Native American Mascot Case Study

Teams at any level of competition, in every sport, have a mascot. The mascot is essentially what represents the competitive spirt and identifies the team, motivating both fans, coaches, and players. Although, the symbol chosen as a mascot does not have an impact on number of wins nor loses. The choice of a Native American mascot continues to initiate debate and controversy among fans, alumni, and athletes today. More specifically, the debate over the controversy surround the Washington Redskin football team.

Are team mascots using stereotypes? What about the team names? And their logos? Mascots and team names are stereotypical or offensive.

Is it offencive for sport teams to use Native American names and mascots? Is it really that bad to have a Native American name for a sports teams? Do you think that it is racist? Having a team with a Native American name is not a bad thing. If you have a teams named after specific Nationality group, like the Indians, then that would be splendid because the Indians were feared people, it’s an honor for the Indians, and it would help the Americans remember the Native Americans.

Goodbye to Racial Mascots: California Bans the Use of “Redskins” in Public Schools Oct. 11 marks the victory of a statewide movement to prevent a racial slur from public use. On that day, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the ban on using “Redskins” as team names or mascots in public schools. The bill was well received by the majority, and many expected that this would set a good example for other states and the next generation. Without a doubt, the term in question — referring to the brutal crimes that British colonizers had done to Native Americans — is a racial slur that many Native Americans have long found offensive. However, when it comes to something as prestigious as the Washington football team or as intimate as a tradition of Amherst College.

Population First, because my research was focused on understanding the portrayal of Native Americans, it was important to get the perspective from Native Americans themselves. The opinions of a sample of Native students were collected as a way to begin answering these questions and to provide a basis for further research. The population for this research was ten native students recruited from the Speel-Ya program and by email invitation at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. I introduced myself to them at one of the Speel-Ya meetings. To protect their identities, I decided to give them pseudonyms.

Despite having a wide plethora of health problems, there's no question the UGA mascot is perfectly suited to cheer on the dawgs on behalf of the passionate fans the football games generate. The University of Georgia is well respected, academically, in large part due to its prestigious veterinary school. Some would find it ironic that a university, known for providing the highest quality veterinary care in the nation, employs one of the most vulnerable, unhealthy dog breeds to represent a strong and tough football team that isn't afraid of a challenge. Somehow, the university pulls it off and makes UGA easily the most likeable mascot in the SEC. Without UGA, the stadium would seem empty.

Imagine someone going up to you and saying " hey American person", even though the fact may be that you don 't wan to be called that. Throughout North American History, we have been labeling many different Native Americann groups by the same title and name, even though they may be completely differnt from each other. Each and every Native groups have their own history, culture, and way of life. It isn 't fair to call and label every ethnic Native group as simply Native Americans. Their are hundreds of different Native ethnic groups out there, with competly differnt lifestyles.

Native American portrayal cinema typically portray many stereotypes, such as being one with the Earth, alcoholic and dressed in headdresses. However, not all movies and their portrayal of Native American are the same, for instance the movie The Outlaw Jonesy Wales portrays Native American in a different context. In the movie one of the main character is a Native American chief who is not bound by these common stereotypes. Instead he acts just like any person would act and does not put emphasis on what race he comes from. Although it is still very obvious what race he is, but it is not over the top trying to make the audience believe what race he is by portraying as the Hollywood Indian.

In the 21st century, Native American culture is largely represented by mascots. Issues of isolation, education, and alcoholism continue to plague Native American reservations, but these issues are largely ignored by the general public. Instead, much of the battleground relating to Native American rights has centered on where they are most visible--sports. In “Racism American Style…,” Elizabeth Delacruz presents the problems with the mainstream portrayal of Native Americans. She uses four examples of problematic mascots to support her claim that racist imagery depicting Native Americans continues to be prevalent in American society.

There are very few people that know the importance of history. History is series of past events that involves something or someone. In this case history involves the The Native American Narratives, The Coyote Finishes his work, The Sky Tree, The Blackfeet Genesis, which involves the Huron, Blackfeet, and Nez Perce tribe. There are many similarities and differences between their history which has been passed down orally and in folktales stories such as the characters’ role, the biblical relation, and the animals.

One of the most fundamental needs a person must obtain is a sense of identity. In an American Indian context, many factors are relevant when considering their identity. For them, identity can exist in many forms and varies from small traits to powerful ethnic behaviors and practices. However, Native Americans are not merely defined by self-determination but by federal, state, and tribal laws. The dignity of Native Americans’ identity has long been subjected to controversy because of how it is socially and politically constructed.

By the 1400s, Native Americans had developed a wide variety of cultures, or ways of living. Many groups lived in villages. Most were nomadic, moving from place to place as changes in seasons made food available in different areas. Historians call the areas where similar cultures developed cultural regions.