Native American Mascots in Sports Native American mascots have been around in professional sports since the early 1900s. That is over 100 years! Professional sports teams should keep their Native American mascots because it is a national tradition, and an it honor for the Native Americans and they are mostly not offended. First of all, most Native Americans aren’t offended by the mascot names. High schools across the country have the “offensive” names with portions of their school being Native Americans. “At Kingston, Oklahoma high school, which is 58 percent Native American, the name ‘Redskins’ has been worn by its students for 104 years.” (Ritz) If the high school students feel proud to have these mascots, no problems should have
The Sioux warriors were well armed they fought using a variety of weapons ranging from spears to guns. In the past, they used clubs, tomahawks, shields bow and arrows, spears and axes. Once the Europeans arrived in the Great Plains they brought to the Indians guns and horses to get them around and guns to hunt more efficiently. Individual Sioux warriors took part in warfare for a number of reasons. Plains Indians went on raids and went to war for a number of reasons such as to steal horses, to get revenge or to destroy their enemies.
The NCAA, National Collegiate Athletic Association, declared 10 years ago that using native imagery to promote sports teams is hostile and offensive and put 18 schools on a notice that a change would be required to participate in the NCAA. The Washington Redskins also face several protests, political stress, and legal involvement over their logo but the Chicago Blackhawks are unbothered. There is no doubt that the Chicago Blackhawks logo is one of the most recognizable logos in America. It is unfair that other organizations have had to change their logos or are under the process of changing their logos and the Blackhawks have not. However, some people need to realize how costly it would be to change the logo.
Maria Dietrich Seminole Indians Culture Originally part of the Creek tribes of Georgia and Alabama, the Seminoles migrated to Florida. Their name means wild ones or runaways. They were hunters and gatherers, but later becoming agriculturalists after their settlement in Florida in the Tampa and Everglades. They hunted with bows and arrows but as the Europeans made contact they traded for guns in the 1700’s. The Seminoles adopted many traditions of the Europeans including log homes and the style of dress.
Although many people have tried to have the teams name changed, the Redskins organization have always cherish having this name the “Redskins”. They feel like they are trying to preserve the name, by making it the team name. Many people feel the redskins should keep the name because it is an iconic and some people feel that instead of insulting the Native Americans we are honoring them by naming a team after them. In comparison of these to views on whether or not the Washington Redskins should change their name, there is a simple yet effective solution to this problem. One solution is that the Washington Redskins could simply keep their name and just change the logo from a Man to a arrow.
The Owner Daniel Snyder has vowed to never change the name and insists that it pays respect and honors Native Americans. Many supports state that the reference to Native Americans is a compliment attributing to their reputations as “tough warriors.” The fans even have a trademark song that they have chanted for decades, “Hail to the Redskins” (“Monday”). How can that be perceived as something
Should Sports Teams Stop Using Native Americans as a Mascot? For decades, sports teams have used Native Americans as mascots. Professional sports teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Redskins seem to be the most controversial when it comes to this topic. However, many Native Americans, myself included, find the use of our people as mascots offensive.
"The team and its leaders are so obsessed with clinging to a dictionary-defined racial slur that they are willing to abandon their hometown and local fans in order to continue degrading Native Americans," said Joel Barkin, spokesman for the grassroots campaign. "Now that Bruce Allen has been relieved of day-to-day responsibilities as general manager he must have a lot of free time on his hands to double down on this racist moniker and try to figure out what to do about Native Americans returning donations from the team. Unfortunately, Bruce Allen, team owner Dan Snyder and the Washington team fail to understand that you cannot buy acceptance of continued racism. The Washington Redskins football team through the years has been put under increasing pressure to change its name in order to stop causing offense to Native
Not only is what they 're doing offensive it’s also disrespecting to the history of Native Americans. They have been suppressed for years and now with the Washington Football team name it causes the Native American people to be upset EVIDENCE: Racism and racial discrimination are attitudes and behavior that are learned and threaten human development. Which means that people should be taking proactive steps to prevent intolerant or racist acts. Indian mascots, symbols, images, and personalities establish an unwelcome hostile learning environment for American Indian Students.
These are all teams that have stereotypes. If a team name, mascot, or insignia is offensive, then just change it; it is just a sports team. Even if a team changes it, it is not like every jock, or sports fan is not going to know theyour new name, mascot, or insignia. Using Native American images and names in professional, collegiate, and high school sports teams do reinforce and perpetuate stereotypes because the mascots and team names give stereotypical features. These stereotypes are mainly coming from mascots.
There has been a great controversy over whether or not schools and teams keep their Mascots that portray images of Native Americans. Articles in newspapers, websites, and magazines discussing the topic are provided to the public. There is even a press release from the supreme court where they have addressed such issue. Schools, teams, and Native Americans have viewed these documents and taken their own stand on the issue. I am going to decide whether or not cities/teams should get rid of their Native American mascots/nicknames.
The Sioux Indians, also known as the Lakota or Dakota Indians lived on the Great Plains. The name Sioux stands for “little snakes”. The Sioux moved around a lot and occupied territory in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North and South Dakota. They were also known to live in Nebraska, Illinois, and Montana. A Frenchman named Jean Duluth moved into the Sioux territory during the seventh century and took control of their land.
The absolute least we as a nation and sports league can do is take away a name that the Native Americans find offense to their culture. We have not given them a voice until recently, although it is still flawed in how we value their opinion. Cynthia Connolly, one of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, says mascots representing them most often reflect who they were in the 1800s, as warriors.
Also, if any professional sport teams were forced to change their names, it would have a huge negative impact on commercial products. Lingebach addresses in his article how “in another sign of support, the majority of Washington, DC fans would not purchase new team merchandise if the Redskins changed their name” (qtd. in Lingebach 2). If Native Americans and most of the National Football League fans infer that the name is not derogatory, the Redskins should not have to change their name. The Kansas City Chiefs have been lucky enough not to face the same issues as the Washington
We can 't forget our founders. As Lydia Huntley Sigourney sites in one of her poems "Indian Names", "how can the red men be forgotten, while so many of our states and territories, bays, lakes, and rivers, are indelibly stamped by names of their giving?” That is a perfect example of how not only sports teams use representable names of such but also our land and different dominions are named after Native Americans. Nudging out sports teams in such way isn 't fair when it 's being used for other entities, and pulls out the irony from
has asked the US government to return some of the land stolen from Indian tribes as a step toward ending racial discrimination against Native Americans.working-age people without jobs, and all kinds of problems that come along with that. Very tough conditions ," he said. The UN said that this reservation is an example where returning land taken by the U.S. could improve the tribe's economy, as well as start a "process of healing". "At this Reservation, people have seen over time that the U.S. has taken more and more land, and they've lost huge territories.