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

and cultural consequences for Native Americans, especially for Native youth who wish to maintain a foundation of their culture and language, to whom they create harmful effects on their social identity development and self-esteem.
A study in applied research psychology, preformed by Stephanie A.

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

culture.
A research report conducted by Michael A. Friedman, concluded that both self-esteem and mental health are what's at risk for Native American populations.
“Increased negative associations of Native Americans among non-Native American groups,” are present when Native Americans are continuously portrayed in such stereotypical fashions. (SOURCE). As a result, lower self-esteem and lower mood often lead to “poor mental health among Native American children, adolescents and adults, manifested in the form of higher levels of depression, substance abuse, suicidality, and other negative physical symptoms and health behaviors,” (SOURCE).
Another research report by Victoria Phillips and Erik Stegman, focusing on the effect of mascots on the Native youth, showed the diversity of people affected.

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’

success.
The use of demeaning mascots within the schooling system can have detrimental effects on Native American students. Not only do these mascots create “hostile learning environments,” but they also serve as a constant reminder of how their peers and the mainstream media often perceive and portray their culture. In 2005, the American Psychological Association (APA) called for resignation of all offensive mascots for the sake of Native students as well as non-Native students. After conducting multiple studies, it was concluded that “stereotype-threatened students” do not perform as well on standardized tests as “non stereotype-threatened students” for a variety of reasons. “There are a number of possibilities: distraction, narrowed attention, anxiety, self-consciousness, withdrawal of effort, over-effort, and so on (e.g., Baumeister, 1984). In fact, several such mechanisms may be involved simultaneously, or different mechanisms may be involved under different conditions. For example, if the test were long enough to solidly engender low performance expectations, then withdrawal of effort might play a bigger mediational role than, say, anxiety, which might be more important with a shorter test. Such complexities notwithstanding, our findings offer some insight into how the present effects were mediated,” (APA). It is important to note that although this study was conducted by comparing Black students to whites, it is reasonable to assume the results would hold comparing any stereotype-threatened group, including Native Americans, with a non-stereotype-threatened group.
These representations undermine the ability of tribes and Native American people to portray themselves accurately as distinct and diverse cultures, as well as individuals’ ability to portray their own distinct cultures, spiritual systems, and traditions. Stereotypical images are a dominant culture’s prejudiced representations of a racial or ethnic minority group, which are a form of discrimination against Native American people and lead to negative relations between groups.
Historical trauma is widespread in Native American communities across the nation. For centuries they have been under oppression. According to Karina Walters, the director of Indigenous Wellness Institute at Washington University, microaggressions such as “uni-dimensional” representations, including mascots, can lead to the continuation of historical trauma. This can lead to what Anthony Stately, Director of Behavioral Health at University of Washington-Seattle, calls “maladaptive coping mechanisms.” These could include emotional avoidance, excessive drinking or drug use, aggression leading to violence or social withdrawal and many more. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights explains “the use of stereotypical images of Native Americans by educational institutions has the potential to create a racially hostile educational environment that may be intimidating to Indian students. More importantly, the impact that they have on the self-esteem and self-perceptions of American Indian youth contribute to many serious challenges they already face,” (SOURCE).