The organisers of Glastonbury have banned the sale of Native American headresses for next year’s festival.
The ban was implemented after an online campaign was launched to stop their availability at the 2015 event.
It only took 65 people putting their name to the petition, proving that change can be achieved in small numbers.
The campaign was started by a man named Daniel W. Round. He argued on Change.org that wearing the headresses is disrespectful to Native Americans.
Round writes: “There has long been consensus among indigenous civil rights activists in North America about the wearing of headdresses by non-Natives – that it is an offensive and disrespectful form of cultural appropriation, that it homogenises diverse indigenous peoples, and that it perpetuates damaging, archaic and racist stereotypes.”
Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis says that headdresses haven’t been banned altogether. Eavis told NME: “It isn’t a ban, it’s just that we’ve asked the two traders selling them to hold off.”
Headresses weren’t the only item to get on the prohibited list of items that on-site traders are forbidden to sell. Alcohol, cigarettes, candle flares, flags and products bearing the festival’s name or logo are also on the list.
Last week, all 135,000 tickets for Glastonbury sold out. Fleetwood Mac are currently the favourites to headline, with AC/DC, Muse, Coldplay and Queen also hotly-tipped.
Glastonbury 2015 takes place from Wednesday 24 to Sunday 28 June, with other rumoured acts including Foo Fighters, Depeche Mode, AC/DC, Diana Ross, Foals and Fatboy Slim.
