Tindall's Blogpost

Controversy over Native American Symbols used as mascots or sports team names

                There has always been controversy over sports team’s use of Native American names and symbols as their team mascot. Some Native American groups find it offensive and believe the teams should not be allowed to use these things as their mascots. Only some groups of Indians find it offensive and others believe it is an honor. The major groups you have had a problem with use of these mascots are civil rights and some athletic organizations, most of which are not even Native American groups so it is not their place to cause controversy. Teams like the Washington Redskins whose name is found offensive and the Cleveland Indians whose chief wahoo mascot is found offensive claim they are not planning on and will never change these things about their teams. The Florida State Seminoles name also caused some controversy for a while but since the name is a specific Native American group and not just Natives in general the controversy was easily resolved.

            The team that started it all was the Cleveland Indians in 1997 on the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the colored barrier in pro baseball. People say the wide-grinning, red-faced mascot is in poor taste for a symbol for a team and extremely offensive. The wahoo is not even as much a mascot for the team but just a logo. They find the wahoo to be stereotypical and racist. Native Americans say they are the only group of people who are used as mascots and sports team names and that makes it more offensive. A Sante Fe Indian said himself, “We are the only group still used as mascots. People believe the mascot is a holdover from a less enlightened time. Most of the protest and controversy for this team was over the symbol of the chief wahoo not the Cleveland Indians name itself. The name Indians was chosen 1915 actually to honor Louis Francis Sockalexi s, a great Native American baseball player. Bob DiBiassio, Indians senior vice-president of public affairs said to the Ohio News-Herald, “We have had discussions with people of all races who have no problem with our name or logo.” This all happened in 1997 so there is not as much controversy over the Cleveland Indians anymore but there is still plenty of controversy over other teams today.

            The controversy over the Washington Redskins team name is the most recent team brought up. People have even started a ‘Change The Mascot Campaign’. Ads against the mascot play on sports radio stations for all of NFL station and even in other cities where the team plays away games. The group who launched the campaign is the Oneida Nations, an American Indian Tribe in upstate New York. Protestors are at every single Redskins game and have even followed them to away games that are played in other cities. People have said the name is stereotypical and when they use this word for the name of a sports team they might as well have a sports team name the niggers. Merriam Webster Dictionary said the term is offensive and should be avoided.” People believe the word had undeniable racist history and say the word shows an ethnic group frozen in history. An incre asing number of sportswriters are even refusing to say or write the word. President Obama said, “I would consider changing the name if I owned the team.” Regardless of all the protests the owner of Washington Redskins has made no plans to change the team’s name. In an interview in May he said, “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER- you can use caps.” In 2044 a survey was taken and asked 768 people who were identified as Native American whether they found the name offensive and almost 90 percent of those people said the name does not bother them. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press that while the league respects the opposing viewpoints, “The name from its origin has always intended to be positive and has always been used by the team in a highly respected manner.”

          I do not agree with Native American symbols being used for sports teams but I also do not disagree. I understand how groups do find these names and mascots offensive but why would they just now be speaking up about it. Most of these team names and mascots have been used for years and were made the names or mascots to honor and respect Native Americans. I do not believe other people like civil rights or other organizations should get involved in protest or campaigns. These controversies are between the teams and Native Americans who believe it should be changed. Some of the mascots or name may be looked at as stereotypical and offensive but these teams should not be forced to change traditions they have had for many years just to make a few more people happy because you can never make every single person happy. People look at these names or mascots as individual an d everyone is going to view them in their own way. 

Washington Redskins                                   Cleveland Indians

Florida State Seminoles

Works Cited

 Americas Historical Newspapers. Americas Historical Newspapers, 4 July 1997. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. <http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/HistArchive/?p_product=EANX-K12&p_theme=ahnp_k12&p_nbid=V5BP4CCBMTM4MjcxMDYzOS4xOTEwNTI6MToxNDoxNzMuMTY3LjI0NS44OQ&p_action=doc&s_lastnonissuequeryname=3&d_viewref=search&p_queryname>.

 'change the mascot campaign' hits washington redskins. abcNews, 8 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/sports-mascots-stir-controversy/story?id=20194389>.

 Just how many Indians think "Redskins" is a slur? nbcwashington, 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. <http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/Just-How-Many-Indians-Think-Redskins-Is-a-Slur-226953791.html>.

 Mascot Controversry. Weebly, 2013. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://mascotcontroversy.weebly.com/florida-connection-florida-state-seminole-controversy.html>.

Shaw, Alexis. "Cleveland Indians." Abcnews.com. abcnews, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/sports-mascots-stir-controversy/story?id=20194389#2>.

 SportsDayDFW. The Dallas Morning News, 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20131013-battle-over-controversial-redskins-name-comes-to-dallas.ece>.

 Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation Inc., 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_mascot_controversy>.