Cultural Appropriation in Babywearing

***ADMIN POST RE: THE DIDYMOS IND*O AND CULTURAL APPROPRIATION IN THE BABYWEARING COMMUNITY***

Our mission has always been to “spread the babywearing love” to as many people as possible, but our community, however unintentionally, has been hurting people. For that, we are truly sorry and will try our best to do better moving forward.

Many of our carriers (whether pattern or actual design) are culturally appropriated. Some, such as the Didymos design now called Prima, have existed almost since “modern” babywearing emerged, but that does not make them any less problematic, hurtful, and even harmful to the people belonging to those cultures we have stolen and profited from. In fact, the “modern” babywearing movement was appropriated from a traditional rebozo.

There is a “Prima” in our learning library currently, a linen wrap conversion ring sling. We will not be destroying it. Our current plan is that it will be dyed black and used as an example of what a linen blend ring sling can be like and we will acknowledge the appropriation of the Prima design. Eventually we will retire the sling from the library.

What you do with any you may have is up to you. We will not begrudge anyone who is unable to part with a problematic carrier.

However, we do now require that everyone on this page use the new name, Prima, and cease calling them Ind*o. Now that we know the name is hurtful to people, we need to do better and stop using it.

Dialogue is welcome. I do, however, ask that you please read up on this issue if it is new to you before engaging. Education is the key to understanding and compassion.