So, there's a new company that's run by a black person. The company appears to be containing all "POC". The name of the company contains "POC". The company is said to be unapologetically about POC. So... they have used a word that appropriates and erases Turtle Island First Nations people. I sent a message asking them to clarify the meaning and then following that to remove the word. They explained the meaning to me again and just said "Thank you". 1/?

So... I'm not sure what to do next. If I should reach out to the linkedin profiles of the leaders? or what I should do. I've gone through the normal "feedback" form but I am genuinely worried that this person will derail and distract from their work by having this wording there. The word is "Mohawk" and they have explained it's "a hairstyle". I asked them to remove it and they said it's a hairstyle. So IDK... I want to help person but maybe too nosy?

@creator The appropriation of that word had been so thorough in my mind that I'd never clocked it as anti-Indigenous but you're right. The history of the hairstyle and its name is obnoxious colonizer bullshit - that style apparently wasn't even worn by Mohawk people.

I'd try the feedback form again and explain in slightly more detail. It might also help to think of a good substitute for the name. It's a microaggression to have it on the website for sure.

@oya Yes... Because the original thing wasn't a "style" and wasn't just shaving off the hair, it was plucked. It's not even the right people. And the person they used as an example wearing the Mohawk is black. Ugh. :( But, yeah, I will try again explaining more clearly what the issue is. I'll try to find my original text in case anyone has feedback on my clarity. I tend to be unclear sometimes when I write.

@oya I wrote: (part 1) "I wanted to share some feedback with you that I see and also confirm that I'm not assuming incorrectly. I see the word "MOHAWK" as a keyword associated with these designs. I have assumed that because of its placement with other things like flower in the hair and birthmark that it refers to physical appearance of the person in the image..."