I wrote a response on your notes, but I'll repeat what I wrote there here:
> agreed. They should all be changed. And I will never watch a Super Bowl or a Championship game with a racist anti-indigenous team name in it (I may make an exception if an NYC team is in it but even that’s a hard sell given how racist the other team is).
> The St. John’s Redmen became the St. John’s Red Storm and not only are they far less racist, they’re a whole lot cooler.
> That being said, I’m okay if the Golden State Warriors never change their name because while they started off as indigenous minstrelsy, they are not that way now and hardly anyone is aware of the Native connections to the “Warrior” name, so they can stay (but I’m not indigenous so my opinion is worthless).
Warriors, like Cowboys or Raiders, is a role played by many people of cultures around the world. You'd be hard pressed to find a country or culture who didn't have warriors or raiders. Most agrarian societies with large cattle herds had some form of minders and gatherers, even if they don't look like American cowboys—who were racially diverse. Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian and European people were cowboys and cattle ranchers in the Americas.
Those roles aren't tied to a single marginalized group.
However, if Warriors or Raiders are depicted as Indigenous peoples, it's a problem for me and hopefully any allies of Indigenous peoples.
People will say, ‘But what about the Fighting Irish or Vikings or Spartans!’.”
Sorry, but not my circus, not my monkey. So, not relevant to a discussion about the negative impact of Indigenous mascots on Indigenous peoples.
HOWEVER…
I'm not Irish, but if Irish people said, “Notre Dame’s mascot is a harmful stereotype. Don't use it,” I'd absolutely support that effort.
Vikings and Spartans refer to cultures that existed in a specific timeframe that has well-documented beginnings and endings centuries ago. Indigenous Americans and First Nations Canadians are still here. Our cultures—despite concerted government efforts—didn't end or disappear.
But if modern descendants of the Vikings or the Spartans said, “These mascots are harmful stereotypes. Don't use them,” I'd support their efforts.
I can't tell them usage of their identity is OK or not OK.
Just like non-Indigenous people shouldn’t be telling me I need to “get over it” or that I should be flattered because they're “honoring” me.
How about the Spokane Indians? Their uniforms and ballpark are full of Salish script, and they even have educational handouts about the real history. They really seem to be trying to represent a local culture (with advisors thereof), not mascot-izing it. Still bad?
I’m Irish-American and wholly in favor of Leapin’ Leprechauni for a team name. But my companion is Hungarian-Irish and likes The Bikaver Bolo Boys (for Hungary’s Bikaver wine and their cowboys’ deadly bolo weapons).
One of my happiest discoveries upon moving back to my home town after forty something years, was that the high school I graduated from had changed their mascot from the “Indians” to the “Riverhawks.” It’s a purple town in a red district, so I was surprised and happy to see the change. It didn’t hurt anyone, the new logo is more attractive, and hopefully our Native neighbors feel a little less disrespected.
I was thinking about their "tomahawk chop" and if there was some other thing they could change it to that wasn't obnoxious. And thought of karate chop, and then imagining a different team name or mascot and it goes immediately wrong and is so obvious.
It might be a good educational lesson to have illustrations of the myriad native cultures and their traditional clothing and jewelry to read about and see. Growing up there was just however they were depicted in movies or tv. That stereotypical mascot look. Now I have seen some from our local tribal heritage. And if I travel, I'd get to check out something on a local land acknowledgement. It is something Americans should be taught, and not hidden because it might make them feel bad.
I wrote a response on your notes, but I'll repeat what I wrote there here:
> agreed. They should all be changed. And I will never watch a Super Bowl or a Championship game with a racist anti-indigenous team name in it (I may make an exception if an NYC team is in it but even that’s a hard sell given how racist the other team is).
> The St. John’s Redmen became the St. John’s Red Storm and not only are they far less racist, they’re a whole lot cooler.
> That being said, I’m okay if the Golden State Warriors never change their name because while they started off as indigenous minstrelsy, they are not that way now and hardly anyone is aware of the Native connections to the “Warrior” name, so they can stay (but I’m not indigenous so my opinion is worthless).
What say you, "Auntie" Mavis?
Good questions.
Warriors, like Cowboys or Raiders, is a role played by many people of cultures around the world. You'd be hard pressed to find a country or culture who didn't have warriors or raiders. Most agrarian societies with large cattle herds had some form of minders and gatherers, even if they don't look like American cowboys—who were racially diverse. Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian and European people were cowboys and cattle ranchers in the Americas.
Those roles aren't tied to a single marginalized group.
However, if Warriors or Raiders are depicted as Indigenous peoples, it's a problem for me and hopefully any allies of Indigenous peoples.
People will say, ‘But what about the Fighting Irish or Vikings or Spartans!’.”
Sorry, but not my circus, not my monkey. So, not relevant to a discussion about the negative impact of Indigenous mascots on Indigenous peoples.
HOWEVER…
I'm not Irish, but if Irish people said, “Notre Dame’s mascot is a harmful stereotype. Don't use it,” I'd absolutely support that effort.
Vikings and Spartans refer to cultures that existed in a specific timeframe that has well-documented beginnings and endings centuries ago. Indigenous Americans and First Nations Canadians are still here. Our cultures—despite concerted government efforts—didn't end or disappear.
But if modern descendants of the Vikings or the Spartans said, “These mascots are harmful stereotypes. Don't use them,” I'd support their efforts.
I can't tell them usage of their identity is OK or not OK.
Just like non-Indigenous people shouldn’t be telling me I need to “get over it” or that I should be flattered because they're “honoring” me.
Hope this answers your questions.
How about the Spokane Indians? Their uniforms and ballpark are full of Salish script, and they even have educational handouts about the real history. They really seem to be trying to represent a local culture (with advisors thereof), not mascot-izing it. Still bad?
https://thumb.spokesman.com/mbY8wOdKUiFco3uPWT8QkRmVJXY=/1170x0/smart/media.spokesman.com/photos/2017/06/13/SPOKANE_INDIANS_BOTH_JERSEYS.JPG.jpg
Then of course, you have teams like the Fort Thomas (HS) Apaches - who mostly *are* Apache.
I’m Irish-American and wholly in favor of Leapin’ Leprechauni for a team name. But my companion is Hungarian-Irish and likes The Bikaver Bolo Boys (for Hungary’s Bikaver wine and their cowboys’ deadly bolo weapons).
Thank you for reminding this well-intentioned but often clueless white person that there _is_ something she can do.
Letters will go to my governor and state representatives forthwith regarding a state-wide ban on such mascots, names, and images.
It's a tiny drop of attempted mitigation in an entire ocean of accumulating injustice...but we need to start somewhere.
One of my happiest discoveries upon moving back to my home town after forty something years, was that the high school I graduated from had changed their mascot from the “Indians” to the “Riverhawks.” It’s a purple town in a red district, so I was surprised and happy to see the change. It didn’t hurt anyone, the new logo is more attractive, and hopefully our Native neighbors feel a little less disrespected.
Thank you for an interesting and informative article.
I was thinking about their "tomahawk chop" and if there was some other thing they could change it to that wasn't obnoxious. And thought of karate chop, and then imagining a different team name or mascot and it goes immediately wrong and is so obvious.
It might be a good educational lesson to have illustrations of the myriad native cultures and their traditional clothing and jewelry to read about and see. Growing up there was just however they were depicted in movies or tv. That stereotypical mascot look. Now I have seen some from our local tribal heritage. And if I travel, I'd get to check out something on a local land acknowledgement. It is something Americans should be taught, and not hidden because it might make them feel bad.