hello! (disclaimer i don’t want this to feel aggressive AT ALL. the sister discourse has just made me a little sad so I wanted to share just a few thoughts. thank you for your time and for your passion!! )
i wanna say upfront i’m not trying to speak over anyone who is upset, but from my *personal experience* as a Black transfemme— i’m here for Sister’s braids 100% i’m just stoked she found someone in-universe who can braid like that bc the kaminoans sure didn’t teach the troops how to take care of their hair
(*i think it’s both funny but also alarming to think abt the kaminoans trying to keep their facility squeaky clean with MILLIONS of humans with textured hair around like… djdhsksls good luck besties..)
for me personally, at the end of the day, it’s a protective style and while it does have roots with Black people and they are important— (and yes we’re highly discriminated against when we’ve got braids in) im more genuinely concerned with people’s ability to protect their hair both in-universe and in real life where we’re not afforded the daily luxury of the hours it takes for proper textured hair care (thanks imperial-capitalism etc)
it feels super different than if a white character was sporting braids, but even then white MMA fighters and prisoners often take on the style- and while white people dawning the style can 100% in the cultural appropriation camp, even then (personally) i just want everyone to be able to protect their hair— and anyone in an extended period of duress in high stakes environment where they may not get to wash their hair for weeks at a time (prison, military, etc) im so so so supportive of this style of braiding on anyone
this style means Sister won’t have to think abt her hair for 4-6 weeks approximately, which is SO GOOD out in the battlefield. (honestly don’t understand how Tup keeps his hair so nice.. but that’s a different topic entirely, and maybe this is a stretch, but i feel as though the clones by and large have their hair pretty whitewashed. it’s hard to tell what temuera’s natural curl pattern is like since he keeps it historically so short, but i honestly think it would be coarser than we’re shown with long-haired clones like Tup and Hunter. )
i jumped for joy when i saw cornrow-esque styling on a clone trooper. i cried because for 14 years i never thought i’d see something like that. i can’t WAIT to cosplay as her
anyone who does feel uncomfortable is valid, and it’s not that i think we shouldn’t be open to critiquing the wins we get, but personally i view Sister holistically as a win and i wish there was more overall hype.
much love to everyone engaging in these conversations - it is so important we have them! <3 <3
Hi! Sorry I couldn’t reply sooner. Thanks for sending in your thoughts.
I want to explain that there are two very distinct sides to this situation. It’s not just about cultural appropriation, something that you have your own viewpoint on and that’s valid. You don’t mind Sister having cornrows, that’s fine! I’m glad you want to cosplay as her, you should, that’s totally awesome! Wear your hair however you like in your cosplay!
However, another major reason why fans were upset by this artwork of Sister is because of Polynesian cultural erasure. Hair is SO important in Polynesian culture, especially Hawaiian, Samoan, and some Māori iwi. As explained to me by my friend Ivy, hair has mana, or spiritual power. So Sister having cornrows is also a huge ignorance on the importance of Polynesian hair. EK is claiming representation, but refuses to do the bare minimum research. There are many practical hairstyles from Māori culture that she could have chosen, but she ignored it. Instead she is adding on to the erasure of Polynesian culture in Star Wars, just like how Star Wars has suppressed Temuera Morrison and how he tries to insert his culture at almost every turn. In fact, EK made a statement on the “adjusted” artwork of Sister that pretty much states that she thinks Polynesian culture should not exist in Star Wars because it’s all fiction. It’s fine if you feel excited by Sister having braids, but also please take this into consideration as well.
I hope this has been helpful in explaining the two parts of the discussion surrounding this topic with Sister. I’ve linked some posts by Māori and Kānaka Maoli bloggers who discuss EK’s comments, the importance of hair, and the erasure of Polynesian culture in Star Wars:
