After being at the center of controversy, Adidas responded to the cultural misappropriation charges with its “Oaxaca Slip On” shoe model, inspired by the traditional huaraches of the Villa Hidalgo Yalálag municipality in Oaxaca.
The German company expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue with Oaxaca authorities to repair the damage caused to the Villa Hidalgo Yalálag community by the launch of the aforementioned sandals.
To this end, it requested a virtual meeting with Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara.
“Please be assured that Adidas is fully prepared to listen to and address the perspectives of the Villa Hidalgo Yalálag community and work together toward an understanding that honors cultural traditions and establishes the foundation for a constructive and respectful relationship,” the company stated in Mexico in a letter sent to Jara.
Below is the full statement:
Dear Governor Jara Cruz,
Through this letter, and on behalf of Jorge Dionne, General Director of Adidas Mexico, please accept my cordial greetings as I address you with the utmost respect and full willingness to collaborate, following the letter you sent us regarding the use of Zapotec cultural heritage in the “Oaxaca Slip On” collection, in collaboration with designer Willy Chavarria.
At Adidas, we deeply value the cultural richness of Mexico’s indigenous peoples and recognize the relevance of the statement made by your institution. Therefore, with full willingness to engage in a constructive and respectful process, we respectfully request a virtual meeting with your office, as soon as your schedule allows, with the aim of directly discussing the points raised in your letter and, with your authority, exploring steps that will allow us to move forward toward reparation for the damage caused to the Zapotec community of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag.
We face this situation with responsibility and openness, convinced that the decisions we make must and should be guided by respect, reciprocity, and recognition of the communities that create our cultural heritage.
We await your kind confirmation to coordinate this hearing in the manner and time you deem appropriate, preferably virtually, to engage in dialogue given the urgency of the situation.
Rest assured that Adidas is fully prepared to listen to and address the perspectives of the Zapotec community of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag and work together toward an understanding that honors cultural traditions and establishes the foundation for a constructive and respectful relationship.
On Wednesday, the Secretariat of Culture and Arts of the Government of the State of Oaxaca (Seculta) demanded that the multinational company immediately suspend the sale of the model, redress the grievances with the Yálalag community, and publicly recognize the cultural origin of the designs.
The sandals were presented last Monday and were designed in collaboration with American Willy Chavarría.
Likewise, the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) on Thursday rejected the cultural misappropriation committed by Adidas and American designer Willy Chavarría.
It added that the product being promoted as huaraches or traditional sandals, allegedly inspired by elements that constitute part of the cultural heritage of various Zapotec indigenous communities in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, particularly Villa Hidalgo de Yalálag, does not have “the authorization or consent of said collective subject” to use their identity.
In a statement, the INPI indicated that it “has proceeded to initiate the corresponding actions to protect said heritage, in accordance with its powers and functions, within the framework of the corresponding legal provisions.”
Source: aristeguinoticias
