Why Professional Sport Teams and Schools Shouldn't Use Native American Names, Logos, and Imagery

All professional sports teams and a majority schools have mascots. Some use names such as warriors and Vikings, while others choose objects or symbols as mascots. A mascot can be any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck. Although mascots are thought to bring luck, some are seen also as degrading or stereotyping. This is why I feel that when a name, logo or imagery is degrading to another person or violating others civil rights that logo, imagery, or name should be banned. This brings the question to whether or not the use of Native American names, logos, and imagery are insulting, degrading and offensive to the Native American community. This is why I feel when using a Native American name, logo or imagery permission should be authorized by the Native American community. This will avoid issues as to whether or not that name, logo or imagery can be taken as offensive, insulting or degrading. Even though the intentions may not have been intended, the fact still remains thats how it's interpreted. The Native Americans is supposed to be the first people to walk the continent of North America. Majority Native Americans live on reservations, which are considered some of the most poverty-ridden areas in the United States. As with many defeated, oppressed people, they have suffered tremendously from the plagues of alcoholism and suicide. Their unemployment rate is 5 times higher than the general U. S. population, according to the 2002 Bureau of Indian Affairs. They were once a vibrant and resourceful people who have been robbed, humiliated, and removed from all they knew. Through the years many have tried to civilize, Christianize, and Americanize the Native American people. There are organizations today that recognize the important heritage of these nations. For example, Wiconi International says, We want to see Indigenous people come to know and experience ultimate freedom, and deliverance from the powers of darkness that still prevail in lands and communities.(Native American History)

The National Congress of American Indians initiated a campaign in the 1960s to eliminate the negative portrayal of Native Americans in media and in sports organizations(ProQuest.) In the early 1970s, individuals and organizations such as the American Indian Movement(AIM) have sought to eliminate the use of Native American names, mascots, and logos by sports teams. They use several key arguments, amongst them being racial stereotyping(Eitzen, D. Stanley.) In particular, the Washington Redskins and the Erwin High School Squaws uses discriminating names with Native American logos. These aren't the only two teams who use offensive Native American names, logos and imagery. All sport teams names, logos and imagery can be argued whether or not they are disrespectful being that none of these teams are actually a Native American team or have more than one or two Native American players on their team. The Washington Redskins are a professional football team owned by Dan Snyder. The team has had its name since 1937. "We'll never change the name. It's that simple," Snyder recently told USA Today. "Never. You can use all caps"(Fine, Larry.) Some say it's only a name and that it's not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. Amanda Blackhorse, a psychiatric social worker who is Navajo doesn't take it that way. She has never met Daniel Snyder but has thought about what she might say to him if she ever does. "I'd ask him, 'Would you dare call me a redskin, right here, to my face? she says. "And I suspect that, no, he would not do that"(Brady,Erik.) Knowing that referring to anyone as a redskin would be disrespecting and degrading to them. Mr. Snyder isn't that disrespectful. I know he would surely have a good explanation as to why he would disrespect her community but wouldn't disrespect her face to face. One of the worst cases, was at Erwin High School in Asheville, North Carolina where the Justice Department opened the first investigation into whether their emblems violate the civil rights of American Indian students by creating a hostile racial environment. The school calls the boy sports teams the Warriors and girl sports teams the Squaws. This matter arose in 1997 when the Buncombe County Native American Intertribal Association complained to school officials about the nicknames. It

said the name Squaws was particularly distressing to American Indians, who said it means prostitute in some Indian languages and in others is a vulgar reference to female genitalia(Gammage, Jeff.) This issue won't be determined for years until the Justice Department clears up this argument. The outcome of their decision will affect the entire United States. A ruling in favor of banning the use of Native America names, logos, and imagery in professional sports and all schools will be what the Native Americans would accept as justice. The National Collegiate Athletic Association better known as NCAA took a stance on the issue when it place limit ban on American Indian team names, mascots and imagery in August 2005. When the NCAA announce that 18 schools in all three divisions could not host postseason competition as long as their current names and logos are in place( Badger, Emily.) After realizing how degrading and offensive this issue is the states of Oregon and Wisconsin has banned schools in the kindergarten through twelve grade from using Native American names, logos and imagery as their mascots. The states of California, Maine and Washington may soon follow. Other states and sports teams will be confronted with this issue eventually. In conclusion, all sport teams choose a mascot they feel will bring luck to their team. The problem is when the chosen mascot disrespects, violates or degrades an individual or group of people. It's obvious that this is the case when sports teams choose Native American names, logos, and imagery. Native Americans have earned the right to be treated as any other American. This issue has been ignored long enough and needs to be resolved by the Justice Department. For anyone who sees this as an honor, they must ask themselves is there any honor in having their culture or beliefs insulted? This issue affects our entire nation as a whole. For those who feel this issue doesn't relate or affect them and they allow this to continue to be brush under the rug, then what's next? We wait until another American' civil rights are violated, then we say it's important. The Constitutions starts with We the people, that includes all Americans, regardless of race, creed, color, sex or national origin. That's the American dream.

Work Cited

Badger, Emily. "NCAA Puts Limited Ban on American Indian Team Names, Mascots." Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL). Aug. 5 2005. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2013. Brady, Erik. "We'll Never Change It. It's That Simple. Never."." USA TODAY. 10 May 2013: C.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2013. Eitzen, D. Stanley, and Maxine Baca Zinn. "The Dark Side of Sports Symbols." USA Today (Farmingdale). Jan. 2001: 48-51. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2013. Fine, Larry. "Heat Rising in Opposition to Redskins Nickname." Reuters Media. 16 Sept 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2013. Gammage, Jeff. "Mascots Prompt a Federal Probe." Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA). Feb. 28 1999: A3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2013. Native American History. Allabouthistory.org 2012-2013. Web 25 Nov. 2013 "At Issue: Controversial Mascots." ProQuest LLC. 2013: SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2013