Vanessa Hudgens's dreamcatcher hairpiece has led to political correctness charges of the actress misappropriating someone's culture, again. This time it's Native American, last time it was Hindu.
Hudgens, best known for starring in the movie "High School Musical," posted a number of fashion shots on Instagram wearing long, curly hair and the dreamcatcher, noted
"Entertainment Tonight."
Dreamcatchers are made in the form of a circle with a net or spider-web design inside and they originated in traditional Native American beliefs, according to the
Arizona State Museum website. Dreamcatchers have religious meanings among the Chippewa, Ojibwa, Cree, Crow, Zuni, Cochiti, Laguna, and the Huichol of Mexico, said the website.
Critics jumped on Hudgens on social media for wearing the purple dreamcatcher.
"Why do you have a dream catcher in your hair," one commenter on Instagram asked, according to
People magazine. "You looking for another culture to appropriate?"
Another commenter added, according to
E! News: "PREACH. I love her and all but it's culture not costume or whatever."
Other commenters, though, came to the actress's defense.
"I'm mostly Native American; Blackfoot Indian, I find no offense to her doing this at all," said one, per People. "Too many people love to find reasons to be offended about something these days."
E! News said Hudgens was accused of cultural appropriation in April 2014 when she shared a photo that showing dust lines from her bindi, a forehead mark that some believe has religious and spiritual meaning among Hindu, noted the
Huffington Post.
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