It can also be said that the discourse of honor resulted in misunderstood or misidentified Native Americans speaking out on behalf of the mascots. Many of those who spoke out in favor of the mascots were found to be “self-proclaimed” Native Americans. These people were maybe one-sixteenth Native American or confusedly said to be related to a Native American chief or princess. The article by Pauline Strong supports this idea stating “given this pattern of socialization, many non-Indians come to feel deeply invested in Indian mascots... Such an emotional investment is a form of White privilege akin to that analyzed more generally by George Lipsitz (1998). In identifying themselves with pseudo-Indian symbols, non Indians come to feel authorized to appropriate and even to profit from these symbols as well as to …show more content…
The honoring through recognition that these non-Indians seek to achieve is not attainable through faint attempts to misrepresent a culture they barely know. In I’m Indian Too!: Claiming Native American Identity, Crafting Authority in Mascot Debates by Charles Springwood, “the mascot protesters who claim Indianness are staging what is perhaps a novel form of anti-Indianism because their claims are designed to silence what may be a common, if not majority opinion, among Native Americans about the uses and abuses of Indian imagery in contemporary American movement.” Native Americans who protest the use of these symbols in sports media see the opinions of non-Indians as uncreditable because they are rooted out of emotion and the defense of societal comfort. The fans of these teams love their mascots and these symbols are what has brought our team together, but do not understand how they offend the heritage of those that they falsely represent and bring little honor
Is using Native Americans as mascots for sports teams offensive? It does not matter if it is a high school or a college, sometimes even the NFL. Examples of sports teams that use Native Americans images are Washington Redskins, Florida State Seminoles, and a high school Cherokee Braves. It is not offending and there should not be any problem because it is not making fun of anybody. Using Native American images and names in professional, collegiate, and high schools sport teams does not reinforce and perpetuate stereotypes because it symbolizes their culture, shows that they are ready to play, and appreciates their coexistence.
In the case of the Washington Redskins, the owner Dan Synder is opposed to changing the name, claiming that the name is not offensive but very respectful and honors the people Indigenous to America (Martinez). “The Redskins have said that the name, adopted in 1933, was chosen because American Indians were brave and strong”(Belson). Implying that Synder feels that the name is associated with gallantry and warrior quality and feels that the word isn’t racist at all. He feels that because the fan yell “Hail Redskins” that this also conveys how the name is and example of honor and not disrespect (Martinez). He has also gone on record saying that he will never change the teams name, which he can legally due because of the teams trademark (Martinez and Belson).
These mascots are disrespectful to the natives and pressure people to create stereotypes for the cultures. However, people think that the mascots are a way to honor the indigenous people and other cultures. We shouldn’t use mascots to honor the different cultures instead we should honor them in a way that’s not mocking them. Works Cited Ipatenco, Sara. “Pros and Cons of Indian Mascots.”
There are many factors that effect Native Americans such as treaty rights, health, education, and economic issues, a number of studies done by various government agencies, including the Department of Justice, have shown extremely troubling rates of violent crime inflicted on American Indian peoples, most by non-Natives, as well as a suicide incidence among American Indian children and young adults that is several times that of other ethnic groups or the general population. However, Native Americans representation through mascots and logos is an issue that effects the Native people in a more personal way. Native Americans sport team logos, mascots and nicknames are representing Native Americans in a disrespectful way which is effecting the way we perceive
Ellie Reynolds advances a rhetorically effective argument on why government should not have regulatory control over offensive Native American mascots in schools across the country. She believes this control is more of a detriment to society than a service. Her article published on the DenverPost.com, “Native Americans Have Become a Political Pawn,” offers a compelling point of view on this controversial issue because Reynolds is a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe herself (Reynolds 659). Along with her strong view against government involvement on this issue, which she considers censorship by political correctness, Reynolds uses her personal experience, historical context, and the negative effects of political correctness to convey her effective
While Native Americans could not do their religion in any way, the mascots making fun of them would use Native American holy objects in a derogatory
Native American mascots reduce the indigenous people to a mere cartoon, ignoring the diversity and richness of their cultures, and the many practices and rituals they have. These mascots treat indigenous cultures as if they are relics of the horrid past, ignoring the fact that indigenous people continue to exist and thrive in modern societies. Using Native American mascots trivialize the serious issues the indigenous community face, such as discrimination, racism, poverty, and
What is more surprising that the vast majority of the Native Americans surveyed that 73 did not find the term rude. Some of the people told the post that they like the word and used it to call each other. As a matter of fact, the previous surveys demonstrate that more non-Indians 23 percent and people around Washington 28 percent were bothered by the team name than Native Americans were. Moreover, Brown states that the post survey made him understand a few elements. First, it is a good exercise for him or anyone else not to make assumptions that we know how other people feel without talking to those people.
“American Indian mascots and logos promote negative stereotypes” (Herrington 1). These stereotypical ideas of their culture that we have grown accustomed too, that do not reflect their culture in the least bit. Each American tribe has its own traditions and cultures, “yet many American Indian mascots wear feathered headdresses and war paint. They often carry tomahawks” (Herrington 1).
The Indian mascot was originally designed to render tribute to Native Americans, not as a racial symbol. In the past forty years, changing the name backfired, and citizens began taking offense to the name because they felt like the name represented the color of Native American’s skin. Nevertheless, many fans, including Native Americans, do not consider the name or the mascot to be degrading or racial. Fans of the Washington Redskins participated in a poll that reveals, “77 percent reject changing the name” while in another poll “71 percent of NFL fans did not find the Redskins name offensive” (Lingebach 2). Clearly, from the results of the two polls, many fans would be unhappy if the Redskins’ name were to be changed.
However, the underlying truth is that teams with names like these are meant to honor and represent the pride and strength these tribes have had throughout their history. "We Seminoles embrace the mascot... they honor us", says James Billie, the tribes chairman. When he claims this statement, he is referring to their mascots having more than the appearance of calling out a specific race but to recognize the ones who deserve the merit (source C). People who find this so offensive don 't realize that in reality we are all hypocritical.
The legislators of the state began to ponder if it was time for the University to change its mascot which was the Fighting Sioux. The author then went on to say that majority of the teams or universities treated it as if it was nothing major or as if it was an honor to the Native American people . Some felt that since the mascot had been around for so such an ample amount of time that if it was changed the team or school would lose some of its rich history. In the third section of this article Shackley explains about the Native Americans that had a problem with the names and images of the mascots.
"Appropriating Native American Imagery Honors No One but the Prejudice" by Amy Stretten shows the art of a woman who honored her culture and race and refused to continue being offended by a mascot. The essay is to target those in the community that feels offended of what may be occurring in their school also. Student's in the community are the ones who mostly have an opinion in what is hurting them and causing distress at school. This essay uses various techniques to prove its opinions towards how offensive a person may feel toward a mascot. Examples of these type of various techniques come out as ethos, pathos, and logos.
Deloria pleads, “Not even Indians can relate themselves to this type of creature who, to the anthropologists, is the ‘real’ Indian […]” (Dennison, 8). It is easy to ignore how much these misconceptions limit the people subject to them. These harmful misconstructions are seen everyday, in settings like sports, particularly the football team the Washington Redskins. Finally we see a major figure, in this case, FedEx, publicly reject the identity. This is a step towards unlocking American Indian potential, which affects the United States in just as many ways.
The invisibility of Native peoples and lack of positive images of Native cultures may not register as a problem for many Americans, but it poses a significant challenge for Native youth who want to maintain a foundation in their culture and language. " - NCAI President Brian Cladoosby (April 2014 - Washington Post