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Arguments for native american mascots
Native american mascots in sports controversy
Arguments for native american mascots
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Schools' and sports teams' mascots such as Warriors, Braves, and Indians, are okay, but Redskins is racist. When Native Americans are chosen as a mascot, it is not intentionally meant to be derogatory. In fact, it is actually chosen as a strong, courageous symbol that is admired. 81-83% of Native Americans who were asked said they don't believe that they should stop being used as mascots, as stated in an article titled "Most Native American-Themed Sports Mascots Are Flattering and Not Racist". The same article also addresses the fact that the mascot name "Redskins" is racist. Many people do not know the origin of this racial slur. It comes from when Native Americans were being hunted for bounties. In order to get said bounty, one had to bring
back both the scalp and the genitals of the murdered Native American. The blood that would then cover their bodies is what lead to the nickname Redskin. It is fairly clear that this racial slur is not an appropriate mascot. In conclusion, schools and teams should be allowed to continue using terms such as Indians, Warriors, and Braves, but not Redskins because of its terrible origin.
In a generation focused on social justice and the elimination of prejudice from our society, there is still a use of offensive language and terminology in the area of professional sports. In “The Indian Wars” by S. L. Price, Price attempts to make the reader aware of sports teams that use derogatory terms as their team name and their mascot. He does this by highlighting football, and trying to determine whether Native-Americans are offended by team names in sports, or more specifically, the Redskins. Price’s essay is ineffective because although he raises good points, he doesn’t help the reader to form an opinion by adding historical context to the derogatory names used. He also uses inaccurate poll results to make assumptions about the feelings
In the past few years, the controversy over Native American and other racial sport names or mascots have become an uproar. The main sport teams that are being targeted due to controversial mascots are programs having names dealing with Native Americans. Many teams are well known programs such as the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are receiving the most heat from racial groups. According to Erik Brady of USA Today “The volatility surrounding such names has amped up in the year since Daniel Snyder, owner of Washington's NFL club, told USA TODAY Sports that he'd never change his team's name: ‘NEVER — you can use caps.’” (3). However, professional teams are not the only teams receiving negative remarks,
I enjoyed reading your post. I agree with you that offending people should be avoided at all costs. I feel that all words and images regarding American Indians or any race should be banned from being affiliated with any sports teams and mascots. I put this in my original post, but you do not see sports or mascots using any other race. According to Racismagainstindians.org (2002), “interchange the name of any race with the Indians and it immediately becomes clear that we cannot have teams called The Negroes, The Asians, or The Jews”. Today, there are less than 1,000 American Indian mascots used for sports teams (“Anti-Defamation,” 2015).
The name redskin is an offensive term used to refer to Native Americans, and it comes from native people being killed with their scalps cut off. These notions offend people in many different ways depending on how you see it. However, the Redskins are not named after the offensive term that many think. The Redskins before they were called the Redskins were the Boston Braves. They then changed their name to the Redskins to honor their coach William “Lone Star” Dietz who was a Sioux Indian and other Native Americans that were on the team. They also wanted to avoid conflict with having the same name as the baseball team. Also, a survey of over 500 Native Americans from the Annenberg Public Policy Center said that 9 out of 10 Native Americans would not be offended if a non Native American team called themselves the Redskins and a surprising 8 out of 10 would not mind if they were called a Redskin. Also, even Mark Rypien said the Redskins name shouldn’t change by stating, “I can see the viewpoints of both sides … it takes away the history of the team.” Mark Rypien is a former Redskins quarterback who is a descendant from Native Americans. These are the type of people they need to start asking because they would have the most knowledge if the team name is disgracing their ancestors and obviously it is
The debate is divided into two sides. Those opposed to the use of Redskins and all Native American names in sports, and perceive the use of such terms and imagery as racist and derogatory towards Native Americans and those for keeping the name who cite the history of the team, its links to Native American players and coaches who were part of the team when it was create...
...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."
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.
Research indicates The Redskins name should not be changed as many Native Americans perceive it as a tribute of respect and honor to their people. Changing their name would be both costly and unwarranted to the research that proves that most Native Americans are not offended by the name, but rather feel it is an honor to their people. In a paper published by Ives Goddard of the Smithsonian Institution, Goddard details that the term Redskins was a term that was first used by Native Americans to distinguish themselves from the “white” others encroaching on their lands and culture”, not a racial slur derived from the theory “origins… of presenting bloody red skins and scalps as proof of Indian kill for bounty payments” (Goddard). According to research by J. Gordon Hylton, he found that team owners frequently began using words with indigenous connections in the 1850s. "Native American names appear to have been chosen to em...
Fighting the use of the word ‘redskins’” by Brian Cladoosby says how “[s]tudies show the use of American Indian-based names, mascots and logos in sports has a negative psychological effect on Native peoples” Cladoosby places a link to Dr. Michael A. Friedman research report which backs his case. In his study Dr. Friedman, a clinical psychologist says how Redskins is “uniquely destructive” because it “perpetuates the stereotypical and outdated caricature” and “promotes and justifies the use of a dictionary-defined racial slur, thus increasing risk for discriminatory”. With the rate of Native American suicide one of the highest in the nation the addition of their culture and history being stereotyped young Natives are facing discrimination and then being told that it’s okay because it’s for a sport. Cladoosby adds how that it creates a challenge to Natives who want to “maintain a foundation in their culture and language” meaning that ignoring a name that was once used when hunting their ancestors means that they are ignoring their culture. The name is not just racist and derogatory but promotes the an old-fashioned and stereotypical view of Native
The noose, Klan hood, and the Native American headdress represent how America mistreats other people. The noose and the Klan hood show that America is a place that discriminates against black people in its own society. Even though the Nazi party murdered millions of people in cold blood, they still saw our racism as a point they could use to persuade their citizens that we are evil. The Native American headdress has the same metaphor but for the Native American people. Our ancestors killing the Native Americans is another example of how we are malicious. It is saying “Look what they did to the blacks and Native Americans, they will invade us and will treat our people the same way!”. The American flag is a fascinating part of this poster. The
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.
Today in America the word Racism is taken to a whole new level. Even in sports, such as the NFL racism prospers. For instance the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Native Americans are trying to say the NFL is being rude for naming a Team Redskins. The Redskins have had that name since 1933 (Staff). The team had the name of Braves before they adopted the name Redskins. It was changed due to racism purposes. Some people would agree that the whole situation with Redskins is ridiculous because The Major League Baseball series has two teams related to Native Americans, The Atlanta Braves and The Cleveland Indians. The NFL also has more than just Redskins. They have the Kansas City Chiefs. So if they are really worried about total racism why isn’t the Chiefs in on this conversation?
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, ...
Dealing with the issue of sport and ethnology, three major factors come to mind; prejudice, racism, and discrimination. These factors span across gender, ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural groups. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss how these factors have played a part in the evolution of sport in our society. The first issue tackled in this paper will be racism in sports, followed by prejudice and discrimination.
In a society filled with people that strongly believe that sports is an industry that is removed and immune from the ills of the world—racism. Many fans and spectators of sports, such as baseball, basketball, football, and many other sports that include players of different races and ethnicities considers that racism is a thing of the past because of the inclusion and acceptance of all races in different sports. However, the misconception of living in a post-racial (colorblind) world is prevalent. Even though racial discrimination in sports and society in general, are not overt as in the past, racism continues to plague the industry. Regardless of fans and spectators wanting to ignore the racial biases and discrimination in the sports industry,