Positive And Negative Effects Of Native American Mascots

Social science literature and scientific researches show that the mascots have serious psychological, social and cultural consequences for Native Americans, especially among Native youth. Although pro-mascot advocates say that American Indian mascots are honorific and should enhance well-being, the research demonstrates the exact opposite: those mascots do not have negative consequences because their content or meaning is inherently negative. Instead, these mascots are detrimental because they serve as some of the only public representations of Native American “culture” commonly seen throughout the mainstream American society. The lack of positive images of Native peoples associated with their invisibility creates serious psychological, social

Fryberg, Hazel Rose Markus, Daphna Oyserman, and Joseph M. Stone, focusing on the consequences of American Indian mascots on aspects of the self-concept for American Indian students showed that, when exposed to Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians, Chief Illiniwek of the University of Illinois football team, Disney’s Pocahontas, or other common American Indian images, Native American students generated positive associations but reported depressed state self-esteem, community worth, and fewer achievement-related possible selves. It was found that the type of mascot did not have an effect on the negative consequences, nor did the type of team associated with the mascot. The study concluded that the primary reason behind the mascots being detrimental to Native American communities is because in addition to inhibiting how they see themselves, they also serve as a constant reminder of of how American society as a whole perceives their

Mascots can have direct negative impact on the self-esteem of Native American youth. This confirms what was shown in previous studies. Fryberg and her colleagues conducted four studies exploring how Native American high school and college students react to Native American stereotypical mascots such as Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians and Disney’s version of Pocahontas. The study consistently found that negative reaction to these images were present within these students.The mascots create “unwelcome and oftentimes hostile learning environments for Native American students that affirms negative images/stereotypes that are promoted in mainstream society,” (e.g. Fryberg et al., 2008). Such hostile environments decrease students’ overall academic achievement and ability to succeed. In fact, the federal government has identified hostile learning environments as a significant and serious impediment to students’