Halloween costumes that were on sale at McMaster University’s campus bookstore were removed after backlash from students regarding the offensive nature of the items.
The store, which includes an additional Halloween supply section for the fall, had stocked costumes with titles like “Sexy Indian Princess” and “Eskimo Cutie.”
The images on the front of the packages depicted models in skimpy outfits meant to resemble clothing of aboriginal culture. The costumes were brought to the attention of the public by McMaster’s campus newspaper, the Silhouette, in an editorial published Oct. 25.
The costumes had been removed from the store as of Oct. 30, with no evidence to suggest they had ever been stocked in plain view. The store’s staff declined to comment on the matter.
“The university pulled the costumes immediately after becoming aware of concerns about them,” McMaster’s public relations manager Wade Hemsworth said via email.
The costumes prompted the creation of an online petition by student Alan Rheaume on behalf of the McMaster First Nations Students Association, prior to their removal.
The petition received 543 signatures, with a goal to “prevent the Campus Bookstore from continuing to marginalize Indigenous peoples, to get these costumes removed from the Bookstore, and to stand in solidarity against racial stereotypes perpetuated on Halloween by costume retailers.”
Hemsworth said the online petition has been closed since the removal of the costumes. Others within McMaster’s community reacted prior to their removal.
“Inappropriate Halloween costumes are not specific to McMaster, however we are concerned when such costumes appear within our own campus community,” an Oct. 30 statement by the Indigenous Studies Program and Indigenous Services at McMaster read.
“The costume issue has been an embarrassment to the entire McMaster community, and hopefully these events can spark a dialogue on critical thought and informed decision making,” the press release said.
The group also stated that the issue of costumes at the campus store “extends beyond the problematic representations of Indigenous peoples, and Indigenous women specifically.”
“There were other costumes that were also offensive to other groups and that condoned rape culture,” it said. “The Indigenous Studies Program and Indigenous Services believes that there is more work to be done to build bridges and heighten the level of awareness on campus, as the issues facing Indigenous peoples in this country are complex and nuanced.”
McMaster humanities student Monisha Kaura said she felt the costumes were offensive.
“Those costumes are traditional dresses and [should be] worn in a respectful manner and setting,” Kaura said.
“Coming from a background where we wear traditional outfits, I do find it disrespectful that they are making these costumes look so bad . . . Some people were extremely hurt, and I think it’s important we value the public’s opinion.”
