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Many Native American Mascots are racist and outdated such as the Cleveland Indians and people are starting to notice how racist a red Indian ‘Chief Wahoo’ is. A stereotyped Indian with a red face and excessively large nose horribly portrays Native Americans in a cultural stereotype. The history of Native Americans is often presented in a reductive and simplistic way. For example, modern media shows Native Americans in a racist perspective such as Peter Pan, which has songs like What makes the red man red, calls Native American bad names, and shows them in the past as if they don't exist anymore. Many Americans become more aware about the inaccurate images of Native Americans we may be able to change cultural stereotype. The Absolutely True …show more content…
Adams writes,“At the heart of the policy was the belief that the childrens long hair was symbolic of savagism; removing it was central to the new identification with the civilization” (Adams 101). This reveals how Native Americans hair is seen to Americans as ferocious, when in reality it is just a beautiful part of their culture. Americans thought that if Native Americans removed there longhair their culture would slowly die away. When in reality long hair is very significant to Native Americans. Junior is describing how he is having to give up rich Indian culture when he says, “We were supposed to give up being Indian. Your songs and stories and language and dancing. Everything. We weren't trying to kill Indian people. We were just trying to kill Indian culture” (Alexie 35). Songs and stories are culturally significant to Native Americans, but most of them are gone and hard to have access to. Just like there long hair it was very important to them spiritually and physically. As Americans tried to remove their culture they worked hard at removing their access to songs and stories. These ideas go well together because they both talk about how Americans took away things that were really important such as there hair, language, songs and stories. As if by doing this the whole Native American culture would just break down and
Cowboys and Indians is the popular game played by many children played as a game of heroes and villains. Natives are villainized in American pop culture due to the history being told by educational institutions across the nation. There are not many positive roles popular in the media about Native Americans. Many roles are even played by white people. The costume representation is not accurate either. The disrespect towards them is especially seem on Halloween, when people dress as Natives in cute and sexy ways that they think represent their culture. War paint, beads, feathers and headdresses are ceremonial accessories that represent their culture, it not a fun costume to wear. Only if they are being criticized and ridiculed, like they have been in the past. Racism has also been a huge problem when it comes to using creative names for sports teams, like the Redskins for example. Redskin is a derogatory and offensive term towards Native Americans and many white people do not see it as wrong due to the privilege they inherited throughout history. The disrespect towards them has grown and today it seems that if Natives were not getting ridiculed, they are for the most part ignored. The concerns that King describes in his book explains how the past has wired Americans to believing everything they have once learned. White people
Asian or any other ethnic group is unthinkable, so why are Native Americans still fair game”? (Shakely 522) Jack Shakely, former chair of the los Angeles City/county Native American Commission as well as president emeritus of the California community Foundation, effectively argues that removing Native American names and mascots from college and professional teams is the right thing to do. Indian mascots for sports teams are offensive to many Native Americans because they are portrayed as savage cut-throats or act like fools. Jack Shakely argues his point in the article, “Indian Mascots- You’re Out!” by explaining his experience with Indians portrayed as mascots and how dignity and respect are not subject to majority rule. A fourth-generation Oklahoman of Creek descent, he is the author of “The Confederate War Bonnet”, a historical novel of the Civil War in Indian Territory. Shakely is mixed-blood Muscogee/Creek and his family has fought against Indian stereotypes. Being a known author, a leader of these important organizations, Native American, and personally dealing with his family fighting against Indian stereotypes makes Shakely creditable to argue his point effectively. I also believe that Indian names and mascot should be removed, because I would be offended if a sports team was named after African Americans and an African American mascot was dancing around like a fool. Some Native Americans believe that people are getting the wrong impression about them. Only %16 of Native Americans find Indian names and mascots offensive but Shakely states, “If 16% of a population finds something offensive, that should be enough to signal deep concern. There are...
Perpetuation of Native American Stereotypes in Children's Literature Caution should be used when selecting books including Native Americans, due to the lasting images that books and pictures provide to children. This paper will examine the portrayal of Native Americans in children's literature. I will discuss specific stereotypes that are present and should be avoided, as well as positive examples. I will also highlight evaluative criteria that will be useful in selecting appropriate materials for children and provide examples of good and bad books. Children will read many books as they grow up.
The dispute over whether Native American mascots should be used as a team symbol dates back to the 1970’s (Price 2). People differ on the basic issue, but there is a more important underlying principle. It is called freedom. Determining whether or not someone is harmed by a practice can reveal whether that practice can or should be morally justified. Wherein lies the truth about exercising the use of American Indian mascots? The reality is that they cannot be morally justified. The certainty is not ascertainable by way of any comparison to other similar phenomena. No such comparison can be made as none exits. Then, are not the only relevant voices those of the Indians themselves? If so, the truth regarding this imagery can only be discovered by conferring with the groups that are depicted. Only those portrayed should have a voice. Or at the very least, be heard louder and more clearly than those who are not mirrored in the representations.
...ers' evolution from mother and student into a leading voice against the merchandising of Native American sacred symbols -- and shows the lengths to which fans will go to preserve their mascots." In keeping all the Native American Mascots in schools, colleges, and professional sports teams we are showing a lack of respect. The Native Americans have voiced the lack of honor these names are bringing to them. "The fact that history has ignored the incredible pain we have inflicted on Native Americans does not now give us the right to ignore their largely muted call." Americans need to take a step back think about how they would feel if there ritual and or sacred tradition was misused. "We feel that we are being put in a position of sacrificing our dignity and pride and will never be treated as equals in white society as long as the use of Indian symbols continues."
In regards to the use of Indian mascots by elementary, middle and high school sports teams, I feel that children should be exposed to realistic and positive portrayals of American Indians during their educational years rather than something that can be taken as bigoted. It is the responsibility of educators to set the example and teach the youth of today to respect other ethnic or minority peoples - NOT to exploit or disrespect them by using them as 'mascots' or stereotypical 'images' which perpetuates racism.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding elementary, middle and high schools using Native American mascots because it gives them stereotypes of the tribe or people before they learn about them. It is felt that it would give them stereotypes of the Native American people being fierce and wild people who kill and hunt. The problem with this is that for many Indian tribes, that is the case. In the case of the Seminoles, they have an entire war named after them, and people want us to believe that they did not kill. The arguments provided by people opposed to these mascots also state that it is racist and demeaning to the tribe.
Issue of whether to keep Mascots in schools or not, started in late 1970’s and from then this debate is going on. Most of the schools have Indian Mascots in place for half a century and suddenly it become problem to use Indian Mascots. Over 500 Native American organizations also announced their support for the removal of those mascots and over 1200 schools across the United States have changed the name of their sports teams and some school refused to play with those schools using Indian mascots. But some school still think that using mascots are just paying homage to the Native peoples and it’s just another group claiming to be offended. Sports teams used those mascots to promote their team’s athletic powers, like wolf, lion and eagle etc. How portrait of an Indain wearing hat with feather or headdress can be offensive or racist? One thing which never be done up to now that is to view our history from Native eyes. First of all, learn about their culture and their living style from their new perspective not the one which is given in our history books. From last hundred years we taught our generations that this is our country and we had a very long war with Indians which won. We also tell different kind of stories like burning of Fort Pequot Indians because they had trade relationship with British company. Can stories like this possibly be related to mascot issue? Using mascots are really a problem or just a political incorrectness.
The author Justin Angle says how in a study the mascots and names were shown to people unfamiliar with Native American culture and the sport teams, in the end of the study most of the participants viewed Native American’s as “war like”, which can carry negative consequences in the real world affecting the views of some future employers, creating a view that though Native American’s can be seen as strong and bold they can also have been perceived as violent and irrational. The uses of Redskins also create the belief that it is culturally appropriate for the constant use of Native American culture this has led to thousands of schools and sports teams to have questionable mascots and names. Such as the Savages from Salmon High school and the baseball team the “Indians” whose mascot was a hooked nose red skinned Indian with bucked teeth. Comparing this to the now frowned upon depiction of African American as black red lipped stereotyped popular in the 1920s advertisements does it not show similarities in a cultures becoming a caricature. While one is view as racist the other is view and honorable due to it representing one of the greatest passtimes in America,
Stereotypes dictate a certain group in either a good or bad way, however more than not they give others a false interpretation of a group. They focus on one factor a certain group has and emphasize it drastically to the point that any other aspect of that group becomes lost. Media is one of the largest factors to but on blame for the misinterpretation of groups in society. In Ten Little Indians, there are many stereotypes of Native Americans in the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”. The story as a whole brings about stereotypes of how a Native American in general lives and what activities they partake in. By doing so the author, Alexie Sherman, shows that although stereotypes maybe true in certain situations, that stereotype is only
The sounds were very creepy and dull versus where native sound of life was much more vibrant and lively. Sounds in the boarding school was more from the noisy floor “the noisy hurrying of a hard shoe upon a bare wooden floors increased the whirring in my ears” (Zitkala-Sa), there was also a lot of murmuring noises throughout each day. Looking at this tell me that she really misses her type of sounds of nature, though she describes saying that the place was “wonderful land of rosy skies, but the same time she wasn’t happy. Who wouldn’t want to hear the different tone and rhythmic from all the symbols, animals, insets, the sounds of the flowing rivers and trees of the wonderful environment of nature. Another difference that was pointed out between the two was that; they were all thought to be “modest” and have some sort of table manners. I get it a lot it’s always good to be a modest individual no matter what, but different culture and background have their own meaning towards modesty. So, looking at this to force these Indians to adopt to their way of life basically grooming them into the “Americanized” life in those time was the right way to go and live. This have a lot to do with “place and power.” Power and place as we all know plays a very vital role in the Native life. Which goes hand in hand with the nature environment for the native culture. I know that power can sometimes mean the level were ones stand on the hierarchy, but looking at it through a different lens
Native Americans have been living on American soil for quite a while now. They were here before the European colonists. They have been here and still continue to be present in the United States. However, the way the media represents Native Americans disallows the truth about Native Americans to be told. Only misinterpretations of Native Americans seem to prosper in the media. It appears the caricature of Native Americans remains the same as first seen from the first settler’s eyes: savage-like people. Their culture and identity has become marginalized by popular culture. This is most evident in mainstream media. There exists a dearth of Native American presence in the mainstream media. There is a lack of Native American characters in different media mediums. When they are represented, they are misrepresented. They are easily one of the most underrepresented cultures and people in American media. Native Americans shouldn’t be confined to a stereotype, should have a greater presence in the media, and shouldn’t be misrepresented when they are presented.
Many races are unjustly victimized, but Native American cultures are more misunderstood and degraded than any other race. College and high school mascots sometimes depict images of Native Americans and have names loosely based on Native American descent, but these are often not based on actual Native American history, so instead of honoring Native Americans, they are being ridiculed. According to the article Warriors Survive Attack, by Cathy Murillo (2009) some “members of the Carpentaria community defended Native American mascot icons as honoring Chumash tradition and the spirit of American Indian Warriors in U.S. history and others claimed that the images were racist stereotypes” (Murillo, 2009). If people do not attempt to understand and respect Native American culture, then Native American stereotypes will become irreparable, discrimination will remain unresolved, and ethnocentrism will not be reprimanded.
One of the most common stereotypes are that all Native Americans are alcoholics, more so than other ethnicities. A study was conducted by Karen Chartier, a Faculty Associate the University of Texas looking in to this truth of this stereotype. She discovered that it was white people, specifically white men who were more likely to consume alcohol on a daily basis (Chartier & Caetano, n.d.). Often Natives are discriminated for their culture and being “red skinned.” This can be seen by sports teams, from high school to the pros. Like the Southwest Indians, or the Washington Redskins. Some teams have changed their names and logos from these offensive examples, but some like Washington’s NFL team have yet to replace the name. There’s many other examples of stereotypes that they face. Like that they run on “Indian time” therefore they are always late for planned events, hence that they are all lazy. Other ones like they are all uneducated and never go to college, or when they do go to college they receive “special” aid from the government (Ridgway, 2013). However, that aid that they receive is available to other historically disadvantaged groups as well, and is part of what the government owes them for taking their land which is states in the contracts that were signed (Ridgway,
The next reason we’ll be looking at are the stereotypical images commonly seen in literature and mascots. Mainstream media such as “Dances with Wolves”, “The Lone Ranger”, and “The Last of The Mohicans” and mascots in professional sports teams like Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Blackhawks all include representations of Native Americans that for some, are offensive. With this in mind, ...