I will be the first to admit that my knowledge of American history is sketchy at best. Joe Zizek’s lecture featuring the American Revolution truly brought this to light for me. Introduced to this Revolutionary War by the children’s book series, Judy Moody, Zizek’s lecture brought a whole new perspective to this conflict.

Perhaps what intrigued me the most was the use of indigenous attire in the Boston Tea Party of 1773. What did it mean for the colonists to dress as Native Americans during this act of rebellion? Was this intended to be a blatant act of racism or an attempt (however ignorant) to culturally portray a greater idea? And where were actual Native Americans in all of this? 

It has been argued by some historians, such as Benjamin L. Carp, that the indigenous costume worn by the colonists signified their desire for separation from the British. Although not Native American themselves – and this was fairly obvious – they sought to display a separate identity that was no longer bound by their British past, while also protecting the identity of the individuals involved in discarding the tea. The colonists were borrowing a significant aspect of another culture for their benefit – a culture they would later disrespect through lack of representation at treaty discussions and the conquest of ancestral land. (Sound familiar?)

Although some Indigenous Americans sided with the colonists during the Revolutionary War, many more chose allegiance to the Crown, who posed less of a threat to the ownership of their property. Perhaps the colonists’ use of cultural attire was an attempt to display solidarity with the indigenous people, to win them over for their cause. What followed this revolutionary war, however, showed no genuine solidarity with Native Americans as this indigenous people began to lose what they held most dear.

Such hypocritical acts of unity have been criticised recently through the current Black Lives Matter movement. Western society has been accused of accepting aspects of ethnic minorities’ cultures while the people these cultures represent have themselves been ignored – their voices less than a whisper when competing against the bustling din of systemic racism.

“No justice, no peace!” was the chant of thousands of New Zealanders that echoed down main streets in Auckland and Wellington today, protesting the racism not only prevalent in American society and history, but all too present here and now.

There is no peace without there being justice for the wrongs that ethnic minorities have faced for far too long.

There is no peace until we lay down our subconscious prejudices and determine to do more than show one act of solidarity – to appreciate more than just the aspects of a culture that bring benefit to us.

A truly revolutionary peace calls for not just a protest, but an appreciation of minority PEOPLE and a will to protect human rights. The injustice of racism may be able to be traced through centuries and nations, seen even in the dress of colonists in the 18th century, but this fight for ethnic equality is ongoing, and we have a part to play in it NOW.