The reason I initially decided to focus my senior thesis project on the Kokopelli symbol was that it appeared as though it could serve as an uncommon lens into patterns of simultaneous appropriation and marginalization of Native cultures by mainstream American society. I assumed from the very beginning that the usages of the Kokopelli by the dominant culture constituted appropriation somewhat akin to the uses of Native person images on cultural icons like sports mascots, brand logos, etc.
-
National sports team logos:
(Some examples of Native person images)
Source: Google Images -
The familiar Land O Lakes logo:
(An example of a Native person image)
Source: Google Images
However, I learned through my research that the very concept of appropriation is incredibly complex, convoluted, and difficult to define neatly, and so I shifted focus to consider the complexities of these issues, rather than make unsubstantiated assumptions that may result in an unproductive good/bad binary.
One of the main issues within this framework that I devoted much attention to is the role of Native people in not only the usages of the commodified Kokopelli, but in the “appropriation” of various symbols, images, and icons. When we think of cultural appropriation, we largely neglect to consider the agency of those who belong to the culture that is being appropriated. I thus decided to create a section of this website devoted to these issues, as they have been very informative for the trajectory of my project and may even be able to shed some light on the complexities of appropriation.
