News debate: Name-­‐calling Byline: Anonymous Volume: 100 Number: 13 ISSN: 00113492 Publication Date: 12-­‐08-­‐2000 Page: 3 Type: Periodical Language: English WHAT'S IN A NAME? Plentyespecially if you're a sports fan. Your favorite team's name and mascot (a person, an animal, or a cartoon character that represents a team) send a message about how the team hopes to be viewed by others. For example, the name of the San Francisco 49ers professional football team and its mascot recall the adventurous days of the 1849 California gold rush. Some team names and mascots are based on ethnic groups; what about them? According to the National Coalition on Racism in Sports & Media, more than 4,000 U.S. schools and colleges currently use Native American team names and mascots. Some people say using mascots based on ethnicity is insulting. Others, however, say Native American-­‐based mascots are meant to be viewed as symbols of honor and pride. Illinois Controversy The question about using Native American mascots was recently debated at Niles West High School in Skokie, Ill. On October 16, the Niles West school board voted to change the mascot from an "Indian," the school's mascot since the 1950s. The decision to change the high school mascot was not an easy one. Before the school board meeting, students at Niles West High School had voted on the issue. Sixty-­‐seven percent of students voted in favor of keeping the mascot. That didn't stop the school board, however, from voting 6 to 1 to change the mascot. An Insult or an Honor? Many people who favored changing the mascot said the symbol is degrading and offensive to Native Americans. Matthew Beaudet, president of the Illinois Native American Bar Association, said, "[Native Americans]are not a trophy to be hung up on a wall. This does not honor us." Jordan Feder, a Niles West senior and president of the student senate, agrees. "[Using the Indian mascot] is something that should not be done. It's shameful that this has been going on for so long," Feder said. People in favor of the Native American mascot, however, disagree. Richard Witry,, a Skokie historian, said the Indian mascot was not meant to be offensive, but to symbolize a local heritage. "This is an area that was heavily populated with the Potawatomi Indians. ... There is a strong Indian tradition in this area." Roy Swenson, a 1958 Niles West graduate, agrees. Swenson said, "We should be proud of the mascots that we have. There is nothing disrespectful about the Indians." Should schools stop using Native American-­‐based sports team names and mascots? Citation: Anonymous. "News debate: Name-­‐calling." Current Events. 08 Dec. 2000: 3. eLibrary Elementary. Web. (Today’s Date).