ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses cultural appropriation in relation to discussions of art, and considers different interpretations of the relationship between art, identity and community. Deborah Root suggests that cultural appropriation is based on two ideas: (i) that people who use the cultural motifs and knowledge of other cultures do not consult the creators of these ideas, and (ii) that the primary motivation is financial. The cultural harm of deterritorialisation would be true of any commodification, regardless of who controls the forms, and regardless of whether indigenous people are compensated or asked permission. Johann Gottfried von Herder might be considered particularly important in regard to the articulation of the conception of cultural authenticity. Claims about authenticity in cultural forms rely on an assumption that one need to be the right kind of person to produce some kinds of artworks authentically. Indigenous claims about cultural appropriation are believed to fall beyond legal property frameworks.
