I LOVE baseball, but I cringe during every Cleveland Indians playoff game. Their mascot and logo, Chief Wahoo, depicts Native Americans as grinning, bent-nosed morons. Sadly, the Cleveland Indians franchise is not alone -- similarly disrespectful examples are ubiquitous at all levels of competition. These mascots are offensive, unnecessary and -- tradition be damned -- should be removed from sports at both the professional and amateur levels.
Five major professional franchises use at least a reference to Native Americans in their names: the Cleveland Indians, the Atlanta Braves, the Washington Redskins, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Blackhawks. For colleges and universities, the NCAA took the lead in completing a self-assessment in 2005 of schools with American Indian mascots. They banned their use in postseason tournaments, but do not have the authority to ban the mascots at individual institutions. Eighteen mascots were identified as "hostile or abusive" including our Atlantic Coast Conference's Florida State Seminoles.
At lower ranks, Native American mascots are also found with regularity. According to the American Indian Cultural Support, at least 2,498 kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools use Native American mascots throughout the country.
The mascots depict Native Americans differently. Not all should be condemned equally -- the Cleveland Indians' logo and mascot are far more offensive than the Atlanta Braves' logo (a tomahawk) and mascot (a generic mascot not based on Native American imagery). But there still is no place for these symbols in sports because no matter how respectful organizations and institutions try to be of these names, they still disrespect Native American people and their culture in both obvious and subtle ways.
Those who support the use of Native Americans mascots use arguments that barely hold water. In an August 17, 2005, Sports Illustrated article titled, "The Indian Wars," Karl Swanson, the Redskins' vice president, stated the Redskins' name "symbolizes courage, dignity, and leadership and has always been employed in that manner." Supporters say by emphasizing their heroic attributes, these franchises actually honor Native Americans. Others argue the use of Native Americans as team names and mascots promotes awareness of Native American culture.
Swanson's defense of the "redskin" name or any other defense for that matter seems paltry in the face of substantial analysis. Though Swanson stated that the red paint was placed on Native Americans before battle, many Native American historians state that the red paint was placed for burial. Colonizers who paid and received bounty for dead Native Americans coined the term "redskin." Swanson continued in the same article arguing that because the Redskins and their fans do not mean anything racist by using the name, it is not racist.
Clearly, most of the institutions have good intentions with their use of Native American nicknames. Even a picture of a brave, dignified Native American, however, really has no place in society. The portrayal is an ancient one and paints an antiquated lifestyle without depth. It furthers stereotypes about Native Americans that no one can be sure is universally desired within the Native American community. Though some Native American groups have gone on record about supporting a team mascot name (the Seminole Tribe of Florida, for example), others across the country feel differently. Even more, Native Americans did not choose these representations. While a mascot like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was chosen by Irish Catholics wishing to honor their history, Native Americans have not chosen to name sports teams or mascots after their people.
Furthermore, using these mascots causes fans of the teams to paint themselves to resemble their mascots with far less tact. In a January 2001 USA Today article, Clyde Bellecourt, the director of the American Indian Movement, said, "It's the behavior that accompanies all of this that's offensive. The rubber tomahawks, the chicken-feather headdresses, people wearing war paint and making these ridiculous war whoops with a tomahawk in one hand and a beer in the other -- all of these have significant meaning for us. And the psychological impact it has, especially on our youth, is devastating."
Finally, tradition and financial reasons are often used as arguments against changing the names of these organizations and institutions. Tradition, as important as it is, often stands in the way of progress. Just as we look back and shake our heads about the commonality of the word "f*****" or "n*****," perhaps we will look back in 40 years and shake our heads in dismay over a grinning, toothy Native American mascot.
In financial terms, it is true that much of these organizations' merchandise will become useless and worthless, but eliminating offensive racial stereotyping cannot be thought of in monetary gains and losses. These organizations have wronged Native Americans and they are responsible for amending those wrongs.
Though many believe the use of Native Americans as nicknames and mascots is all fun and games, not everyone feels this way. By removing Native American mascots, professional sports leagues and colleges can set an example that such racial stereotyping is wrong. Amateur organizations at the kindergarten, middle and high school levels would probably follow their examples. It's time to put away the face paint and tomahawks to make a long overdue change.
Rajesh Jain's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at rjain@cavalierdaily.com.
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