A University of Regina cheerleading team will be undergoing cultural sensitivity training after sporting “culturally inappropriate” costumes during a social event.
The team decided on a ‘cowboys and Indians’ theme for their last practice of the year, and posed for photos in costumes.
The pictures, posted to social media, sparked outrage on Facebook and Twitter over the weekend, with people calling the outfits everything from ‘ignorant’ to ‘racist’.
Some of the women in the photos are wearing cowboy hats and plaid shirts, while others don headbands, feathers and braided hair.
“The University of Regina cheer team was involved in a social event that included culturally inappropriate themes and costumes,” said U of R president Vianne Timmons in a written statement.
Timmons went on to say that the coach of the team has since apologized, while Kinesiology Dean Harold Reimer personally condemned the photo while speaking with media on Sunday.
The cheerleading team will now participate in cultural sensitivity training, led by the university’s executive lead on Indigenization, Dr. Shauneen Pete.
