Greta Van Fleet’s Josh Kiszka Accepts His ‘Ignorance’ And Apologizes For Cultural Appropriation

Greta Van Fleet lead singer Josh Kiszka recently shared a post to reflect his feelings about his indigenous fans’ criticism on his official Instagram account. He stated that he understood their concerns and always had great respect for their culture.

After their debut studio album ‘Anthem of the Peaceful Army’ was released on October 19, 2018, Greta Van Fleet gained worldwide recognition and popularity. Their singer Josh Kiszka drew significant attention with his vocal performances and stage costumes. During the band’s live shows and photoshoots, he wore very similar clothes to those indigenous people found sacred and used in special ceremonies.

Kiszka’s style was seen as cultural appropriation, embracing a minority’s cultural elements in an exploitative, disrespectful, and stereotypical way. Also, he posted some of them on his social media account even though SpeakUpGVF campaign supporters wanted him to delete those images. According to them, the Greta Van Fleet singer’s acts are very disruptive to their culture, which was only known for ‘some fancy and cool clothes.’

In his recent Instagram post, Kiszka broke his silence about this matter, saying he has an endless appreciation and admiration for their culture. He admitted that he was ignorant about cultural appropriation, but he’s learned and understood it as an adult. He drew attention to The Chippewa tribe’s effects on his life. He revealed that he donated to the First Nations Development Institute, a nonprofit organization that helps Native American tribes and communities.

Kiszka’s IG post read as follows:

“To our indigenous fans,

I see you. I’ve taken the time to listen and gather my thoughts. My appreciation for indigenous culture is bigger than myself. I recognize the harm that ignorance can have on marginalized communities, something I’d never want to perpetuate. Hate, disrespect, and prejudice of any kind are not welcome in this community. As I’ve come into adulthood, I’ve been able to grow and learn. This growth has not stopped and will not stop here.

The Chippewa tribe has had a particularly profound impact on my life, having been exposed to their ceremonies and customs during my early years growing up in Michigan. I have made a charitable donation to the First Nations Development Institute to help keep indigenous traditions like theirs alive and well. Should you want to support me, please visit firstnations.org.

Peace, Love, Unity & Equality. Always. Josh.”

You can check out the post below.

Photo Credit: Josh Kiszka – Instagram