How can we help?

1. Slides, attached below.
2. Students can create their own discussion around the central question, or you can clone and use this ready-made example.
3. Watch the debate video Sage Paul – Your Clothes Are the Most Political Choice You Make Every Day (TEDx Talk) (14 mins) before sharing with students.

Present the guiding question: "Can Indigenous fashion maintain its cultural authenticity in the global market?"

Briefly recap key concepts:

• Cultural appropriation: The use of cultural knowledge, symbols, or traditions by outsiders without consent, often for profit or trend.
• Cultural appreciation: Respectful engagement that includes consent, benefit-sharing, and context.
• Indigenous knowledge systems: Ways of knowing rooted in community, land, history, and language.

Ask students:

• Who has the right to use cultural symbols in fashion?
• Can a global industry like fashion engage with Indigenous cultures ethically?
• What happens when cultural expression becomes commodified?

Listening Task:

Students watch the video: Sage Paul – Your Clothes Are the Most Political Choice You Make Every Day (TEDx Talk) Students should actively map Sage Paul’s key arguments, counterarguments, and ethical claims.

Key Points to Listen For:

• How does Sage Paul describe her upbringing and values?
• What critiques does she make about the fashion industry?
• How are Indigenous designers reclaiming narrative and space?
• What are the ethical problems with brands like Urban Outfitters?
• How does she propose we reimagine the fashion economy?

Note-Taking Framework:

• Main Arguments:
  • What is Sage Paul’s central message about fashion and politics?
  • How does she define the ethical problems in the fashion industry?
  • What does she say about cultural appropriation vs. appreciation?

• Supporting examples: 
  • What personal stories does she share from her childhood and family?
  • Which specific incidents or brands (e.g., Urban Outfitters, Disney) does she reference?
  • What examples does she give of Indigenous resistance or creativity?

• Counterarguments: 
  • What might a mainstream fashion brand argue in defence of “borrowing”?
  • Does Sage Paul address these views, directly or indirectly?
  • Can fashion ever be truly “global” without borrowing?

Kialo Discussion:

In small groups, students create a new Kialo discussion around the guiding question. 

Alternatively, if students require more structure, clone and share this ready-made discussion, based on the thesis below, and use the suggested claims as prompts for students.

Students should use their analysis to ensure they select the strongest arguments from the listening task. 

They should add these to the Kialo discussion as arguments, counterarguments, examples, and evaluations.

Encourage students to refer to the concepts of power, culture, and ethics in their arguments.

Example Claims:

NAME: Can Indigenous fashion maintain its cultural authenticity in the global market?

THESIS: Indigenous fashion can maintain its cultural authenticity in the global market.

Starter claim: Indigenous garments serve as living archives of culture, helping maintain authenticity across generations.

• PRO: Clothing can tell stories using colors, patterns, or symbols that show a group’s history, struggles, or beliefs.
  • Example: For example, the Ajrak from Sindh is a powerful symbol of culture and resistance, made using a traditional block-printing method.

• CON: Traditional clothing can lose its meaning even within Indigenous communities if younger people are not taught what it stands for.
  • Example: For example, some youth may have beaded clothing or woven sashes but don’t know their purpose or the stories behind them.

Starter claim: Global recognition of Indigenous fashion can create solidarity and awareness around shared struggles, reinforcing authenticity through political connection.

• PRO: When Indigenous garments are worn in solidarity or protest, they can raise awareness of ongoing resistance movements.
  • Example: For example, Sage Paul believes that wearing Indigenous fashion is inherently political, asserting sovereignty and resilience.

• CON: Political symbols in fashion can be misused or adopted without genuine understanding, weakening their original meaning.
  • Example: For example, the keffiyeh has been used in fashion magazines without reference to Palestine, erasing its political significance.

Starter claim: Without proper context, Indigenous fashion risks being misunderstood in global markets.

• PRO: If garments are not accompanied by education, their deeper cultural meaning often remains inaccessible or misunderstood.
  • Example: For example, Maasai designs are often used in fashion without credit, stripping them of their ceremonial and cultural importance.

• CON: Fashion can spark curiosity and conversations that lead to deeper engagement with cultural knowledge.
  • Example: For example, Sage Paul’s own designs and runway shows often include narratives or artist statements that invite the public to learn more.

Starter claim: Global fashion systems favor scalability and uniformity, which are incompatible with the local, handcrafted nature of authentic Indigenous fashion.

• PRO: The slow, small-batch production central to many Indigenous traditions cannot meet global demand without sacrificing authenticity.
• • Example: For example, Ajrak producers in Sindh face pressure to mechanize or simplify designs for export, risking dilution of their complex cultural patterns.

• CON: Global markets can be reimagined to support ethical, small-scale production.
  • Example: For example, initiatives like the Indigenous Fashion Arts festival in Canada create space for authenticity by promoting slow fashion and artisan-led practices.

Whole-class discussion: How does Indigenous fashion challenge the dominant values of the global fashion industry? What ethical responsibilities do consumers and companies hold?

Example reflection questions:

• Should fashion companies have to get consent before using cultural motifs?
• Can buying Indigenous-made fashion help reverse historical harms?
• What are the consequences of commodifying sacred or symbolic knowledge?
• How does reclaiming fashion help preserve Indigenous knowledge systems?
• Should governments create stronger legal protections for Indigenous cultural expression?
• What surprised you about Sage Paul’s talk?