Native American Team Names

I never really thought about how Native Americans really felt about people using their Chiefs or Tribes names as College, Universities and professional sports team names and Mascots. This Topic is dividing the Native American community with 90% of the Native community saying that they really don’t get offended about the Mascot and Football team names. The resting 10% of the Native community find it offensive. Saying that it is racist, that the names reinforce and promote bullying towards Native American Students in some schools that have native names or mascots as stated in the article “Oregon Bans Native American Mascots in schools.” I would say I agree that sports teams shouldn’t have their names connected to Native American history or culture,

Like in the article “What’s Offensive? Opinions Differ Even With Native Americans,” Doug Poe executive director of the American Indian Center of Indiana said, “The Native community feels that after all these years that the general population still does not want to accept them as individuals and get acknowledgement for all the wrongdoings.” Another reason why I would agree is that these names are harmful for young Native Americans. In the article “Obstacles Slow Growing National Push to Ban Indian Team Names, in the section No Names Benign” it states that Goldberg a ex professional football player said “American Indian team names are hurtful because American Indian children and teenagers sometimes face the effects of racism when they go to school football and basketball games and hear the crowd yelling, ‘Kill the Chiefs.’” These football team names being from Native American tribes and chiefs, like the “RedSkins” are bring negativism towards Native Americans at schools were the children are supposed to be safe to the stadium where those teams play. These are two of the reasons that I agree that they should change the team's name if it has to do with Native American