...U.S. using Native American Mascots.” All sports teams have mascots to represent their schools pride and strength. Mascots generally don’t fall under exploration, except for the ones that represent Native American tribes. These mascots are usually based on inaccurate descriptions of Native Americans causing controversy on whether or not they should be allowed. Many Native American tribes have been feeling offended, which is why the issue has been arising today with well known sports teams including the Fighting Sioux, The Redskins, The Indians, Etc. This controversy has had a dramatic effect due to the widespread ban of many of the Native American tribal sports...
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...Sports teams have long been using Native American tribes as mascots, incorporating them into their teams logo or team name. From readings it seems to be that the Native Americans are still angry for the government pushing them out of their home and lands hundreds of years ago. Native Americans have been pushed to the side for their entire existence. They have been fighting with the United States government trying to get equal treatments and the same rights as everyone else. They live by a different set of rules, they do not use the police to help solve problems. If there are any issues on tribal land the chief is the one who settles issues or disputes. Only in recent years has it become national attention. With some sports teams not wanting the bad publicity deciding to change logos such as the Cleveland Indians who ditched their Indian head logo for just a “C” for Cleveland. After reading the article from ESPN, which shed more light on the situation. It talks about how four major sports teams currently sit on land that was once held by Native American tribes. The teams who sit on the land have no connection with the tribes. Florida State University is a positive example of still having a connection with the tribe that they use their names along with a few smaller...
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...The objectification of Native American figures, symbols, and culture is prevalent in many schools and professional sports teams across America today (Chaney, Burke and Burkley 43). Nearly 1,200 high schools and 90 colleges in the United States use Native Americans as their school mascot (Chaney, Burke and Burkley 43). Throughout football games, pep-rallies, and other school related events, fans chant Native American war chants and dress in stereotypical cartoon-like costumes (Pewewardy 181). Although some people would argue that these symbols are intended to honor Native Americans, they often portray them in an inauthentic and clichéd manner (Chaney, Burke and Burkley 43). Because of this, the barbaric, wild, and savage mascots have become a representation of the Native American...
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...Native Americans, Struggles, Mascots, and Controversy There has been a national debate for years over Native American athletic mascots. “Members of the North Carolina Mascot Education and Action Group and the Guilford Native American Association, however, repeatedly told us that they perceived the use of Indian mascots, logos, caricatures, and similar images by our schools as a clear form of institutional racism” (Grier 2005: 51). In this paper we will discuss the controversial impact of the Native American stereotype used as mascots. In the early 1900’s when the threat of colonization was abolished Americans started to use the Native American mascot to show their acknowledgement of their struggles. Although this was symbolic it has been an ongoing controversy within schools and sports. California is the second highest state that uses the most Native American imagery and symbols. The importance of this contemporary issue is an ongoing debate in California that has impacted the true history of Native Americans and the battles they went through. The truth is crucial because their imagery and interpretation is misunderstood in American history. In the early 1900’s it became acceptable to use Native American imagery for advertisement. “One of the reasons why most Americans find the mascots unremarkable and do not turn a critical eye toward the mascots is because of the prevalence of similar images throughout U.S. popular culture” (King, et al 2002:391). Although years later...
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...In the article State to Reexamine Schools’ Use of Native American Mascot Names the author’s believes that Oregon schools should change their Native American mascot. The author gives many convincing points such as some see the use of Native imagery as an offensive stereotype or a racist practices. He points out that Native American have pushed for the state to do something about the issue. It is very clear where the author stands on this topic. Although the author gives many arguments for his side of the subject, he gives ment counterarguments as well such as the names and mascots may be embedded into the community or that changing the mascot will cost a lot of money because they would have to change gym floors, uniform, signs etc. He brings...
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...The Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Braves are all professional sports teams in America that use Native American culture to represent them through the means of tribe names, logos, and mascots. These teams have received a lot of media attention around the debate as to whether the representation of Native Americans is offensive or not. Controversy surrounding Native American mascots first came into the public eye during the 1960s Native American Civil Rights movement, where the use of these mascots was criticized for being insulting. However, the people who conceived these teams, knowingly or not, created an atmosphere of prejudice and discrimination growing the brands into multi-million...
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...recent years has arisen around the use and abuse of Native American team mascots. The Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Florida State Seminoles, and so forth -- these are just a few of the images and names popularly associated with Native Americans that are still used as mascots by professional sports teams, dozens of universities, and countless high schools. This practice, a troubling legacy of Native -- Euro-American relations in the United States, has sparked heated debates and intense protests that continue to escalate. These caricatures and stereotypes are really intended as prisons of image. Inside each desperately grinning Indian or each stoic redskin brave or Chief Illiniwek,...
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...Mascots are a huge part of the sports world. There are many mascot names from people, animals, and plants. People are abusing one of the major mascots, the Native Americans. Many of the Native American’s are confused and disappointed in the native mascot names. The Natives are angry that the teams do not have permission from tribes to use the names. Activist began to fighting in 1989. Through analysis of researching Native American mascots are not only racist, disrespectful, and also unhonorable to the native people who are proud to be a Native American. There are many reasons why Native Americans want to have the team names changed. One reason is that many native tribes think it is racist (“Ending”). These mascots are disrespectful according to many native tribes. Many of the sports franchises do not even have approval from native tribes. These stereotypes ridicule Native Americans, create lowered public expectations, and cause reduced ability to interact with non-Native Americans (Gregory). Sports fans everywhere resist efforts by Native American activists to retire this Indian imagery. “I must have gotten 2,000 emails from people just complaining about it,” the NCAA’s executive committee chairperson at the time, Walter Harrison, explained. Even almost 10 years later, he still remembers one...
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...End of an Era for Harmful Mascots Professional athletic organizations should have to ban all Native American mascots. Native Americans have dealt with racism and oppression of their people ever since the pilgrims had landed on this continent. They pilgrims started with a slow, methodical push to the Native peoples then started to move them cross country to private ground specified for them. These Native Americans were moved out from their homes. Now, they are expected to respect the use of their own people through mascots. Native American mascots have been used for decades...
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...Do you think that Native American names and mascots are Offensive? I think that it is not offensive. There are some reasons why I think that the native americans would be offended. The native americans should be proud to have a team that represents them. I think that Native American names are an honor. Native americans should be honored to have teams that represent their bravery, courage, strength and fighting skills. When a team chooses a native american name they feel that that name represents how they are. Sports teams don’t choose their mascot to make fun of them they choose them because that’s what they feel represents their courage and strength. The only thing that should be banned is the negative stereotyping of native americans....
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...| Oregon bans Native American school mascots, images | Article 4 | | | Tika ShouldersSoc. 110 T/Thur. 2:15pmProfessor BlossomNovember 5, 2013 | Is it honorable or racist to use Native American Mascots in schools, or professional sports teams? Explain your answer in details. The use of Native American Mascots has been a contentious issue for many years. The exploit of names for sport teams was chosen at time when the dominate group believed that the Native American Indians were a loss and forgotten race. Back in the 20th century Native American tribes were perceived as ruthless, devious, savages, and war-like. According to Joseph Healey (2010) “the persistence of stereotypes and the extent to which they have become enmeshed in modern culture is illustrated by continuing controversies surrounding …names for athletic teams…” (p. 261). Stereotyping indigenous people has been largely perpetuated in our sport teams. When Indian names were chosen to represent sports it does not appear to be because of honor. Native American mascots are a seed of racism and are a general acceptance for institutionalizing American Indians once again. Race-based mascots are very offensive and do not belong in our schools. We are teaching our children that stereotyping and racial discrimination is still acceptable today. The Indian mascots are a creation of a generation that grew up in an era where Native Americans did not get treated fairly. Mascots are a symbol of the extensive history...
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...Portfolio 3: Native American Mascot Controversies within Sports Throughout the history of sports, Native American Indian mascots, symbols, and names have been incorporated nationwide. The propriety of using Native American mascots and images in sports has been a topic of debate in the United States and Canada since the 1960s. Americans have had a history of drawing inspiration from native peoples and "playing Indian" that dates back at least to the 18th century. “The controversy surrounding the use of Indian mascots, symbols, and names in American sports has origins that run deep throughout the history of Indian and non-Indian relations (American Indian Issues 1).” Today, the use of Indian mascots is at the center of an argument that touches the emotional hearts and souls of both proponents and opponents. Therefore, (I believe) sport team owners and the franchises themselves have, metaphorically, progressed imperialism upon the Native American philosophy. Native Americans were exploited almost from the moment Europeans arrived on this continent, pushed and shoved off their land for centuries until they were confined to the reservations that are now common across the south and midwestern parts of the United States. Nick Dewitt of the Bleacher Report responded to the issue stating: “It's been a prickly topic for years, even decades. It spans not just every professional sport, but collegiate sports as well. Depending on who you talk to, it's a stain on the organizations it affects...
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...Is using Native American Mascots an Insult or Honor? The use of Native mascots by sports teams and schools has been a topic of controversy for many years. While some believe that these mascots honor and celebrate Native American culture, others believe that they perpetuate harmful stereotypes and are ultimately insulting. On the one hand, proponents of Native American mascots argue that they serve as a tribute to the strength and bravery of Native American warriors. They believe that these mascots honor the heritage and traditions of Native American people and serve as a symbol of pride and respect. As it says in the Passage Insult or Honor, “American Indian derived names, mascots, and logos have a long history in the U.S. They're used by...
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...being a Native American who is an avid sports fan, but every time you try to watch a game, you are reminded of the racist stereotypes of your culture being celebrated as mascots. This poignant reality shows the urgency of the matter, and this issue of Native American mascots needs to be addressed immediately. The existence of Native American mascots has been a highly debated topic, ever since the Civil Rights Movement. Native activists have been fighting to change the stereotypical mascots, along with stereotypical names and logos, but have been mostly unsuccessful. Although some believe Native American Mascots honor the cultures of Native Americans,...
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...comes to Native American mascots, some people believe that they can actually be seen as an honor. Mascots are used to serve as a way to celebrate and pay tribute to the history and heritage of Native American cultures. When it comes to Native American mascots, there is no insult being described what so ever. This information provided can be supported by evidence and ideas supported throughout Native American history. In opposition to this debate, many people argue that using Native American mascots can actually be seen as an insult rather than an honor. They believe that these mascots preserve a bad image of Native American culture, which makes them out to be an inaccurate representation. According to a Native American magazine, “But...
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