.” The column went on to briefly explore the history of injustices commitment towards American Indians throughout the history of Virginia and the United States and the saturation of offensive stereotypes of American Indians in popular culture. The authors resolved to “actively educate ourselves” on race, ethnic, and cultural issues and “work collaboratively in leading the Community in these efforts.”

Ignorance –not hatred, or bigotry – was decided to be the reason behind the party.
Ideas to create a multicultural Fraternal Organization Agreement event were suggested, and Gamper attempted to coordinate a Sustained Dialogue “to build a bridge of cultural understanding,” but none came to fruition.

“Not the image we want to give off”
The next year, Penn Daniels the new IFC president contacted Jessica McCauley, the former AISU president, and with the help of Dean of Student Allen Groves and Dean of Fraternity and Sorority Life Mike Citro, invited her to a meeting of the 2010 IFC Presidents Council. McCauley offered some background on the cultural and religious significance behind the common American Indian iconography. Herself a member of an ISC sorority, maintained that the “AISU wants to have a good relations with the Greek community” but emphasized that the timing of the 2009 event was particularly unsettling. In the preceding summer, a summer camp for Virginia Indian youths was held at U.Va. to encourage students in tribal communities to obtain a college education – an important event considering the how astounding underrepresented American Indians are in institutions of higher education.

“At the time, families of prospective students were visiting U.Va,” McCauley said, “We invited all our students from the summer camp up for the football games. We didn’t want potential first years to feel uncomfortable, to perceive U.Va as hostile.”

Daniels agreed with McCauley saying that the image of racial intolerance was not the image that the university and the Greek community wanted to give off. He advised the presidents against throwing any parties with potentially explosive themes, like “Cowboys and Indians” and asked the presidents to encourage their members to avoid Halloween costumes that could be considered offensive. In closing his remarks on the subject, directed at the fraternity presidents, he reiterated the importance of tolerance and understanding saying “in this day and age, it is time for us to be more culturally sensitive.”

Empty Promises
Despite the promises of Kappa Sigma and the IFC to strive towards cultural inclusiveness and awareness, Kappa Sigma threw another “Cowboys and Indians” themed Halloween party on Friday, October 29th. A makeshift tipi was constructed in their front yard for roasting marshmallows. Crude pictures akin to American Indian folk art adorned the windows of the fraternity house. One attendee witnessed another guest dressed as the “Trail of Tears” – the forced relocation of the Cherokees from the Southeastern United States to Oklahoma in 1838 in the winter, during which one-fourth of the Cherokees died either from exposure, disease, starvation, or in some cases, execution by the soldiers leading the removal.

Opinion: An Open Letter to Kappa Sigma
Two years ago, it was plausible that the members of Kappa Sigma did not know that it was offensive to paint their bodies red and run around their house “war-whooping” and “scalping” their party guests. Now it is unacceptable. The students in their fourth year class were members of Kappa Sigma at the time of the first party and were aware of how serious ODOS, OFSL, IFC, MRC, and AISU took their lapse of judgment. All second, third and fourth year members should have been made aware after the 2010 IFC presidents meeting that these types of parties were not befitting the image the fraternities at U.Va. wished to present. The organizers of this party can no longer cry “ignorance.”

Kappa Alpha and Zeta Psi fraternities co-hosted a party in 2002 where three guests showed up in blackface. When pictures of the event became public, the national offices of both fraternities temporarily suspended the chapters. Former President John Casteen sent a University-wide email, condemning the actions and recalling the controversial history U.Va has with civil rights, saying, “We recognize that racial tolerance and mutual respect do not necessarily have long histories here,” in reference to the forced desegregation of U.Va. in 1950.

If blackface can garner that much outrage, why is redface any different? Furthermore why is the same party being thrown two years after the last one was concluded to be offensive. The only two possible explanations are that the members of Kappa Sigma either lack the critical thinking skills necessary to excel at U.Va. or they made a conscious decision to throw this party as a slap in the face to everyone they had previously attempted to make amends with.

Look, I get it: Of course you want to pretend you’re American Indian – we’re such good-looking people! I mean, would any of you, regardless of sexual orientation, really kick Adam Beach, Johnny Depp, or Sacheen Littlefeather out of bed? Besides, we’re fun! If the most seminal tradition of my people was to flood our basement and drink grain alcohol with first years, I’d want to emulate some of the cooler traditions too. Also, cultural ornaments from our tribes are great. Honestly, if the traditional ceremonial dress of my people was pleated khakis, I would love to loosen up in some comfy mukluks and vivid woven patterns!

I am not one to cry “cultural appropriation” at the first sign of adapted patterns in a clothing and art, but there is a difference between wearing Minnetonka moccasins because you think they are cute, and painting your body red, “scalping” people, and dressing up as an act of genocide.

Members of Kappa Sigma had been made aware in 2009 and in 2010 where to draw that line. Considering the emphasis two former IFC presidents and a former Kappa Sigma president placed on positively representing Greek life and U.Va., it is confounding why Kappa Sigma would choose to construct a faux-tipi on Parents Weekend, when the University is flooded with visitors.

If no one in Kappa Sigma had the common sense to suggest that it was unwise to host another “Cowboys and Indians” party after their previous one caused such a storm of outrage, then I seriously doubt any member took the time to ensure all party guests were careful to assemble historically-accurate costumes, as to not make the embarrassing faux pas of drawing Hopi symbols on their Lakota style buckskin.

There is little point in trying to explain yet again the problematic nature of dressing up as a race of people for mockery. Kappa Sigma was given the benefit of the doubt two years ago. There is no excuse now, and they should be afforded no leniency.
Kappa Sigma is sending a message that they are either incapable of intelligent thought or incapable of compassionate action.

Or, maybe this was their attempt at historical accuracy. After all, it’s not the first time a bunch of white guys have reneged on their promises to American Indians.