The Native American picture has all the time been romanticized and admired for its heroism and bravado. Many see the usage of their picture as warriors and braves in American sports activities mascots as a technique to pay homage to Native Individuals, however many would additionally argue that these mascots demean their native traditions and rituals.
This opposition to mascots that painting Native Individuals in a adverse gentle began out as a marketing campaign through the Nineteen Sixties by a bunch known as the Nationwide Congress of American Indians. They strongly consider that sports activities groups utilizing mascots with names just like the Braves and Redskins solely function adverse stereotypes of their individuals. They declare that followers sporting struggle paint, hen feather headdresses, and waving rubber tomahawks, are offensive, demeaning, and racist.
Those that disagree level out that workforce names like Warriors and Braves characterize combating males identical to these of different cultures. It is not in contrast to the usage of workforce names reminiscent of Vikings, Minutemen, or Musketeers. Nicknames just like the Combating Irish, Flying Dutchmen, Trojans, and Spartans (simply to call a number of) aren’t considered offensive, so the usage of Native American nicknames shouldn’t be interpreted as having racist or demeaning connotations.
There does appear to be a disconnect between Indian activists against Indian workforce names and mascots, and the Native American inhabitants who aren’t. Over ninety p.c of American Indians and a majority of U.S. sports activities followers surveyed discover the names and mascots to be acceptable.
Some faculty groups have determined to make adjustments out of respect to Native American tradition. Use of those racial mascots in elementary, center and highschool sports activities groups has develop into a priority. The declare is that the youth aren’t being taught to respect sure ethnic teams and these stereotypes will solely promote racism. The shortage of sports activities mascots primarily based on Individuals of African, Asian, and Mexican descent solely helps claims made by opponent teams that Native Individuals are being singled out.
Supporters in the usage of Native American mascots insist that they’re meant to be respectful and solely serve to pay homage to the Indian individuals. Removed from being derogatory, these mascots are seen as splendid for sports activities groups as a result of they concentrate on bravery, braveness, and combating abilities.
However there’s additionally a monetary influence and price to contemplate. Altering workforce names and mascots would have an effect on the merchandise that generates hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in gross sales annually. Opponents do not care concerning the adverse monetary value to the workforce franchises. All they need is a change in how Individuals view actual Indian tradition and traditions. They consider this alteration will substitute the trivialized approach they’re seen and hopefully erase the racial stereotyping they really feel they’ve needed to endure for too lengthy.
