Nations are equal in respect to each other, and entitled to claim equal consideration for their rights, whatever may be their relative dimensions or strength or however greatly they may differ in government, religion or manners.
You know, face painting in non-Western cultures is a sign of collectivism, is a sign of one representing the community, it's not unique at all.
All writers of fiction will at some point find themselves abandoning a piece of work - or find themselves putting it aside, as we gently say.