By James Peters

SouthKam student labels First Nations Halloween costumes ‘offensive’

Sep 19, 2017 | 3:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — A South Kamloops Secondary student is taking a local pop-up Halloween costume store to task for selling an offensive costume.

14 year old Kiara Lampreau couldn’t believe when she found a headdress and other mock First Nations accessories in Spirit Halloween on Victoria Street.

She says important cultural dress should not be worn as a costume.

“To me, it’s not acceptable as I am an Aboriginal Indigenous person. To me, it’s just really offensive and should not be in a Halloween store.”

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“It’s going to be hard to explain to some children who aren’t a part of Aboriginal culture. It’s going to be hard to explain not to wear that because it’s really offensive. Our cultures are not costumes.”

Lampreau says she confronted the store’s clerk and asked for the manager, with little success.

“I was with two of my friends. They know that I am an Aboriginal person. They said, ‘try and let it go,’ but I couldn’t because I was so mad. I was going to confront them, but then I had to basically get escorted by my friends out of the store, so I couldn’t do anything about it.”

A U.S.-based company, Spirit Halloween’s website sells several Aboriginal headdress options, including a “Little Chief” costume for toddlers.