Native American Mascot Controversy
Since the 1960s, the Native American mascot controversy has been a prominent debate. To many indigenous communities, the usage of their cultural depictions in high school, college, or at professional level, some sports teams’ choice of mascots are offensive. Others disagree, noting that it stands as a symbol of pride for their establishment and insist they have the right to keep it that way. The National Collegiate Athletic Association-the group who regulates college sports-is still determining whether or not certain usages are appropriate and banning those who are not. The only exception of being exempt to the rule is when the school maintains ties with the tribal name they use (Wulf). While there are many …show more content…
Not only do Native people have a long history of being cast aside by the government, but statistics show that over two million Native Americans face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, and health problems. The graduation rates are dangerously low and the suicide rate among ages 15-34 are 2.5 times higher than the national average (Wulf). Suzan Harjo, a member of a rights group in Oklahoma stated, “We should listen to the oppressed about what is oppressive. The oppressor does not get to decide” (Anastasia). She believes anyone who is not Native American should not have a right to regulate or ignore pleas from the offended and that those who exercise unjust authority on anyone or any group should place their opinions aside and listen to others.
A member of the Chickasaw tribe, Steve Densen, said “Oftentimes…at a football game, we see a young person with a painted face…wearing a huge headdress. It is akin to a person painting his or her face black to represent an African American. We have to educate that individual” (Anastasia). Many Native American leaders agree that schools should focus on teaching students about Native American culture instead of inaccurate depictions, and that is the point Densen …show more content…
Two marketing professors from Georgia, Michael Lewis and Manish Tripathi, learned that universities such as Marquette, Stanford, and Illinois gained revenue in the years following the removal of their native themed names. There has been no evidence of this professionally, but they created a statistical model using factors like median income of fan base, team performance, and market size. They determined that keeping Native American representations, like the Washington Redskins, is solely based on the manager’s personal preference
Since the 1960s, the Native American mascot controversy has been a prominent debate. To many indigenous communities, the usage of their cultural depictions in high school, college, or at professional level, some sports teams’ choice of mascots are offensive. Others disagree, noting that it stands as a symbol of pride for their establishment and insist they have the right to keep it that way. The National Collegiate Athletic Association-the group who regulates college sports-is still determining whether or not certain usages are appropriate and banning those who are not. The only exception of being exempt to the rule is when the school maintains ties with the tribal name they use (Wulf). While there are many …show more content…
Not only do Native people have a long history of being cast aside by the government, but statistics show that over two million Native Americans face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, and health problems. The graduation rates are dangerously low and the suicide rate among ages 15-34 are 2.5 times higher than the national average (Wulf). Suzan Harjo, a member of a rights group in Oklahoma stated, “We should listen to the oppressed about what is oppressive. The oppressor does not get to decide” (Anastasia). She believes anyone who is not Native American should not have a right to regulate or ignore pleas from the offended and that those who exercise unjust authority on anyone or any group should place their opinions aside and listen to others.
A member of the Chickasaw tribe, Steve Densen, said “Oftentimes…at a football game, we see a young person with a painted face…wearing a huge headdress. It is akin to a person painting his or her face black to represent an African American. We have to educate that individual” (Anastasia). Many Native American leaders agree that schools should focus on teaching students about Native American culture instead of inaccurate depictions, and that is the point Densen …show more content…
Two marketing professors from Georgia, Michael Lewis and Manish Tripathi, learned that universities such as Marquette, Stanford, and Illinois gained revenue in the years following the removal of their native themed names. There has been no evidence of this professionally, but they created a statistical model using factors like median income of fan base, team performance, and market size. They determined that keeping Native American representations, like the Washington Redskins, is solely based on the manager’s personal preference