There has been a lot of controversy across the country about the logos that represent schools right through professional teams. Many teams have used mascots that represent ethnic groups mainly related to Native Americans: Major League Baseball's the Cleveland Indians, the National Football League's Washington Redskins and the NCAA college team the Florida State Seminoles.
Some of these high school, pro and college athletic programs have not yet made changes in the naming of a new mascot and some are reluctant to do so. I don’t feel that the names and mascots of sports teams are meant to be derogatory toward Native Americans, as a matter of fact, I feel it’s just the opposite.
I would guess that 99 percent of these mascots are meant to be complimentary to symbolize the fierceness of a warrior, a metaphor of fighting for victory. There is the pride of what the Native American Warrior stands for throughout the history of this country. Not only were they fighting for their rights, but for their cause of who they are and what they believed.
I do understand there is a resistance by many Americans because it is the stereotypical label placed on Native Americans. These indigenous people of our nation feel insulted by the use of these mascots that give the impression of a savage society when that is not the case.
America’s history of the many sovereign nations of Native Americans recognizes that they were, and still are, known for their spirituality, as hunters and gatherers, weaving and basket making and agriculture. There are people who have been pushed to edge of our society.
Let’s look at some of these teams and the mascots that are part of their title.
Professional teams with mascots like: the Chicago Blackhawks, Cleveland Indians, Washington Redskins, and Kansas City Chiefs. One of biggest issues has been that the Redskins owner, Dan Snyder, refuses to change the name of the team. Even President Obama has made a request to the owner to change the name of the team. Lately there has been pressure put on the Redskins’ owner, by the NFL, to come up with a different mascot and name for Washington’s team.
In my research, I have found a small number of colleges that use a Native American mascot. There has been a slow response by the many collegiate athletic teams to give in, but it will happen.
In the Section ll area of scholastic teams, there are a handful of schools that have held onto their mascots for reasons of tradition. I do not intend to point my finger at any of these scholastic athletic programs, but I do feel that there needs to be some consideration on their part to the possibility of renaming their teams.
The biggest consideration is obvious. Since the people of Native American heritage feel insulted, and disrespected by this issue, then it’s time to honor their wishes. Even though the use of these questionable mascots was not meant to have a negative effect on any ethnic group, the time has come to honor the feelings. There is now pressure coming from Congress on Roger Goodell, the NFL’s Commissioner, to put a push on Snyder to make the change.
Goodell claims that eight out of 10 Americans do not want the Redskins to change their mascot or name. But, he did not say eight out of 10 Native Americans.
Almost yearly, there are many things that change in athletics. Many sports have constant rule changes. Basketball is a good example. These changes, at first, have plenty of resistance, but after a while it’s all good.
Showing respect for America’s true natives needs serious thought, and the right thing has to be done—change. It might mean that a gym floor may have to have its mid court logo removed or a wall may have to be repainted or the football helmets need to be redone, and yes, some uniforms might have to be trashed. But, the respect for others is more than just a material adjustment; it is the right thing to do!
