U.S. Boy Scouts long accused of Indigenous misappropriation: NBC News

NEW YORK, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recently asked members whether it's time to change century-long traditions and practices that critics say misappropriate Native American culture, reported NBC News on Tuesday.

"Despite decades of calls for reforms from some scouts and Indigenous advocates, the organization still encourages scouts to don headdresses and imitate Indigenous dances as part of its honor society," said the report.

"Some chapters and camps carry made-up, Indigenous-sounding names. Indigenous advocates have decried the depictions as racist and oppressive," it noted.

In a recent email survey taken by 35,000 current and former members, the national organization asked a broad range of questions about what changes -- if any -- should be made to its usage and portrayal of Native American imagery, ceremonies and rituals.

Despite the range of the survey's possible answers, the organization said in a statement to NBC News that "there are no plans to eliminate Native American traditions from the BSA program."

"Native American traditions have been an important part of the BSA program for more than 100 years and during that time Scouting has worked hard to share those traditions while upholding the highest standards of accuracy and respect," the statement said.

The Boy Scouts' poll comes amid growing, national backlash over the misappropriation of Indigenous culture, the report said.

Philip Deloria, a Harvard historian and author and member of the Dakota Nation, was quoted as saying that the imagery and themes still used by the Boy Scouts build upon exaggerated and offensive depictions of Native life.

"They're fantasies that lead to distorted perceptions of Indigenous people," said Deloria.