Native Americans Pissed At Outkast Grammy Performance (Photo).
by NewsRoom/AP
CBS Apologizes for Grammy Show
Fri Feb 13, 3:14 PM ET
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - CBS offered an apology Friday to Native Americans angered over a Grammy Awards performance by OutKast that featured frenetic dancing, feathers and war paint — which some called racist and degrading.
"We are very sorry if anyone was offended," said Nancy Carr, CBS spokeswoman in Los Angeles.
As the final act of Sunday's Grammy telecast on the network, OutKast's Andre "3000" Benjamin and several members of a dance troupe swirled wildly around a green teepee as he sang his "Hey Ya!" Costumes included war paint, feathers and fringe.
"I like OutKast. I like their music," said Tom Bee, an Albuquerque record producer and musician who was nominated for this year's Native American Music Grammy. "But I thought the show was not correct. It was degrading."
The San Francisco-based Native American Cultural Center called for a boycott of CBS and OutKast, which won three Grammys (news - web sites) at the show; Arista, their record company; the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization that sponsors the Grammys; and CBS, the network that aired the show.
The center has also filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) and said it posted documents online explaining "why this broadcast was racist and why the companies involved need to take responsibility for their commercialization of Native American culture."
The Web site also urged viewers to "Turn Off CBS," and for each boycotter to ask 10 friends to do likewise.
George Toya of the Grammy-winning Jemez Pueblo powwow group Black Eagle said he was happy at first when he heard the American Indian chant that opened the performance in question. He thought he was about to see an American Indian group perform.
"It was a Navajo song that I recognized, and I got a little excited," said Toya, who along with the other members of the group were at the Los Angeles ceremony to pick up a Grammy for Best Native American Music Album.
But the drumming was actually the intro to a Benjamin's "Hey Ya!"
Toya, who was in the audience, said he couldn't believe it.
"I told my wife who was sitting beside me, 'Somebody is going to be (angry) about this,'" he said.
Indians across the country were angered by the performance, which they say was disrespectful to their culture and a perpetuation of tomahawk-and-teepee stereotypes.
The Oneida Nation criticized the performance on Tuesday.
Indianz.com launched an online petition calling for an apology from Benjamin. By Wednesday night, there were 2,500 signatures on it.
"I don't think you meant to offend, but you hurt us," wrote a petition signer named Megan Jones. "Please acknowledge our feelings and apologize."
In New York, a woman who answered the telephone Friday at an Arista Records publicity office said OutKast had no comment "at this point." So Benjamin and Antoine "Big Boi" Patton, the other half of OutKast, remained silent.
Bee was particularly angered that the dancers who accompanied Benjamin wore feathers, a sacred symbol for Natives.
