Fans blast Beyonc over shirt calling Native Americans the enemies of peace

A T-shirt worn by Beyoncé during a Juneteenth performance on her “Cowboy Carter” tour has sparked a discussion over how Americans frame their history and caused a wave of criticism for the Houston-born superstar.The T-shirt worn during a concert in Paris featured images of the Buffalo Soldiers, who belonged to Black U.S.Army units active during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

On the back was a lengthy description of the soldiers that included “their antagonists were the enemies of peace, order and settlement: warring Indians, bandits, cattle thieves, murderous gunmen, bootleggers, trespassers, and Mexican revolutionaries.”Images of the shirt and videos of the performance are also featured on Beyoncé’s website.As she prepares to return to the U.S.for performances in her hometown this weekend, fans and Indigenous influencers took to social media to criticize Beyoncé for wearing a shirt that frames Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries as anything but the victims of American imperialism and for promoting anti-Indigenous language.A spokesperson for Beyoncé did not respond to a request for comment.The Buffalo Soldiers served in six military units created after the Civil War in 1866.

They were comprised of formerly enslaved men, freemen, and Black Civil War soldiers and fought in hundreds of conflicts — including in the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II — until they were disbanded in 1951.As the quote on Beyoncé’s shirt notes, they also fought numerous battles against Indigenous peoples as part of the U.S.Army’s campaign of violence and land theft during the country’s westward expansion.Some historians say the moniker “Buffalo Soldiers” was bestowed by the tribes who admired the bravery and tenacity of the fighters, but that might be more legend than fact.

“At the end of the day, we really don’t have that kind of information,” said Cale Carter, director of exhibitions at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum ...