This petition is to condemn in the strongest terms the recent actions of the President of the Art Deco Society of California, Heidi Schave. Ms. Schave recently shared photos publicly on her social media accounts, on Thanksgiving, of what she captioned a “politically incorrect Thanksgiving” in which she wore a costume intended to mock Native American Indigenous dress, alongside guests wearing “pilgrim” costumes. The inappropriate elements included a costume feathered headdress, and her hand raised in a stereotyped "hau" gesture in multiple pictures. In her response to comments Ms. Schave took a mocking and unapologetic tone, stating "I beat my own drum." 

Mocking Indigenous peoples on a day that many associate with the genocide of millions at the hands of colonial settlers is morally reprehensible, immature, and offensive. We do not feel Ms. Schave is suited to lead a group that is meant to preserve and promote history, given her ignorance and insensitivity towards a group whose attempted extermination was part of the birth of our nation, and who were actively brutalized during the Art Deco was. We therefore demand that the ADSC remove Ms. Schave as President, condemn her actions, and commit to a plan of reparative actions. 

The Art Deco Society of California (henceforth, ADSC) recently issued a statement in support of Black Lives Matter, which read:

“Whether in the present time, or at any point in history, neither the board of directors as individuals, or the Art Deco Society of California as an organization, condone any form of bias or aggression of any kind, including discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or religion. The ADSC seeks to be an inclusive and welcoming space for all Deco enthusiasts. We encourage anyone with concerns to please reach out to one of our board members, or contact our office at zelda1927@artdecosociety.org ”

Ms. Schave's actions clearly run counter to the above statement, being both biased and aggressive to those of Indigenous origin. Furthermore, the suggestion that concerns about bias should be directed to the very board which Ms. Schave heads as President undermines any credibility of the above statement entirely.

Were this an isolated incident, or the first time such a concern about bias had been raised to members of the ADSC and its board, we might have aimed to resolve this issue using other means. However, many of the undersigned have advocated for better handling of issues including:

- the lack of representation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color on the ADSC board and at ADSC events

-the disproportionately Black staff and volunteers cast in “help” roles at ADSC events with primarily white attendees (in Oakland, a historically Black city), and reports of mistreatment by BIPOC event volunteers

-reported sexual harassment of ADSC event attendees

- culturally appropriative actions such as having white people imitate the dress, dance, and music of non-white cultures, rather than hiring staff or performers from those cultural backgrounds

- the financially exclusive nature of many ADSC events, whose ticket prices and required dress codes serve as a barrier to access for underrepresented groups

We also recommend the following restorative actions:

-facilitate a workshop with a compensated Indigenous educator to train the ADSC Board on Indigenous history and cultural sensitivity

-raise funds for non-profits that support the Indigenous community

-create an anti-harassment policy with clear consequences for violation, up to and including bans from ADSC membership and events

-designate a neutral third party to handle complaints of bias at ADSC events, and share an annual report on the incidents logged and their resolution

-increase the diversity of the ADSC Board to include Black, Indigenous and People of Color

Until we see evidence that the ADSC has recognized the gravity of its issues with racial and other forms of bias, by removing Ms. Schave as President and committing to a reparative plan of action, those of us who are local to the Bay Area pledge to end our ADSC memberships and will not attend, support, or promote any events held by the ADSC. We will continue to educate the public on the history of racist actions by ADSC members and its board to ensure that underrepresented groups do not meet further harm at the hands of this group.