Some Comments on
Indian Sports Mascots
Larry J. Zimmerman, PhD, RPA
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis &
Eiteljorg Museum
With thanks to American Indian Sports Team Mascots web site for portions of this material
Why must blatant stereotypes in the US
be such an issue?
The power of popular culture to shape the way we see people.
Consider the psychological impacts of the issue
The intensity of feelings about the NCAA's decision to come
down on Indian sports mascots is instructive.
It’s probably just ‘political correctness.’ Do
sports mascots really have an impact?
"We simply chose an Indian as the emblem. We
could have just as easily chosen any uncivilized
animal.“
Eighth Grade student writing about his school's mascot (1997)
It’s just some ‘bleeding heart’
liberal thing.
"... racial stereotypes are offensive, no
matter what their origin....Images like these
have no place in today’s world.”
White House spokesman Scott McClellan responding to Mexico's
use of the Memin Pinguin character on a postage stamp.
Most Indians don’t really care.
Only 9 percent of those polled said the name of the NFL team is
"offensive," while 90 percent said it's acceptable, according to the
University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey,
released Friday. Annenberg polled 768 Indians in every state except
Hawaii and Alaska from Oct. 7, 2003, to Sept. 20, 2004.
According to a poll of American Indians on and off reservations
conducted by Sports Illustrated and the Peter Harris Research
Group, when asked if high school and college teams should stop
using Indian nicknames, 81 percent of Native American respondents
said no. In pro sports, 83 percent of Native American respondents
said teams should not stop using Indian nicknames, mascots,
characters and symbols.
Hmm, then why this?
Over 500 Native organizations, hundreds of tribes and
petitions with signatures in the tens of thousands have called
for the retirement of these mascots.
In a survey by Indian Country Today, 81 percent of respondents
indicated use of American Indian names, symbols and mascots
are predominantly offensive and deeply disparaging to Native
Americans.
"Do Indian mascots predominantly honor or are they
predominantly offensive to Natives?"
Honor 10%
Offensive 81%
Unsure 9%
Consider the Seminole
tribe’s endorsement of the
Florida State U. mascot…
Over the course of the school's 154 year history only 3 members of the Seminole Tribe have
graduated from FSU.
About 75 percent of the Seminole live in Oklahoma.
There actually are three Seminole tribes in Florida, and only one tribal government - the one
that uses the name "Seminole Tribe of Florida" - has formally signed on to the use of the
mascot.
The June 2005 resolution passed by the solitary Seminole Tribe of Florida regarding FSU's
mascot was done so at the request of FSU President T.K. Wetherell.
Prior to getting the June 2005 Seminole tribal endorsement Florida State announced, along
with a number of other incentives, the establishment of scholarships covering 80% of
tuition costs for "Seminole Scholars" recruited from reservations.
Do all Indians think alike about
sports mascots?
No. Why should they?
Nobody else does…
So where’s the problem?
Sporting activities are
representative of
ritualized/socialized combat
Unbridled aggression, deception and
relentlessness are highly valued.
These values fit the “savage Indian”
stereotype.
By coupling American Indians to such traits to
mascots and nicknames, negative stereotypes,
simplistic thinking, and historical inaccuracies
are subtly encouraged and perpetuated.
This is especially troublesome in public
schools where lifelong attitudes and constructs
are being formed.
The savage stereotype has a long history.
Published in September of 1862
So, you think it’s
not a problem?
Justifying violence toward Indians
American Indians (generically) supposedly being war-like
and violence prone allowed for the justification of heinous
acts against them in the name of "civilizing" the so-called
"primitives."
By portraying Indians in association with aggressive
sporting activities, this same justification is erroneously
applied today with negative consequences for
contemporary Indian people.
Children learn their ttitudes at an early
age when they are highly susceptible to
influence and social pressure.
Example: Adolph Hitler who paid particular attention to
conditioning youth to adopt his philosophy and strategies.
Spectacle events were typically present at Nazi gatherings
including cheering crowds, martial music, marching, and lights
(such as are used in night games). These are also regular
parts of high school athletic events.
Kids are extremely impressionable.
Stereotypic and cartoon-like
imagery tends to dehumanize
the subject.
This mechanism is well-known and is often used
during times of war to dehumanize an enemy.
The result allows the portrayer to trivialize the
concerns of the one being portrayed.
Simultaneously helps protect self-esteem by
relieving guilt feelings arising from hostile acts
directed at the subject.
Stereotyping and dehumanization make
it easier to turn Indians into objects.
Native Peoples are turned into depersonalized, one-dimensional
"things" having very limited scope.
Can Indians be anything but warriors?
The concept of mascots and
nicknames "honoring Indians" is an
ego defense mechanism.
Helps preserve self-esteem by protecting the individual from
facing the reality of what actually happened to Indians.
Indian" mascots "freeze" Indians in time
The warrior image is from a romanticized historical
period that ended over a century ago.
Continuing to portray American Indians in such a
manner subverts contemporary Native American
realities.
Long-term use of Indian mascots has
become institutionalized.
Having been institutionalized, recognizing
discriminatory and racist practices for what they
are becomes very difficult.
Be aware that these ideas also apply to
other segments of popular culture,
notably films and videos about Indians.
The use of American Indian mascots is not a trivial matter.
The Commission has a firm understanding of the problems
of poverty, education, housing, and health care that face
many Native Americans. The fight to eliminate Indian
nicknames and images in sports is only one front of the
larger battle to eliminate obstacles that confront American
Indians. The elimination of Native American nicknames and
images as sports mascots will benefit not only Native
Americans, but all Americans. The elimination of
stereotypes will make room for education about real Indian
people, current Native American issues, and the rich
variety of American Indian cultures in our country.
The United States Commission on Civil Rights
April 13, 2001