Indian Mascots, Symbols, and Names in Sports: a brief History of the Controversy Objectives

1. 
   Understand what role Indian mascots play in the world of high school, college, and professional sports.
   
2. 
   Describe the debate about Indian mascots by focusing on the American Indian community's objections to their use as well as the defense of mascot use within the world of sports.
   
3. 
   Understand the various accomplishments of the movement to end the use of Indian mascots, as well as what still remains to be done.
   
4. 
   Explain their feelings about the use of Indian mascots in sports.
   

Visit the following website: http://americanindiantah.com/lesson_plans/MascotImages.html. Then answer the following:

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  Do you find these mascots objectionable? If so, why? If not, why not?
  
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  Are some more objectionable than others? How and why?
  
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  Why do you think Indian People object to mascots?
  
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  Do you think any other people object to Indian mascots? Who? Why?
  

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  What does the cartoon below add to your understanding of why Indian people might object to mascots?(Source: http://www.bluecorncomics.com/und.htm)
  

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  How do you think non-Indian people would react if their sports teams used religious symbolism relating to Judaism, Christianity, or Islam?
  
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  How do you think you would react if your middle school had an American Indian mascot for over 30 years, and then the School Board said it must be retired?
  
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  Why do you think that Indians are the only group of people in the United States that are portrayed as mascots?
  
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  Do you believe all Indian people disagree with the use of Indian mascots? Why or why not? Should all American Indian people support the anti-mascot movement? Why or why not?
  

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  Map and partial list of Indian mascots names and logos. While the total number of Indian mascots and logos used within the United States is unknown, a map and partial list is available athttp://www.aistm.org/fr.getinvolved.htm. This map allows you to click on each state to find the approximate number of sport team Indian "tokens" as well as a series of "quick mascot facts" for each state.
  
  • 
    Choose Kentucky and 2 other states and tell me about your findings (How many, most common, etc.
    

 
By the 1990s, however, some schools remained adamantly opposed to changing their mascots. Most visible among them was the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana and its “Chief Illiniwek” mascot. Each year, a white man dressed in “traditional Indian” clothing and performed gymnastics for the fans at half-time. The effort to retire “Chief Illiniwek” - seen in this photograph - began in the early 1989 by an American Indian student, Charlene Teeters. Her work, as well as the work of other activists, culminated in the retirement of "Chief Illiniwek" in 2007.

• 
  Why do you think colleges are so opposed to changing Indian mascots, even when requested to make such changes by Indian groups?
  

In 2005, some change in college sports began when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that beginning February 2006, any school with a nickname or logo considered racially or ethnically "hostile" or "abusive" by the NCAA would be prohibited from using them in post-season events. Mascots would no longer be allowed to perform at tournament games. Further, beginning in 2008, band members and cheerleaders would also be barred from using American Indians on their uniforms.

However, in August 2005, Florida State University the NCAA granted a waiver that removed it from the NCAA’s list of colleges using imagery “hostile or abusive” towards Native Americans. According to Bernard Franklin, senior vice president of the NCAA, “ The staff review committee noted the unique relationship between the university and the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a significant factor. The decision of a namesake sovereign tribe, regarding when and how its name and imagery can be used, must be respected even when others may not agree.” (USA Today, 8/23/2005)

The Seminole Tribe of Florida continues to sanction the use of the Seminole as Florida State University’s nickname and of Chief Osceola - as seen below - as FSU's mascot. Max Osceola, the chief and general council president of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, has stated that he regards it as an “honor” to be associated with the university. However, some members of the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma oppose FSU's use of the Seminoles mascot and name.

Visit the following: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+debate+over+Indian+mascots%3A+does+the+NCAA%27s+ban+on+Indian+mascots...-a0139784006  and read the article
Answer the following:

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  Do you think the ban goes too far, or not far enough? How and why?
  
• 
  If you do not think the ban goes far enough, what would you suggest? Why?
  

• 
  Do you think the state should have the power to force high schools to remove mascots that may be discriminatory? Why or why not?
  
• 
  Are you aware of any sports teams in your community or state that have decided to terminate their use of Indian mascots? What was their experience?
  

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  professional teams are private entities and, therefore, are entitled to use a name, symbol, or mascot of their own choosing;
  
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  Indian references in sports are actually used in reverence and honor; and
  
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  Indian references are an important tradition to the fans, so much so that fans would never accept the change.
  

Following World War II,the team’s owner released a promotional video entitled, "Take Me Out to the Wigwam." In 1947, “Chief Wildhorse” - a man atop a horse in full Indian regalia - first appeared on the playing field for opening day. Soon, a wigwam was erected in the bleachers near the field so that each time a homerun was hit by the Braves, the newly named “Chief Noc-A-Homa” could rush the field for a commemorative dance. Chief Noc-A-Homa remained with the team throughout its stay in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and through the 1980s to the team’s present home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Following World War II, the team’s owner Bill Veeck began to promote the team’s American Indian image as a source of entertainment for the team’s fans. In 1951, the Chief Wahoo caricature was first displayed inside the “C” on the team’s caps. Every year since, the symbol of Chief Wahoo has been on the front of the jersey or on the shirtsleeve. Chief Wahoo is a grinning caricature which one Dakota professor, James Fenelon, described this way:

"...[Chief Wahoo] depicts a Native American "Indian" nearly always painted bright red with overly huge front teeth, shifty eyes, and headband with a feather protruding from behind. While some symbols....bear some resemblance to actual "Native Americans" however generalized, the Wahoo does not even appear human. It is an unambiguous racial icon meant to symbolize stereotypical and usually negative images of Native people as ‘wild’ but ‘friendly’ savages. (Fenelon, 1997.)

In 1983, Chief Wahoo appeared on the front of the jersey, and in 1986, the symbol completely replaced the “C” on the team’s cap. For decades, the fans of both these teams have smeared their face with “war paint,” dressed in “traditional” Indian garb, pounded on tom-toms, sung “war songs” and practiced the “tomahawk chop.”

The most dramatic and offensive use of these “traditions” occurred during the 1995 World Series games, pitting the Atlanta Braves against the Cleveland Indians. In response, many “real” Cleveland Indians increased their protest activities with support from outside Ohio. As the World Series progressed, conflict between the fans of the two sports teams and American Indian protesters was so inflamed that Native activists dubbed this nationally televised set of games as "The World Series of Racism."

To gain a clearer understanding of just what the “traditional” Indian symbols meant to the fans of the Cleveland Indians, Sociologist James Fenelon at John Carroll University in Cleveland conducted a detailed survey with local students during the 1995 World Series games. He found seven important “sociological impacts from this particular form of symbolic racism”:

1. 
   Native American children (and adults) face direct prejudice and discrimination because of the Wahoo and association with the name "Indians."
   
2. 
   Native American adolescents and adults experience prejudice and discrimination in the forms of intimidation and suppression by local "officials."
   
3. 
   Non-Indian racial minorities are forced to make hard choices on participation in racial rituals, or rejection by one's peers and/or associates.
   
4. 
   Blacks, Latinos and Whites, when displaying, supporting or denying racial symbols and language, are perpetuating racism across the spectrum.
   
5. 
   Whites, along with some racial minorities, are flaunting highly racialized rituals, racial symbols, and language against and directly in the face of protest, reifying racist discourse, actions, and ideologies.
   
6. 
   The media, especially on television news, reproduces and displays all the above, directly approving of racial imagery through all sectors of society, including its defense and denial.
   
7. 
   Therefore, and finally, there is both direct and indirect suppression of all criticism, from young kids to university professors, and their free speech, in all sectors and the social institutions of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Even my research results have been suppressed. (Fenelon, 1997.)
   

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  Which of Mr. Fenlon's findings do you find most persuasive? Why?
  
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  Which of Mr. Fenlon's findings do you find least persuasive? Why?
  
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  Despite Mr. Fenlon's findings, at this point in the discussion, little has changed. Do you think the Cleveland Indians should change their mascot? How and why?
  
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  How do you think the American Indian people who object to the use of the Cleveland Indian mascots should go about continuing their struggle?