Glastonbury 2015: Festival Bans Sale of 'Racist' Native American Headdress

Many regard the wearing of a Native American headdress as a fashion accessory deeply offensive(Getty)

Glastonbury Festival will no longer sell Native American headdresses at the event following an appeal.

An online petition was set up calling for the world famous festival to stop selling the headdresses as a fashion accessory over complaints they are an "offensive and disrespectful" form of cultural appropriation that perpetuates "damaging and archaic" racist stereotypes.

The Change.orgpetition, set up by Daniel Round from Stourbridge, attracted just 65 signatures but appears to have done enough to sway the festival organisers.

Writing on the petition's page, Round said he has spoken privately with someone from the festival who informed him Native American headdresses will no longer be sold at Glastonbury stalls.

He said: "Although it is only one UK festival, I hope that if we spread the news of Glastonbury's decision online, positive discussions about the stereotyping of Native Americans and the headdress will grow in the UK and elsewhere."

On the festival's trader information page, Native American headdresses have been added to the list of products and services which cannot be sold at Glastonbury without authorisation, along with alcohol, cigarettes, candle flares, mobile phone changing, flags, and gazebos.

However, a spokesperson for the festival told IBTimes UKthat the story has been "blown out of proportion" and the removal of Native American headdresses is merely down to compliance with the festival's trading standards.

"The wording on our guidelines is very clear," he said. "There are a broad range issues to consider for anyone who applies to be a market trader, such as safety, before we decide if the product is appropriate to sell.

"We have guidelines about what we consider ethical and it is important to show there is an ideology behind our decisions and that it is not just a first come first serve basis.

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Glastonbury 2015: Festival Bans Sale of 'Racist' Native American Headdress