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I’m Barefoot and Hopping Mad
I just finished reading the excellent post by @richardeaston on Affirmative Action in Inventions, about the burgeoning movement to rework history. Not by acknowledging that, in many cases, the contributions of minority workers, including women, in scientific and mathematical fields have been overlooked or ignored (which would be a fair statement of the case). But by assigning influence far beyond what such sterling efforts actually merited, even so far as to assert that in some cases the minorities and/or women actually did the inventing themselves, and then that the credit for doing so was stolen from them by (wait for it… ) patriarchal white men who didn’t deserve it.
It seems perfectly timed to go with a far less consequential, and somewhat amusing (as I reflect back on it in tranquility) experience I had yesterday, which seems to me much of a piece, and which I’d like to share.
As many of you know, I’m an avid knitter. I’ve been knitting for over half a century. I’ve lost count of the number and type of things I’ve knit and for whom, and I’ve probably knit thousands of miles of yarn, some of which I sheared and spun from my own sheep or Angora goats. I’m really quite knowledgeable about the craft and history of knitting, even if I say so myself.
I enjoy the company of other knitters. I’m not really a “mingler” in crowds of strangers, but I’ve often thought I might enjoy a knitting cruise. There’s something reassuring about the thought of hanging out in the company of a bunch of most-likely-braless, and unmade-up, middle-aged ladies in their organic natural-fiber muumuus, padding around in their Birkenstocks and debating the merits of the Turkish cast on versus the long-tail, or the best way to do a left-leaning double decrease. As you can probably intuit from the foregoing, though, I’m well aware that, in a nautical sense, the majority of knitters heave firmly to port, and I’d probably need to take along a couple of sane and seaworthy friends (calling @susanquinn, @katebraestrup) to sit on deck with me periodically, enjoying an adult beverage and getting our minds A.J. Squared Away for the remainder of the voyage.
I do belong to an online knitting and crocheting community called Ravelry. It’s an invaluable resource, first for instant access to millions of searchable and downloadable patterns, either free or for easy purchase through PayPal. It’s also a social network, a knowledge resource, and a place where you can go to find that one particular color of yarn you suddenly realized you don’t have enough of to finish your project. It’s great. I love it. Over the years, I’ve downloaded dozens of patterns from Ravelry, and other than the rare, and very much appreciated errata update, I’ve never been contacted by one of the vendors for any reason at all.
Until yesterday.
Several years ago, I purchased a pattern for a nice pair of knitted slippers, quick to make, knit out of thick yarn, with a geometric design knit into the leg part. Nice, comfy, easy, and warm. Yesterday, I received an email from the folks who sold me the pattern that went as follows:
We’ve changed this pattern’s name Mukluks to Dogwood Slippers.
We are sorry for the hurt our pattern has caused. We are not part of the indigenous peoples from whom the word Mukluks originates nor are we part of the First Nations whose knitting traditions inspired the design.
We have changed the name to Dogwood Slippers. This pattern is part of a print book so we are not able to take it down, but we will no longer financially benefit from it. We are currently researching charities to donate all proceeds of this pattern to (as of Feb 15, 2019).
“Mukluks,” for those of you who aren’t familiar with the term “are a soft boot, traditionally made of reindeer (caribou) skin or sealskin, and worn by Arctic aboriginal people, including the Inuit, Iñupiat, and Yupik.” The photo at the top of this post gives you an idea of the mukluk shape and is pretty similar to the shape of the knitted slippers.
I laughed the first time I read the email from Ms. X. Then I got rather annoyed. The email arrived at a bad time on a bad day, and I’m afraid I responded:
Dear Ms. X,
Glory be. I can’t believe your email about your “mukluk” pattern. There. I said it. The word. I’ll say it again. Mukluk.
Are you “hurt” that I said “mukluk?” Of course you are not. Neither is anyone else. Mukluk.
You pattern caused no “hurt.” Words are not actions.
Someone should remind “First Nations” that their “knitting tradition” was appropriated from the white settlers, and was given to them in the nineteenth century by the Sisters of St. Ann Missionaries when the Europeans introduced wool sheep into their lives.
I don’t see anyone complaining about that bit of historical revisionism and cultural appropriation
And it is equally absurd to claim that somehow, using the word “mukluk” in your pattern, or incorporating a design that looks like some sort of butterfly, or perhaps a snowflake, or even a flower, in the leg of your slipper is any sort of insult or offensive gesture or thought towards any culture or race.
I wonder how much of the campaign of abuse directed against you by those members of “First Nations” triggered by your harmless, and very nice knitting pattern, was conducted through email? Since, as far as I’m aware, there is no “First Nations email tradition,” and no member of “First Nations” invented email, I choose to be offended that they have culturally appropriated my own culture’s “email tradition,” and I suggest they return to a form of communication that is more organically associated with their own history: smoke signals.
What utter drivel. Don’t bother replying to me. I’ve spent almost my entire life in countries and cultures that are not the one I was born in, and I don’t need a lecture from some historically illiterate and spineless outfit that caves at the first sign of pressure from politically-motivated and money-hungry grievance-mongers.
I’m deleting your pattern from my Ravelry library, and won’t be patronizing you again.
How absurd. Grow up, please.
Kind regards,
Ricochet She
I haven’t heard back. I hope I don’t. Because, frankly, I think I’ve already taken my best shot. Not sure I’ve got much left.
How [redacted] ridiculous.
P.S: Lord. I hope someone doesn’t take offense to my description of myself as “Barefoot” in the title of this post. No reference to Chief Barefoot of the Sioux is intended or should be inferred. All I meant was that I’d removed my mukluks. Oops.
Published in Culture
Ok, I understand the ill feeling engendered by the word “mukluk.” (Mukluk, mukluk, mukluk. I can almost feel it. Just a few more …) But I fail to see how calling them Dogskin Slippers is any less problematic. Just ask Mitt Romney about failing to show respect to dogs.
Oh, Dogwood slippers. What the heck is that, dogwoods do not grow in Eskimo lands, they are the state tree of Virginia for heck’s sake. I wonder how you say “dogwood” in Eskimo?
I belong to Ravelry too, and it is a great site. I loved your response.
I knit and crochet, but know most either knit or crochet.
Indigenous persons of today promoting gambling are not exactly my heros.
@she, I too support all your future runs at a cultural Left, especially toward grievance-monger-bowing, virtue-signalling, marketing spinners (thanks, Nike). What an amazing reposte! I hope it’s not only on bad days that you sound off so well! #I2followshe
I am. I learned to knit from my grandmother when I was about age 8 and to crochet from a babysitter a year or two later. Even did a little tatting, fair bit of crewel embroidery, lots of needlepoint and cross-stitch, and a bit of beadwork. Now, mostly, I make earrings with semiprecious beads and crystals, but miss the other work. Much more time-consuming, unfortunately, and I seem to be short of both time and energy lately. Hope to get back to it, as there’s yarn a-waitin’ around here! But I know now to avoid that ravelry site. Too bad, it was initially sounding good.
Great comment. I’m sure Bart would be welcome on the knitting cruise!
Didn’t we (America) engage in a bit of cultural appropriation with Swiss cheese? I thought I had read that Swiss cheese was actually an American cheese intentionally called Swiss cheese for marketing reasons.
I am sure it has been said many times already, but it bears repeating. Absolutely superb! One of the best letters I have ever read. I am so tired of the cultural appropriation nonsense. There is almost nothing we live in, wear, eat, drink or use that isn’t linked to some culture or other. We come into the world knowing nothing. We acquire our customs, foods, et al. through contact with others, and by imitation which has always been the sincerest form of flattery. Anyone who is insulted or hurt by someone else copying their traditions is an idiot who does not deserve attention. End of rant!
Eh, it’s still the best place for patterns on the web.
There’s a lot to like on Ravelry, this is one of the vendors on their site. I intend to stay a Ravelry member, but I’m going to avoid the unMuklukers.
Good for you on the crafts! I like beading, am a rank amateur, have tried tatting because I love the product, but an not good at it. I’m left-handed, and that might have something to do with it. I enjoy making bobbin lace, although haven’t done any of that to speak of for years. Mostly knitting and spinning.
Indeed! For while they’ve changed the name, they haven’t changed the “design” which I guess is just as offensive. Anyway, dogwood has a well-known, although probably apocryphal, connection with the Christian tradition. How’s that going to work out for them . . .
Right, what ever happened to “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?”
Thanks for the clarification on Ravelry vs the vendor; I thought the problem was with the former. I may go ahead and take a look at them now. Bobbin lace is very beautiful; it’s one of the crafts I’ve seen done, but never tried myself. I also love the tatting product, but find the production so slow compared to crocheting that I pretty much gave up before going very far into it. I put down my hooks and needles a few years ago after a small bout of breast cancer. I’m fine (stage 1, all clear), but had trouble in the year following the surgery because of drug side-effects. After 8 months or so, I gave them up as not worth the misery, but they left me so tired and terribly behind on everything that the needlework was never picked back up. I miss it, but need to get the rest of life and home in order before I can get back to it. And age continues to advance and work demands seem ever increasing. I have a friend expecting a grandchild and I adore the daughter. Perhaps it’s time to come out of needlework “retirement” for a baby blanket or sweater…
Probably doesn’t speak Austrian, either.
You need to be careful about admitting that. Arahant will be all over you.
If you have to respond again, you might use the phrase “merciless Indian Savages.” Maybe by saying that you don’t appreciate Americans kowtowing to faux outrage supposedly for the benefit of groups that our Declaration of Independence calls merciless Indian Savages.
Oh, man, I wonder if I need to apologize to the Chinese for using “kowtowing” and to the French for using “faux.”
It does sound a lot like cultural appropriation.
Sigh.
“Eskimo” isn’t very PC up here either. @She got it right by mentioning each of the indiginous peoples involved, Inuit, Iñupiat, and Yupik, who, by the way, have their own languages. All three might have a different word for “dogwood.”
Some women have all the luck.
Not in a good way.
I apologize for the CoC violation. Have mercy, it’s my first offense…but, you gotta admit, that was funny.
You made the Chaps laugh and blush all at once. It’s worth it!
It was hilarious. I cleaned it up, and was just going to note it to that effect, but you beat me to it. (I kept the original though . . . .)
You’re just jealous.
I just put all my new décor and holiday purchases in storage boxes in the garage and when I bring them out I just say “Oh I’ve had those for a long time!”.
You are not helping….
Now I am going to have to search to find where Linda is hiding her stash.
“That’s old news.”