Fans criticize Beyoncé for shirt calling Native Americans 'the enemies of peace'
Beyoncé faced backlash for a T-shirt worn during her Juneteenth performance, which framed Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries negatively, sparking criticism from Indigenous groups.
- Celebrities
- AP
- Published Date: 09:06 | 28 June 2025
A T-shirt worn by 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 framing Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries as anything but the victims of American imperialism and promoting anti-Indigenous language.
A publicist for Beyoncé did not respond to requests for comment.