“Greta Van Fleet” front-man Josh Kiszka took to Instagram to apologize for sporting Native American clothing after a faction of fans created a hashtag calling upon the singer to address an array of patterns of alleged cultural appropriation.
Followers of the band got the singer’s attention by adding #SpeakUpGVF in a flurry of social media posts so that the rocker would address the issue and delete certain past posts of himself wearing “copies of sacred Indigenous wear,” according to Ultimate Classic Rock. (RELATED: Hispanic Girl Accuses Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Of ‘Cultural Appropriation’)
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“I’ve taken 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 singer wrote.
Kiszka also announced in the post that he would be making a “charitable donation [sic] the First Nations Development Institute to help keep indigenous traditions… alive and well.”
Kiszka is not of Native American decent, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. (RELATED: ‘It Does Not Honor Us’: Cherokee Nation Chief Asks Jeep To Change Name Of Vehicles)
HATE, DISRESPECT, AND PREJUDICE OF ANY KIND ARE. NOT. WELCOME. IN THIS COMMUNITY.
Period. #SpeakUpGVF
— erica ⋕☀️ (@wakethemovement) April 19, 2022
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Some fans were not satisfied with the singer’s apology, with one Twitter user alleging the singer of penning “empty words.”
I really do appreciate this whole #SpeakUpGVF movement, the fans behind this are amazing.
But I’m failing to see where Josh actually takes any accountability or apologizes in his statement. Monetary donations mean nothing when your words are empty. pic.twitter.com/05duYvV78p
— sister cirice (@shyannerese) April 19, 2022
#SpeakUpGVF gringas, you do realize Josh wrote that because you were harassing him, right? It’s not like he feels he did something wrong, which *spoiler alert* he didn’t.
— Valen (@valensntch) April 18, 2022
“Greta Van Fleet” is scheduled to open up for Metallica at the end of April at a show in Chile and at a California music festival at the end of May. The band canceled a U.S. Spring tour due to the guitar player and Kiszka’s fraternal twin, Jake Kiszka, being hospitalized for having pneumonia, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.