The offensiveness of wearing symbolic/religous type items as fashion pieces confuses me:?

I can't speak for most of those things, but.....wearing an eagle feather bonnet if you haven't earned it is disrespectful and offensive. Eagle feathers are sacred to us, and awarded on merit. Each one represents an act of courage or sacrifice. The right to wear such a bonnet is only bestowed on someone after a long period of proving themselves. To wear it as a fashion accessory, or a costume, is to make fun of something we hold very sacred and honorable. We're kind of used to people not understanding our culture and heritage, but it is still very distasteful. You can wear moccasins all you like. they're simply shoes, nothing special about that. But people who flaunt eagle feathers, who haven't been awarded them....well, it would kind of be like me wearing a copy of the congressional medal of honor, because I thought it was a pretty design. Alot of people would be extremely upset if I appropriated that honor to myself, even in fun.