People are mocking #NoDAPL protesters for Halloween and it's horrible

Instead of treating Halloween as an opportunity for children to get a head start on tooth decay and early-onset diabetes, here are some people who thought it’d be a good idea to wear a racially offensive Native American costume and either reference or mock of the ongoing protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota–you know, the ones where 141 people were beaten, arrested, and allegedly detained in dog kennels last week—all at the same time.

While racist costumes are, sadly, a perennial Halloween blight, mocking the sincere efforts of the #NoDAPL activists—who are facing very real legal and physical danger is particularly offensive.

Dr. Adrienne Keene, who runs the website Native Appropriations and who first shared the #NoDAPL costumes on Twitter over the weekend, expressed her frustrations after posting the pictures, writing:

Across social media, some users proposed combating the proliferation of racist Native costumes by making donations to the #NoDAPL activists.

Remember—Halloween, and the offensive costumes it spawns—may just be one night, but the struggle for Native rights is an ongoing effort that shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.