The Indian Mascot When one thinks about Native Americans or Indians, they used to think about the first Thanksgiving, wars with cowboys, or even the movie Pocahontas. Today when one hears the word Native American, they think of controversial topics about the North Dakota oil pipeline, the drop out rates in Native schools, and of course whether or not the Indian mascot should be allowed. It all started back in 1912, when baseball’s Boston Braves adopted their team name. Next, the Cleveland Indians acquired their name in 1915. High schools and colleges across the country took these and other Indian team names in the 1920s and 1930s. At this time, real American Indians could not openly perform ceremonial dances. However, pretend ones (fans) could dance on sidelines, mocking the religious rituals. This is why the Indian is an inappropriate, derogatory mascot that is disrespectful to Native American people. The name Indians and Redskins are a racist terms. The definition of Redskins by the Oxford Dictionary states “offensive, dated,
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They used to symbolize freedom, but are now thought of as a way to cheer for a sports teams. One should take the time to learn about other cultures, ethnicities, and religions. The more you learn about others, the less likely you are to offend, judge, or upset them. The Native American people would rather be called Native Americans, Natives, American Indians, Indigenous peoples, First Nations peoples, Aboriginal, or use the name of a specific tribe or nation, like Sicangu Lakota or Comanche. It is a sign of respect for their culture. Another way to respect their culture is by not dressing up the headdresses and dancing around on the sidelines of games. In their culture, this is a spiritual or ceremonial dance that has only men wear headdresses after earning them. The Native American culture is something to admire from afar, rather than dishonoring their
They used to symbolize freedom, but are now thought of as a way to cheer for a sports teams. One should take the time to learn about other cultures, ethnicities, and religions. The more you learn about others, the less likely you are to offend, judge, or upset them. The Native American people would rather be called Native Americans, Natives, American Indians, Indigenous peoples, First Nations peoples, Aboriginal, or use the name of a specific tribe or nation, like Sicangu Lakota or Comanche. It is a sign of respect for their culture. Another way to respect their culture is by not dressing up the headdresses and dancing around on the sidelines of games. In their culture, this is a spiritual or ceremonial dance that has only men wear headdresses after earning them. The Native American culture is something to admire from afar, rather than dishonoring their