BAPE is taking its sweet time to release its first NFTs, and for more than a month the Japanese streetwear brand has been using its dedicated Discord server to tease the upcoming tokens. Most of the images revealed see a nearly photo-realistic ape decorated in tacky, themed accessories, but a new teaser released this week veers into problematic territory.
The image at issue depicts an ape, whose skin is darker than the others, wearing a Native American headdress. At best, the NFT reads as the sort of cultural appropriation you’ll see at least one white person indulge in at Coachella each year. Native Americans have been adamant in saying that those outside their culture shouldn’t wear headdresses, and within the community itself they are a sacred garment that must be earned.
