The Edge

To the Editor:

No doubt the members of Hays High's Trashworks! percussion group have a lot of fun with their instruments, and provide rhythms the audience can enjoy.

Unfortunately, they have incorporated a gratuitous insult to American Indians and kindred spirits by donning feathered war bonnets.

I suppose the operative stereotype runs like this: Indians beat on drums, and Indians wear feathers, so it would be cute for non-Indians beating on trash receptacles to dress up in feathered headdresses.

The war bonnet has deep significance to Indian cultures, and its bizarre and clownish association with trash-can thumpers is offensive. It's just so unnecessary - abjuring the wearing of headdresses would not significantly compromise the performance of the band. Even sports teams which adopt caricatures of Indians as mascots can pretend that doing so is a tribute to admirable Indian qualities like strength and courage.

What is the trash-can thumpers' excuse? Don't dismiss this issue as mere political correctness; it's a matter of respect and courtesy. What would be the local response if the group used crucifixes instead of drum sticks to hammer the trash cans?

Jon Hauxwell
Hays, KS

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Letter to the Editor

Trashworks! use of war bonnets offensive to Native Americans