September 6, 2018 ASU professor says sports teams' indigenous names and mascots intensify prejudicial attitudes toward Native Americans . The intersection of sports and Native Americans is a touchy area, and it frequently descends into angry name-calling. Having been urged by 10 Congress members to change its name, the team is facing a lawsuit from a Native American … The initiative also considered official statements from tribes and organizations that oppose the use of Native American imagery in sports, and notes the long-held positions of the American Psychological Association and American Sociological Association, which passed resolutions calling for the retirement of native mascots in 2005 and 2007, respectively. So I realize it's no small thing for a fan to be told "Your team should change its name" or "Your team should change its logo. Native Americans should be Honored. the 1960s to eliminate the negative portrayal of Native Americans in the media and in sports organizations. When we said Prince Lightfoot [the school's live mascot at the time] was wearing clothing that was wrong, and that his dance was wrong, we were told, 'Stanford Indians dress like this, and anyone who goes to Stanford is a Stanford Indian, so that makes it OK.'", • From John Orendorff, a U.S. Army colonel and Native American: "I often feel that the underlying point of these 'honors' is that my Indian heritage is owned by others. History tells a different story. According to information presented at the symposium, there were about 3,000 high school, college and professional teams in America using American Indian mascots and imagery in 1971. Several Washington Post columnists have called for a name change; the Washington Redskins blog Hogs Haven also supports the name change; the weekly Washington City Paper has already begun calling the team by a different name; and just last week, Washington mayor Vincent Gray pointedly avoided using the team's name in his State of the District address. Two Illinois lawmakers want to ban them. “In 2005, the Seminole Tribal Council took a historic step and passed a resolution affirming its enthusiastic support for the university’s use of the Seminole name, logos and images,” Brooks continues. teams should use Native American imagery as their mascots, nicknames, and/or logos. "It's just like the way Indians have always been depicted in the movies -- stupid and violent, although oddly noble in their savagery," said Kevin Gover, the museum's director and a Pawnee Indian. Daniel Snyder maintains that the conversation should not be about the name, but about the real needs of Native Americans. Ban all use of Native imagery, names, slur names, redface, appropriation of Native culture and spiritually as well as violence toward Native Peoples from the League. In 2001, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-native schools. "I flatly reject the contention of team owners and sports fans that American Indian-oriented team names, logos and mascots in professional and amateur sports pay homage to Indian bravery and courage," Riding In told ASU Now. That's why I started writing about uniforms and logos back in 1999 -- because I'm fascinated by that bond. In 2001, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-native schools. Sports Fans Don’t Love Native American Mascots, They Just Resent ‘Political Correctness’ While Most See the Names as ‘Questionable,’ They’re Angered by the Power of an Organized Opposition Florida State University mascots, Chief Osceola and Renegade, at a home football game in 2008. The team announced Monday that owner Daniel Snyder and coach Ron Rivera are working on finding a replacement for its racist name and logo after 87 years. If this is an issue that affects Native Americans, why can't they speak for themselves?". Many sports teams using names and mascots invoking Native Americans do so over the longstanding and strenuous objections of people who say it is racist. People should not see the names as racism and see it as honoring Native American tribes. “Sports writers, President Obama, [and] members of Congress” have expressed support, and “schools across the country are changing [their] mascot, caricatures, and names.” Such actions are a move in the right direction, says Holden. Gyasi Ross, an author and speaker who hails from the Blackfeet Nation and Suquamish Nation, says, “When you’re talking about mascots or prohibited words … it is always about power and/or access.”, “It’s the portrait of privilege when [the Washington football owner] Dan Snyder says, ‘This is how you’re supposed to feel about’” his team’s persistent use of the word,” Ross continued. An interesting take on that was offered by former U.S. senator and former Olympic athlete Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe, who said, "Maybe part of it is our fault, because we don't have a written language, and so we're a culture that in large part has been defined by others.