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Bass Coast Music Fest bans Native American headdresses

a couple at Governors Ball 2014 (more by Amanda Hatfield)
Governors Ball 2014

Canadian electronic music festival Bass Coast issued the following statement this week:

For various reasons, Bass Coast Festival is banning feathered war bonnets, or anything resembling them, onsite. Our security team will be enforcing this policy.

We understand why people are attracted to war bonnets. They have a magnificent aesthetic. But their spiritual, cultural and aesthetic significance cannot be separated.

Bass Coast Festival takes place on indigenous land and we respect the dignity of aboriginal people. We have consulted with aboriginal people in British Columbia on this issue and we feel our policy aligns with their views and wishes regarding the subject. Their opinion is what matters to us.

Hopefully music festivals not technically on “indigenous land” follow this fest’s lead!

Bass Coast happens Aug 1-4, 2014 in Merrit, British Columbia with mostly acts we’re not familiar with.