By Monique
Chris Hemsworth plays a Marvel superhero on screen, and on the regular, he lives out a rather superheroic life by making children’s dreams come true. But with his latest tweet, he’s ascended even further into superhero status by actually doing what many people seem incapable of doing–actually apologizing for being racially and culturally insensitive.
Recently, Hemsworth tweeted out his support of those against the North Dakota pipeline. In his statement of support, he also gave a heartfelt apology for a picture from a New Year’s Eve party he and his wife held last year. We saw that picture, and naturally, people felt upset, and rightly so. Dressing up as Native stereotypes isn’t cool. This year, we see Hemsworth is a new outlook on his actions.
“Standing with those who are fighting to protect their sacred land and water. #nodapl #waterislife#mniwiconi @taikawaititi. I would also like to take this opportunity to raise something that has been bothering me for sometime. Last New Year’s Eve I was at a “Lone Ranger” themed party where some of us, myself included, wore the traditional dress of First Nations people. I was stupidly unaware of the offence this may have caused and the sensitivity around this issue. I sincerely and unreservedly apologise to all First Nations people for this thoughtless action. I now appreciate that there is a great need for a deeper understanding of the complex and extensive issues facing indigenous communities. I hope that in highlighting my own ignorance I can help in some small way.”
Related post: Three Reasons Why You Should Care About the North Dakota Pipeline Fight
If we take a cynical approach, we could easily say, “Well, clearly he’s apologizing because the director of his Thor: Ragnarok is an indigenous person.” But, isn’t interacting with people how others learn about their ignorances in the first place?
The whole point of multiculturalism is to learn more about each other and how we can better ourselves. We’ve all come into contact with some limited aspects of ourselves that become broadened when we interact with people with different life experiences and cultures different from our own. I know I’ve had that happen to me before. Many people are afraid to experience other cultures because, as we are vulnerable creatures, we are afraid of being wrong. It takes a big person to actually apologize for ignorance, and it takes a smart person to know what they’re apologizing for. For that, I commend Hemsworth for doing so.
He didn’t just put out a B.S. apology like some out there have done in the past (insert name of who you think fits in this space now—you’ve got a lot to choose from). He put out an apology that reads as sincere and thought-out, particularly when he wrote that this issue had been “bothering [him] for some time.” He’s had a lot of time to process this, and while his apology might not have come as quickly as we as a collective might like, it’s better that it came from him when he had an understanding of the issues.
Now, can more people decide to think outside of their minds and apologize for things they’ve done wrong? Can more people follow Hemsworth’s example? If so, that’d be great.
What do you think about Hemsworth’s apology? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
Julian 