Native American Controversy Essays

The dispute over whether Native American mascots should be used as a team symbol dates back to the 1970’s (Price 2). People differ on the basic issue, but there is a more important underlying principle. It is

Do you feel having Indian mascots for sports teams take part in racial discrimination? In the sports world, representing a Native American is showing honor and respect. In society, communities take it as offensive and racist towards Native Americans. The government recognizes the positive representation of Indians and has given them more rights than state citizens. Considering the history, what it means, and general attitude, Indian mascots should be allowed.

They still wanted to make use of the school’s distinctive red jerseys, so the name now refers to the colour of their uniform. Considering the root of those jerseys was meant to imitate the native people’s red skin, some might still find the new mascot offensive. At the University of Hawaii, “the Rainbow Warriors” were deemed offensive by the students because rainbows are associated with the gay community. In response to this controversy, the university allowed each team to pick it’s own mascot, most teams are known simply as “the Warriors,” while others chose to take a more progressive approach. The basketball team is still known as “the Rainbow Warriors,” but the baseball team, perhaps the most tolerant, is simply known as “the Rainbows.” For St. Bonaventure University, the name change was brought on by embarrassment. The men’s teams were known as “the Brown Indians, “which is offensive on it’s own. The women’s teams were called the “Brown Squawks” until 1979, when a Seneca chief informed them that the name was their word for “vagina,” a fitting term for a women’s team, although not family friendly.

The Native American people have been apart of America ever since the “white man” came over from Europe. There traditions have been around for as long as they have been alive. They were the first people on the land we call home today. The Native American people have done more for this land than we have and we do not appreciate them at all for that. It is crazy how some people just blow them off like they are less than us and do not get anything special, but they do not also need to be disrespected in the public eye. Professional sports teams that have Native American mascots are used in a way that disrespects the people of Native American descent. It also happens at the high school level and gives the young adults with an biased outlook on the culture and history of these people. Any sports team name with an Native American mascot should have to change there name.

Sports teams use "Indian," as well as many other mascots with related themes, to honor those who are native to

The dispute over whether Native American mascots should be used as a team symbol dates back to the 1970’s (Price 2). There are those who are passionately against Native American mascots. These advocators insist that Native American mascots are degrading to

     Many people do not consider themselves supporting Native American mascots that depict them in a bad manner. But when people walk around with a Atlanta Braves shirt on with a Indian with a tomahawk in his hand, it is degrading to the Indians. It is stereotyping them. School mascots and Sports team’s mascots are named after groups of people for no reason known. Notre Dame was founded by Irish Catholics, but their sports team was named the Fighting Irish. The name Fighting Irish has nothing to do with the Irish Catholics, it depicts them in a wrong way.(Price, 3). Team names can be changed to similar names that do not depict certain groups of people. Like the Redskins can be called the Red Hawks or the

Former chair of the Los Angeles Native American Commission, Jack Shakley, in his argument, “Indian Mascots-You’re Out!” disputes whether Native American mascots should be allowed to be the face of American sports teams. Shakley’s purpose is to convey the idea that is insensitive to have Native Americans as mascots. Jack Shakley uses a passionate tone to show readers that not only is using a Native American mascot racist, but it is wrong and should be changed to a less offensive mascot. Shakley starts off using pathos to the readers by telling a story from his childhood. In the article, Shakley demonstrates the ability to use strong pathos and logos arguments to support his claims that we should get rid of Native American mascots and steam names.

Almost everybody loves going to sporting events and seeing all the excited fans as well as the energized mascots. There has been quite a variety of mascots and logos seen in schools whether it be high schools or colleges and in professional leagues. According to a search done by an ESPN FiveThirtyEight reporter through a database known as MascotDB, out of the 42,624 teams in the database at the time there were 2,129 sports teams that have reference to Native Americans (Munguia). That’s about a five percent of all mascots while Native American only make up roughly two percent of the population of the United States in 2014 (US Census). There has been much debate and controversy around mascots and team names that reference Native American throughout the years and gaining more attention especially with the most public debate regarding National

Paola Reynua History 1301 September 28, 2016 In the article “Racism American Style and Resistance to Change: Art Education's Role in the Indian Mascot Issue” states how the author, Elizabeth M. De La Cruz, was happy and excited to attend to the University of Illinois. She was full of dreams with her expectations high about that university, but as soon as she arrived there everything was the opposite. Native Americans were using a tradition of Indians for their Mascot but not only that also a white male interpreted and Indian on one of their football games. She couldn't believe this was happening, if Americans love their Indians to death, how they could be using them as a mascot and also how Indians were just ignorant about all this

A very sensitive subject and tough question that has been asked since the early 1900's is, should controversial sports mascots be replaced with mascots that are not offensive. It is a topic that continues even today as people protest against what they believe is stereotypical sport mascots. In the article, Controversial Sports Mascots Be Replaced, the authors of each article discusses how certain groups of people, specifically Native Americans, believe certain mascots are offensive and should from sport team names. The author attempts to create sympathy within the reader by sharing a story from is youth that tells how his mom was displeased with a hat he wore home that had a Chief wahoo on it. He told how his mom "jerked his hat off and threw it in the trash" because "she had been fighting against Indian stereotypes all her life."

In august of 2005 the NCAA made a new ruling about Native American mascots. The ruling stated that any college sports team to continue to use native americans as their school mascots would be banned from hosting postseason home games for all sporting events.

The use of Native American mascots should

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

Some peoples who support the use of Native American mascots indicate that they are respectful Native American. Many arguments that Native American mascots represents the team's bravery, courage and persistence. And these qualities are the representatives of the players and the other team in the game to achieve glory. Native American mascots also arouse the people to understand the