Thursday, July 17, 2008
Native Mascots
So I think that article from today about the use of Native mascots is a very interesting topic that can be argued about from several different views. Mainly we think of the groups that either say the mascots are disrespectful to Indians or that there is no real harm coming from them. Whatever side you may be on, I think this whole issue falls very nicely into our class discussion about what it means to be an “Indian” in present day. I am going to use Florida St. as my example. When the arguments about the correctness of using Indians, and in this case the Seminole chief, as mascots were going on, most of these arguments were coming from nation Indian organizations. Although Seminole members were probably involved, people from many others tribes were fighting too. The Florida St. mascot however is not enveloping ALL native tribes, only the Seminoles. So the question is should only the Seminoles be concerned with the Florida mascot because it is a direct connection to their tribe alone, or should all Native Americans be involved because they now see themselves are “one big tribe”? Personally I would like to see the different tribes maintain their sovereignty (another of our big words) from each other. If the Seminoles want Chief Osceola to stay and the Illini want Chief Illiniwek gone, let the individual tribe decide.
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2 comments:
I think the problem lies in how little most people actually know about Native Americans. When they see a mascot like the Seminoles, they don't typically think, "Well, the Seminoles are just one of several hundred different tribes." I think they usually just associate it to all Indians. And granted, it might seem like an honor, but mascots are supposed to be strong and fighters, and this just pushes the belief further that Indians are savages.
Good post, especially about how the topic can be argued in several different ways.
From my own personal experience, when I think of the Florida State Seminoles, I don't even consider the fact that FSU's mascot is a depiction of Indians or a specific Indian tribe. Instead, I think of people like Bobby Bowden and Charlie Ward and those football teams that always beat my beloved Cornhuskers! But when I stop and consider it, the depiction of these schools' mascots can come across as offensive. People take a lot of pride in their mascots and I don't think that many people who do the "Tomahawk Chop" are trying to degrade anyone, but rather they are just taking part in their school spirit and mascots are definitely a part of the school spirit.
Indian mascots aren't the only ones that may play on stereotypes. Think of the Oklahoma State Cowboys with their mascot holding the six-shooters. Is this an accurate depiction of all cowboys? No. So is this offensive to all cowboys (and yes, "cowboys" still do exist)? We all laughed when someone brought up the "Fighting Whites" in class, but is this also not a stereotype? Think of our own Jayhawks; the term Jayhawk comes from the "Bleeding Kansas" days of the 1850s to describe "free-staters". Violent acts and murder was committed by both the "Jayhawks" and "Bushwhackers" of Missouri. Is that what the Jayhawk symbolizes today? Just some things to consider.
On a related note, the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Athletic Director removed their mascot Colonel Reb from sporting events a couple of years ago. He claimed it had no place in Ole Miss athletics because some felt Colonel Reb was a tribute to the Confederate States of America. I watched a documentary on this and students, both white and black, were in heavy protest of the mascot removal. On top of this, the depiction of Colonel Reb was modeled after Jim Ivy, an Ole Miss fan who was also black. People often identify their school pride with their mascot and look past potential degrading things.... just some more things to consider.
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