Showing posts with label 2000-2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2000-2015. Show all posts
Sherman Alexie quote about the mascot issue.
From CBS News, January 18th, 2001.
The Toughest Indian In The World
| Writer Sherman Alexie Mixes Humor With His Anger |
2001 Feb 12th - "It's morally wrong to use an ethnic race as a mascot."
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| The Gaffney Ledger 2/12/2001 |
"It is morally wrong to use an ethnic race as a mascot," said Robert Kelly, director of the South Carolina chapter of the American Indian Movement.
"To the native people, the mascot is a symbol of genocide," said Christine Rose, founder of Students and Teachers Advocating Respect and Against Racism. She also said that: It's a constant reminder to Native American students that their culture has been turned into a stereotype. For non-native students it teaches intolerance.
2001, Feb 17th North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs wants Indian mascots eliminated by 2003
The North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs wants Indian mascots eliminated from public schooled by 2003, but if no one complains, they won't really push it.
"When they use things like a tomahawk chop, face paint or a war whoop, that makes us look like we're warlike," said Earlene Stacks of Charlotte, the commission's vice chairman. "Movies have stereotyped us, and we're not like that."
19 of the 334 High schools in North Carolina have nicknames pertaining to Native Americans.
West Mecklenburg Indians
Hickory St. Stephens Indians
West Caldwell Warriors
East Gaston Warriors
Weddington Warriors
West Iredell Warriors
Erwin Warriors dropped "Squaw" but kept Warriors, and resolved TO keep Warriors
West Caldwell Warriors
Charleston Warriors
Roanoke High Redskins (is considering switching to an Indian Chief... ??)
"When they use things like a tomahawk chop, face paint or a war whoop, that makes us look like we're warlike," said Earlene Stacks of Charlotte, the commission's vice chairman. "Movies have stereotyped us, and we're not like that."
19 of the 334 High schools in North Carolina have nicknames pertaining to Native Americans.
West Mecklenburg Indians
Hickory St. Stephens Indians
West Caldwell Warriors
East Gaston Warriors
Weddington Warriors
West Iredell Warriors
Erwin Warriors dropped "Squaw" but kept Warriors, and resolved TO keep Warriors
West Caldwell Warriors
Charleston Warriors
Roanoke High Redskins (is considering switching to an Indian Chief... ??)
2001 April 23 - More ridiculous reasons supporters give to keep their mascot
2001, July 6 North East High School reconsiders use of Indian mascots
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| The Star Democrat 7/6/2001 |
28 schools in Maryland who continue to use Native American mascots and logos, despite the state Commissioner on Indian Affair's request that the school eliminate them.
"If people are offended by it, then we need to take a look at it," said North East High School Principal Rosalie Humphrey.
2001, July 6th - "Those who resist change in society usually stand on what they call 'tradition'."
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| The Star Democrat 7/6/2001 |
"They (American Indians) are a marginal group that is out on the fringes," said Paul Bauer, professor of sociology at Cecil Community College. "They have no power, they have no political clout, there aren't enough of them to be able to determine what vocabulary can be used by society. It is the majority that decides what is acceptable vocabulary to use, not the minority. The dominant culture chooses the language, and they are not the dominant culture. I'm sorry if that sounds cruel, but that is exactly how it works in the real world." Bruer also said he doesn't see what is offensive about the use of these mascots. (Editorial comment: Someone's in the wrong profession.)
Said Margaret Anderson, a professor of sociology at the University of Delaware who teaches courses in racial and ethnic sociology, "We wouldn't consider using the race of other minority groups as a school mascot. But the Indians were so annihilated that we seem to forget them. They are less than 2 percent of the population. If the truth about American Indian history was taught in schools, including the exploitation of them, people may be better able to understand why they are offended."
Dixie Henry, director of the state Commission on Indian Affairs who is also of American Indian descent said views like Bruer's are the brick wall American Indians keep running into when trying to clarify their views about the offensiveness of the mascots. "We have told them we are offended by the use of our culture and heritage for their mascots, and they say that it wasn't intended to be offensive, but if we say it is offensive to us then why can't they hear us? I often wonder why they think it is all right to use our race as a mascot, when they wouldn't consider using the name of another race as a mascot."
Anderson said the American Indian mascot enshrine stereotypes of a race of people that perpetuate misconceptions about inaccuracies about them.
2001, November 10 - Sports, Racism and Violence. Evidence that they all swim in the same foul pool.
On Saturday, November 10, 2001, between 1:00-2:00 p.m., a racist note was left on our car in Sam's Club parking lot in Florence, Kentucky.
The car is a station wagan and has signs and bumper stickers that read "Frybread Power," "Honor Native Treaty Rights"—and "Indians are People, Not Mascots."
When we returned to our car, we found the following note:
======================
I AGREE!
INDIANS LIVED HERE FOR 25,000 YEARS AND LOST IT ALL TO EUROPEANS IN A BRIEF TIME.
NOBODY SHOULD NAME A SPORTS TEAM AFTER THOSE FUCKING LOSERS LETS ERASE INDIANS FROM OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY!
======================
Always,
Alice and Randy Huffman
American Indian Movement Support Group of Ohio and Northern Kentucky
http://aim_support.tripod.com/
"How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right." - Black Hawk (Sauk)
Source: http://www.bluecorncomics.com/huntseas.htm
The car is a station wagan and has signs and bumper stickers that read "Frybread Power," "Honor Native Treaty Rights"—and "Indians are People, Not Mascots."
When we returned to our car, we found the following note:
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| November 10, 2001 |
======================
I AGREE!
INDIANS LIVED HERE FOR 25,000 YEARS AND LOST IT ALL TO EUROPEANS IN A BRIEF TIME.
NOBODY SHOULD NAME A SPORTS TEAM AFTER THOSE FUCKING LOSERS LETS ERASE INDIANS FROM OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY!
======================
Always,
Alice and Randy Huffman
American Indian Movement Support Group of Ohio and Northern Kentucky
http://aim_support.tripod.com/
"How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right." - Black Hawk (Sauk)
Source: http://www.bluecorncomics.com/huntseas.htm
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