Advice to witches and Pagans who wish to be allies
Here are some personal words of advice to those in the witch/Pagan communities who wish to be allies to witches and Pagans of colors/marginalized groups, sincerely from a Pagan witch who is a member of an ethnic minority.
Post/repost those lists of what are/are not cultural appropriation. Many of them are inaccurate and incorrect. Some of them are downright stereotypical and racist.
Use us as an excuse to attack people. Some people genuinely don't know better and mean no harm. Innocent mistakes happen. Publicly humiliating people and/or ruining their businesses doesn't help us at all. We've seen enough bullying in this world already without you adding more to it in our names. If you wish to educate someone on what you know/have learned from us, please at least do so in a tactful manner for a start.
Assume cultural appropriation at face value. Looks can be deceiving. The person who has a dreamcatcher hanging above their bed might have received it as a gift from a friend who's Native American. The person with a fresh henna tattoo might have just attended an Indian friend's wedding. The person who appears to have a light complexion might in fact, be a part of a closed culture and/or belong to a closed practice.
Take what you read on the internet as gospels. A handful of people whose online posts have gone viral might not actually represent the voice of the group from which they claim heritage. And guess what? People online can and do lie.
Support mass marketing that exploits native cultures for profits.
Go around preaching about a culture that you're not a part of. This includes what is/is not cultural appropriation from that culture.
Repeat what you've heard/think you know about a culture without having actually taken any time to talk with the people from that culture in real life or done any research to educate yourself about that culture.
Talk over us and speak for us. And this includes making the rounds on social media telling people what our cultures are/are not, what we allow/do not allow, what can/cannot be done with/from our cultures.
Listen to the native people of a culture. Take the time to get to know them. Spend time with them, if you can. And I don't mean on the internet. As much as possible, try to actually go places, explore different cultures, and learn by experiences.
Be a part of a culture's celebrations/special occasions if you're invited by the people of that culture.
Support local/small businesses run by ethnic minorities.
Appreciate different cultures. Enjoy and promote different cultures' arts, music, cuisine, and traditions in respectful manners. Celebrate diversities. Embrace differences.
Ask questions. If you're not sure about something, it's perfectly fine to just ask. Most of us are cool with sharing our thoughts on matters related to our cultures.
Understand that cultures are not monoliths. Even within a culture, there are going to be differences of opinions, across generations and geographical regions.
Actually be an ally instead of a mouthpiece. What we really want is for our voices to be heard and not drowned out. We would like to be able to speak our minds, without anyone talking over us, without anyone making it more about them than about us.
