THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA IS FACING SOME CRITICISM AFTER
IT STOPPED A YOGA CLASS, OR SUSPENDED A YOGA CLASS,
THAT WAS ON CAMPUS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
THE REASON WHY THEY DECIDED TO SUSPEND THE CLASS IS
BECAUSE OF ISSUES REGARDING CULTURAL APPROPRIATION.
APPARENTLY THE INSTRUCTOR OF THIS YOGA CLASS GOT AN
EMAIL FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
INDIVIDUALS DOING YOGA, BUT NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE
SYMBOLIC CULTURAL REFERENCES BEHIND IT.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE DETAILS.
OVOID.
"THE EMAIL REPORTEDLY SAID THE STUDENT GROUP WANTED TO
BE SENSITIVE TO HOW IT PRACTICED YOGA, SINCE THE CULTURES
FROM WHICH YOGA ORIGINATES HAVE EXPERIENCED OPPRESSION,
CULTURAL GENOCIDE, AND DIASPORA IS DUE TO COLONIALISM AND
WESTERN SUPREMACY.
" "HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION COFOUNDER DOCTOR ESSENE
SHUKLA PRAISE THE SCHOOL FOR HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT
YOGA'S ROOTS AND POSSIBLE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION.
" HE SAID, "WE BELIEVE THAT TEACHING YOGA TO CAMPUS STUDENTS
AND RESPECTING YOGAS RUTH IS NOT INTRINSICALLY IN CONFLICT.
" THE INSTRUCTOR FOR THE CLASS SAID THE FOLLOWING ñ
BEFORE YOU DO THAT, CAN I FOLLOW UP?
HE SAYS IT IS NOT INTRINSICALLY IN CONFLICT, WHICH SOUNDS
PRETTY GOOD, BUT THEN HE SAID, WE WOULD AGREE WITH
CONCERNED STUDENTS ABOUT THE LEGITIMATE RISK OF EXOTIC
CITATION AND APPROPRIATION.
DON'T MAKE MY CULTURE EXOTIC.
I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT HIS POSITION IS.
I WILL EXPLAIN WHY I LAUGHED AS YOU READ THE QUOTE, BUT
GIVE THE REST OF THE STORY.
YOGA ORIGINALLY COMES FROM INDIA.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST INDIANS IN THIS INSTITUTION.
FROM WHAT I HAVE READ OR FRIDAY TO DIG UP, I HAVE NOT FOUND
ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION IS A VERY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, BUT IT
IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU PUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, FOR EXAMPLE.
BEAUTY MAGAZINES GLORIFY WOMEN WHO ARE WHITE WHO WEAR AN AFRO.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN BLACK WOMEN WEAR THEIR NATURAL
HAIR, LET'S SAY AS AN AFRO, THEY DON'T GET JOBS AS A RESULT
OF THAT, THEY GET CRITICIZED AS A RESULT OF THAT.
SO THAT IS AN ISSUE OF CULTURAL APPROPRIATION, WHERE THE ACTIONS
OF WHITE PEOPLE ARE CELEBRATED, BUT THE ACTIONS OF MY
MINORITY ARE CRITICIZED, IT WHEN IT IS THEIR OWN CULTURE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS RELATES TO THAT.
WE'RE CODDLING EVERY COLLEGE STUDENT.
WE HAVE SAFE SPACES, WITH STUDENTS NOT WANTING TO
TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT UPSET THEM.
WITH SPEAKERS NOT WANTING TO SPEAK AT SCHOOLS BECAUSE
THEY HAVE CONTROVERSIAL IDEAS.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GET OFFENDED ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS.
IF YOU ARE NOT OFFENDED, YOU ARE NOT LEARNING.
HERE IS THE THING, WE HAVE APPROPRIATED EVERYTHING.
AMERICA IS A MELTING POT.
SO I AM A BAD PERSON FOR DOING YOGA NOW?
BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF
INDIANS AND WHERE YOGA COMES FROM?
I AM GOING TO SAY SOMETHING SLIGHTLY CONTROVERSIAL HERE.
I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT CULTURAL APPROPRIATION.
ANA POINTED OUT THE DOWNSIDES OF IT, WHICH ARE REAL.
THE UPSIDE IS, IT IS CALLED AMERICA.
I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE MALICIOUSLY APPROPRIATED PIZZA FROM THE ITALIANS,
AND WE MADE IT MUCH BETTER BY ADDING CHEESE.
AND THEN THE WORLD CELEBRATED.
THE ITALIANS, THEY DID NOT THINK TO PUT CHEESE ON IT.
COME ON YOU KNUCKLEHEADS, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
REAPPROPRIATED MATZO BALL SOUP.
WE APPROPRIATED LOX AND CREAM CHEESE.
ELDERS APPROPRIATED BLACK MUSIC.
THAT IS WHERE SOME OF THE CRITICISM COMES INTO PLAY.
I AM NOT DISMISSING THE CRITICISM, BOTH SIDES HAVE
FAIR POINTS TO MAKE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, ON THE UPSIDE OF ELVIS' APPROPRIATION,
BLACK CULTURE BECAME A MORE MAINSTREAM.
AND NOW, BLACK CULTURE IS PRETTY MUCH THE MAINSTREAM
ENTERTAINMENT IN AMERICA.
I THINK OF THE ROLLING STONES, THEIR INFLUENCE WAS
LARGELY FROM MUDDY WATERS.
HE HAD FAME AND SUCCESS, BUT CERTAINLY NOT TO THE SAME
EXTENT THAT THE ROLLING STONES DID.
I HEAR YOU, SHOULD THE ROLLING STONES CUT A CHECK
FOR MUDDY WATERS WAS SO MAYBE.
I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THEM.
SO IS IT FRUSTRATING THAT ELVIS PRESLEY, ROLLING STONE AND
EMINEM GET MOST OF THE MONEY?
YES, I GUESS THAT FRUSTRATION, IT IS NOT ILLEGITIMATE.
AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS HOW WE GROW TOGETHER.
I THINK IT IS IN SOME WAYS A COMPLIMENT, TO SAY HEY,
THAT IS REALLY GOOD, MORE OF US SHOULD DO THAT.
I KNOW IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT YOU NEED A WAY TO BARRIER
TO WELCOME IT INTO MAINSTREAM.
I THINK INTENT MATTERS.
INTENT REALLY MATTERS.
THIS IS A YOGA CLASS AT THE UNIVERSITY FOR STUDENTS WHO
ARE SUFFERING DISABILITIES.
THERE WAS NO MALICIOUS INTENT BY THIS YOGA CLASS.
PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE OF WHY THIS HAPPENED.
ONE STUDENT IS CLAIMING IT WAS NOT A POPULAR CLASS AND
THAT IS WHY IT WAS SUSPENDED.
THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THE INSTRUCTOR GOT AN
EMAIL SAYING THAT PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLASS
BEING INSENSITIVE.
SHE GOT THE EMAIL, SHE SAYS THERE WERE SIXTY STUDENTS
PARTICIPATING.
THIS WHOLE NEW IDEA THAT NO ONE WAS PARTICIPATING SOUNDS
FISHY TO ME.
FOR THE HINDU GENTLEMAN WHO SAYS, RESPECT OUR CULTURE.
BUT, IN A SENSE, THEY ARE CELEBRATING OUR CULTURE BY
DOING THE YOGA.
IN A VERY LARGE SENSE.
DON'T LOSE IT.
IF YOU SAY, I'VE GOT A LEARN SANSKRIT BEFORE I DO YOGA ñ
FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T WANT TO DO YOGA IS A THAT IS A PERFECT
EXCUSE, SO THANK YOU.
SECONDLY, BE REALISTIC.
THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF YOU USE THAT AS A VEHICLE TO TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT
HINDUISM, NOT FORCE IT ON THEM, BUT TEACH THEM, THAT IS A
WIN FOR YOU, TAKE IT AND GO HOME.
CELEBRATED.
LOOK AT THIS, THIS HINDU TRADITION THAT THE WHOLE
WORLD IS DOING NOW.
IT IS NOT A BAD THING.