CPSIA = Cultural Genocide, another win for Congress!
Posted: January 9th, 2009 | Author: kathleen | Filed under: Act Now | 13 Comments »I just know you’re going to be jolly jolly jolly to read the latest unintended consequence of CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act). Truly, the CPSIA is a gift from Congress that keeps on giving; I’m giddy just telling you about it. Just when I think it can’t get any better, Congress comes through with another knock out punch -this time, it’s cultural genocide against Native Americans! Yes! I can see you nodding, it just gets better and better. Enough preamble, here’s Janet Littlecrow who wrote me to explain how the CPSIA is the equivalent of cultural genocide:
The new law will cut our business in half, because there is no way that we can afford to test one-of-a-kind outfits. We’ll be totally knocked out of the kids dance clothing business, except for Canadian orders. It’s the death of our dreams too, cultural genocide for us.
These recently completed and sold outfits will be illegal for us to sell next month, so we’re trying to finish and sell all of our children’s inventory by Feb 10. The loss of children’s business will probably bankrupt us. Business is way down, except that people have been ordering dance clothes for their children and grandchildren. Dance regalia isn’t a necessity per se, but it’s almost a necessity among many families for their children. I’ve been working at this business for six years, and can’t even go back to my computer career again.
It’s cultural genocide for us too. We won’t be able to support our native cultures by getting children dancing in the powwow arena. We won’t be able to make dance outfits for any more children’s Native American dance troupes, or foundations, or Indian student groups or school Johnson-Omalley programs. We won’t be able to dress younger girls who are school princesses either, we’ll have to check ages of customers. It’s a major blow for us, and I can’t see any way around it. It’s probably the death of our business. It’s certainly the death of our dreams. We can’t dress children for our culture any more. The government wins another round of forced assimilation.
Janet Littlecrow
Littlecrow Trading Post LLC
PO Box 243
Red Rock, OK 74651
(580) 723-9244
See Janet’s web page on the CPSIA and cultural genocide for more information. You can also consider contacting Native America Calling to interest them in the cause. I haven’t heard back from them yet.
I’m glad to see the effect on Native American communities is finally getting some attention! I’d posted about this in numerous forums and blogs, but hadn’t been able to find a post from someone actually directly affected. I had sent request about this to Native America Calling last week. Have not heard back from them yet.
There shall be much linkage!
Sigh. Yet another victim of the government “helping” us. I spent more time ranting about this today..in person, to people at my local health food store.. put up fliers..Im about to call a freakin town hall meeting.
These will be the first “exemptions” after Congress figures a way to worm out of the library mess. Things like cultural items and special-needs items will get the nod, but normal things of any quality (read- non-mass-market) won’t. I hope I’m wrong. I hope Congress can wake up, like Derwin of Didd (in a book I hope it will be legal to read!) and undo what they did.
This will unfortunately affect people making custom made and one of a kind items. GovTracUs has a question and answer page on this, and its pretty clear, there won’t be an exemption for this.
This is just nauseating. I had not thought about the mess this would cause for already poverty stricken communities and cultures like this one.
I hope Janet Littlecrow has called her Senator Coburn of OK. He is one of 3 senators who voted NO on CPSIA. I hope he is able to help repeal this Act.
^Good point, Justme!
She’s working with him. Luckily for us, he’s married to a Seminole woman. It also helps us that he’s one of three senators who voted against it.
If that’s a foot in the door, great. I just hope it’s enough.
Unfortunately, if the Native American traditions cannot be transmitted through dance to their children, those children will also not be able to go to the library to learn about them either.
http://lisnews.org/children_s_books_and_cpsia_standby_situation_fluid
CPSIA will force public libraries to clear their shelves of children’s books.
Look at the bold part of that article: the ALA is in contact w/ the sponsors of the bill about it. If anyone is going to be clarifying they’re the ones. That’s a good sign.
It’s not just the Native American’s though…
It’s EVERY Ethnic community where there is a Childrens Dance group in ethnic garb…
It’s every ethnic community, where dressing up in the clothing of their ethnic group is part of a holiday celebration (Chinese New Year, Cherry Blossom Festival, St Patrick’s Day…).
[...] course then I read about how the CPSIA regulations will effectively mean cultural genocide for Native Americans, as they will no longer be able to make and sell one-of-a-kind traditional outfits for children. [...]