[Video: YouTube]
Fred Muzi, 79, continues to paint his skin with red, don a headdress and ride a horse during the annual Fourth of July parade in Needham, Massachusetts.

Muzi said he bought his headdress at a national park in Colorado. He said he knows some Indian people who aren't bothered by his display.

“I try to be authentic as possible,” Muzi told The Boston Globe. “If the crowd didn’t like me, I certainly wouldn’t be there.”

Others don't see it that way. Emily Rothman, who recently moved to Needham with her family, was appalled when she saw the pale face in red paint.

“We do know this is a tradition many people in Needham enjoy and find harmless, and it does seem like Mr. Muzi has the best intention,” Rothman told the paper. “However, when people paint their skin to look like individuals of another race for entertainment purposes, it’s off base.”

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Debate over 'Indian' in Needham's parade (The Boston Globe 7/29)