Honoring Native Americans with Mascots
Atlanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins – these are all professional sports teams that use Native American names and imagery to promote their team. The use of indigenous people’s cultures and names in sports has recently become a widely debated issue in the area of sports. One side sees the names as disrespectful and stereotypical towards Native Americans. The other argues that they are showing honor and that the majority of indigenous people support the names and mascots. In the use of sports, Native American culture and ideas should be allowed for team names and mascots.
Sports teams use mascots, names, and logos to represent the strength, …show more content…
While Native American activists are busy being disgusted with the names and trying to get them changed, did anyone think to ask the actual Native Americans about how they felt? Two polls, one by Sports Illustrated in 2002 and the other by the National Annenberg Election Survey in 2004, did and they both got extremely similar results. Sports Illustrated found that eighty-three percent of Native Americans feel that professional sports teams should not stop using Indian nicknames (Price 2). The Annenberg survey discovered that ninety percent of Native Americans polled were not offended by the term "Redskins" when used in sports. Many Native Americans even take pride in sports teams that use their culture to honor them. They are often seen sporting jerseys of the teams in question and attending games to cheer the team on. The majority of Native Americans are in support of keeping their cultural names in …show more content…
Several other professional sports teams are stereotypical and could be taken offensively. For example, the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres. Their logos and/or mascots stereotype the people being represented, and yet no one ever complains about these teams. This is because the teams are honoring and glorifying the group or object they represent. It is the same for teams named after Native Americans. They are not named to be offensive or racist to a particular group. (No one would name a team after something they thought was weak or cowardly.) They are named to honor a mighty people and their courage. Native Americans currently have a lot more problems than being used in sports. They are faced with hardships such as poverty, lack of education, and alcoholism. They is also a need to educate people about the natives who lived on this land before any Europeans. If people would focus on the real problems facing Native Americans instead of worrying about silly sports names, then Native Americans would benefit considerably
Atlanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins – these are all professional sports teams that use Native American names and imagery to promote their team. The use of indigenous people’s cultures and names in sports has recently become a widely debated issue in the area of sports. One side sees the names as disrespectful and stereotypical towards Native Americans. The other argues that they are showing honor and that the majority of indigenous people support the names and mascots. In the use of sports, Native American culture and ideas should be allowed for team names and mascots.
Sports teams use mascots, names, and logos to represent the strength, …show more content…
While Native American activists are busy being disgusted with the names and trying to get them changed, did anyone think to ask the actual Native Americans about how they felt? Two polls, one by Sports Illustrated in 2002 and the other by the National Annenberg Election Survey in 2004, did and they both got extremely similar results. Sports Illustrated found that eighty-three percent of Native Americans feel that professional sports teams should not stop using Indian nicknames (Price 2). The Annenberg survey discovered that ninety percent of Native Americans polled were not offended by the term "Redskins" when used in sports. Many Native Americans even take pride in sports teams that use their culture to honor them. They are often seen sporting jerseys of the teams in question and attending games to cheer the team on. The majority of Native Americans are in support of keeping their cultural names in …show more content…
Several other professional sports teams are stereotypical and could be taken offensively. For example, the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres. Their logos and/or mascots stereotype the people being represented, and yet no one ever complains about these teams. This is because the teams are honoring and glorifying the group or object they represent. It is the same for teams named after Native Americans. They are not named to be offensive or racist to a particular group. (No one would name a team after something they thought was weak or cowardly.) They are named to honor a mighty people and their courage. Native Americans currently have a lot more problems than being used in sports. They are faced with hardships such as poverty, lack of education, and alcoholism. They is also a need to educate people about the natives who lived on this land before any Europeans. If people would focus on the real problems facing Native Americans instead of worrying about silly sports names, then Native Americans would benefit considerably