I am Indian

During the research for my book "I am an Indian!" I set out to document different "Indian cultures" in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. The motivations for people to become "indian" could hardly be more diverse, ranging from historical imitations, playful-naive weekend activities for the whole family to esoteric connotations. I discovered misunderstandings, positive rascism and different forms of cultural appropriation. Some of the people in my pictures spend thousands of euros on their costumes and match their skin color to the complexion of the "red man": "blackfacing" is now considered a taboo, whereas "redfacing" still seems to have a different status. The "hobby Indians" use the codes of foreign ethnic groups and hope that by imitating cultural actions they can approach their fantastic ideal. This often results in contradictions and raises strange questions: "Do I need Indian blood to be Indian, or does a good disguise do? Do I have to feel guilty to play sacred Native American dances, or is that a celebration of their culture? Do I engage in cultural vampirism - or is it blood brotherhood? "