Even before taking this class I wondered how some professional organizations could call themselves names like the Redskins, Chiefs, and Indians. I knew that no team could get away with a name like the Africans or Blackskins in this day and age, yet somehow it seemed acceptable to profit off of the same generalizations of a different ethnicity.
After listening to the presentation, I still don't understand how those professional teams operate without some class action lawsuit every year. It was interesting, though, to learn about the differences between collegiate and professional associations and their names. Whereas a professional fan buys a hat or liscense plate cover, a college fan becomes the mascot. My friend at Utah is a Ute just like we are Jayhawks, and he identifies his entire college experience with the name of a group of indegenous people. Cliche "war chants" at games aside, I hope that his school's affiliation with native americans at least raises the awareness of the history of Utah just like our schools association with abolitionists raised mine.
1 comment:
Like Japanese internment camps and "separate but equal" philosophies, the sterilization of Indian women is another example of a historical event that seems so absolutely horrifying and absurd this day in age. What current activities will future generation scoff at?
Post a Comment