Native Americans divided on logos
Daniele Frechette
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: News
Tribes in Wisconsin have faced many challenges over the years from treaty rights to health care, but more recently they are faced with the issue of mascots.
The state Assembly will vote on a bill this week that targets race-based mascots and logos. An estimated 36 schools in Wisconsin use race-based mascots.
According to the proposed bill, a school district must receive a complaint about the race-based name.
In order for the state to investigate the complaint and decide if the name is offensive it must find if members of the academic and residential community are offended. If mascots were found to be offensive, schools would have to change their name or face a penalty of $100 to $1,000 a day.
Wisconsin state Rep. Stephen Nass (R-Whitewater) objected to the bill which delayed the passage of the legislation on Feb. 23, at Madison.
A great divide exists among native people on the topic of mascots. Some Wisconsin natives don't see honor behind the use of their sacred heritage while others feel empowered by it.
Brad Skenandore, an Oneida tribal member and avid sports fan, said, "In my opinion it's an honor to have schools and teams have the mascots. I know some say its racism but, to go to a Redskins game and have a native running and pumping up a crowd is awesome."
Many opponents of the proposed bill say the use of Native American mascots honors native peoples. Carl Parker, of Oneida, feels that native mascots represent courageous warriors and that the use of these mascots is a sign of respect for native culture.
Littlebear Webster, an enrolled Oneida tribal member from Seymour, strongly disagrees with this.
"I don't like the use of native mascots," Webster said. "The caricatures are ridiculous, exaggerated with the teeth, the nose and the mouth."
It's the mascot and people who are against the team say derogatory things about the mascot, but if you are Native American, then it's like they are saying derogatory things about you, too.
Richie Plass is an enrolled Menominee tribal member who educates people about stereotypes facing native people today.
"You get a vision in your mind of Chief Wahoo from the Cleveland Indians," Plass said. "That is a cartoon character, a caricature. Now for sure I don't look like that. There is no Indian alive that looks like that. The United States is the only country in the world that allows a living culture, their original inhabitants, to be used as a marketing item."
The state Assembly will vote on a bill this week that targets race-based mascots and logos. An estimated 36 schools in Wisconsin use race-based mascots.
According to the proposed bill, a school district must receive a complaint about the race-based name.
In order for the state to investigate the complaint and decide if the name is offensive it must find if members of the academic and residential community are offended. If mascots were found to be offensive, schools would have to change their name or face a penalty of $100 to $1,000 a day.
Wisconsin state Rep. Stephen Nass (R-Whitewater) objected to the bill which delayed the passage of the legislation on Feb. 23, at Madison.
A great divide exists among native people on the topic of mascots. Some Wisconsin natives don't see honor behind the use of their sacred heritage while others feel empowered by it.
Brad Skenandore, an Oneida tribal member and avid sports fan, said, "In my opinion it's an honor to have schools and teams have the mascots. I know some say its racism but, to go to a Redskins game and have a native running and pumping up a crowd is awesome."
Many opponents of the proposed bill say the use of Native American mascots honors native peoples. Carl Parker, of Oneida, feels that native mascots represent courageous warriors and that the use of these mascots is a sign of respect for native culture.
Littlebear Webster, an enrolled Oneida tribal member from Seymour, strongly disagrees with this.
"I don't like the use of native mascots," Webster said. "The caricatures are ridiculous, exaggerated with the teeth, the nose and the mouth."
It's the mascot and people who are against the team say derogatory things about the mascot, but if you are Native American, then it's like they are saying derogatory things about you, too.
Richie Plass is an enrolled Menominee tribal member who educates people about stereotypes facing native people today.
"You get a vision in your mind of Chief Wahoo from the Cleveland Indians," Plass said. "That is a cartoon character, a caricature. Now for sure I don't look like that. There is no Indian alive that looks like that. The United States is the only country in the world that allows a living culture, their original inhabitants, to be used as a marketing item."
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gunderso
posted 3/06/10 @ 10:46 PM CST
When the NCAA in 2002 surveyed the over 500 federally recognized tribes, 99% of responding tribes asked the NCAA to eliminate these race-based athletic identities. (Continued…)
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