People Aren't Mascots: Indians as Entertainment

Showing posts with label Indians as Entertainment. Show all posts

1880, August 11 - Indian sports exhibition

Indian athletes -- on exhibition.

1899, December 22 - When Carlisle athletes didn't meet California's expectations

In late 1899, the Carlisle Indian boarding school athletes traveled from Pennsylvania to California - the longest cross-country trip of that time ever made by a football team - and the San Francisco Chronicle illustrated their expectations as to what these young gentlemen would look like: barefeet or moccasins, fringed leggings of no pants at all, and each with feathers in their hair and blankets across their shoulders. But what walked off the train were young men in modern clothing, carrying suitcases and - apparently surprising those of the newspaper - pretty much looking like everybody else.

Mascots, baseball, American Indian, Indian athletes, Mascot controversy, terri jean,

Seymour Daily Republican 6/6/1907

1910, Jan 16th - Spectators at an Indian ball game say brutal Sport.

Civil war veterans witness a contest at Sulphur while in reunion there – played for ENTERTAINMENT.

Game is combination of foot and base ball.

Two goals are arranged similar to football -- from 11 to 15 men play on each side.

Guthrie, Okla – When full-blood Indian men play ball they present a grotesque sight. They strip to the waist and their brown bodies are greased in order that they may more easily slip out of the grasp of their opponents. Each Indian carries two clubs. Indian ball, or lacrosse, is as much the national game of many tribes of the Indians as baseball is the white American’s national sport today, and the game is particularly popular with all the five civilized tribes in old Indian territory.

To see the actual article,

1910, May 17th - the "Redskins' Scalp" pun was in full use.

At the time of this headline, scalping parties (where people went out to literally hunt for Native Americans in a coordinated effort to kill them - usually Apaches) existed. And yet ADAMS BOYS TAKE REDSKIN'S SCALPS was a pun used for sporting headlines.

But then again, people said these ball teams are meant to HONOR Native people and not exploit them as a Vanishing Race. Right?

Click below to read the article.

1911, July 18th - The Wild West

Native people were often put on display for Wild West shows, as the article states, "decked out in their bravest and most gorgeous apparel a curious crowd of all ages was gathered." ....

It is important to note that the "white children" were dressed as Indians, and the attire included: fringed hunting shirts, moccasins, and feathered headdresses. And the Boy Scouts were also there - and dressed up as Indians, no less.

Read the entire article below:

native american stereotypes, native american mascots list, teams with native american mascots, native american mascots names, native american name controversy, native american redskins mascot, offensive native american names, Atlanta Brave, American Indian, Braves, bravettes, changers, change the name, cultural appropriation, Cleveland Indians, debate, ethnic identity, headdress, Illini, Indianettes, Indian mascots, Indian chief, Indian head, indigenous, indian mascots in sports, indianness, Kansas City chiefs, keepers, logos, monikers, mascot, Native American mascots, Native American imagery, Native American names, Native mascots, Native theme, Offensive name, Playing Indian, pocohottie, racial slur, Redskins, racist mascots, stereotyping, scalp, scalp ‘em, squaw, squawd, save the name, savages, stereotype, school board, school mascot, tomahawks, Trail of tears, tradition, totem pole, team names, warriorettes, war dance, war paint, warpath, war path, wannabes, war bonnets, wahoo, Washington Redskins, redmen, red raiders, red men,

The Courier Gazette May 17, 1921

In 1921 the Brown's all Indian ball players came to play an exhibition game against another team: the Tollohosse and the Eufoulo. But they aren't going to entertain the crowd with just an ordinary game... noooo.. they'll be playing in beech cloths, eagle feathers, and war paint. And though a rough form of the game has been outlawed due to the "large number of causalities," promoters were granted permissions for these players to run that risk and play the dangerous sport irregardless of the "causalities."

All for the entertainment of others... right?

1921, July 17th - Indian woman in 1921 hated the fake Indians imitating war whoops, putting on a show. It made her blood boil.

For those people who say American Indians haven't said anything about being mocked for non-Indian entertainment, so why change things now -- then explain this. Yet ANOTHER early article with an indigenous person upset over being mimicked and mocked purely for a "show."

1947, Sept 6th - Marshall the ultimate showman

Playing Indian, wannabes, American Indian, Indian mascots, tomahawks, headdress, scalp, mascot, Redskins, keepers, changers, Native mascots, Native theme, stereotyping, war dance, war paint, pocohottie, Indian chief, change the name, war bonnets, Indian head, save the name, logos, monikers, Native American mascots, Native American imagery, Native American names, tradition, racial slur, squaw, warpath, war path, squaw, squawd, bravettes, indianettes, warriorettes,

The Cumberland News, Md 9/6/1947

George Marshall, the actor/ showman, married to one of the biggest silent film stars of her day, definitely knew how to brand his football team and attain his fair of the press - if not more.

1954, Nov 14th. The Washington Redskins and the circus were pretty much the same thing... all for a GIMMICK.

George Marshall, native american stereotypes, native american mascots list, teams with native american mascots, native american mascots names, native american name controversy, native american redskins mascot, offensive native american names, Atlanta Brave, American Indian, Braves, bravettes, changers, change the name, cultural appropriation, Cleveland Indians, debate, ethnic identity, headdress, Illini, Indianettes, Indian mascots, Indian chief, Indian head, indigenous, indian mascots in sports, indianness, Kansas City chiefs, keepers, logos, monikers, mascot, Native American mascots, Native American imagery, Native American names, Native mascots, Native theme, Offensive name, Playing Indian, pocohottie, racial slur, Redskins, racist mascots, stereotyping, scalp, scalp ‘em, squaw, squawd, save the name, savages, stereotype, school board, school mascot, tomahawks, Trail of tears, tradition, totem pole, team names, warriorettes, war dance, war paint, warpath, war path, wannabes, war bonnets, wahoo, Washington Redskins,

George Marshall using every gimmick he can to draw people in to see his Washington Redskins (teepee's in the back)

The band was in headdresses, next to the elephants. This wasn't to honor Indians - it was to fill seats and make money.

2013 - youtube snip of an Atlanta Braves Game

tomahawk chop, Atlanta Braves, Indian mascots, change the name

Look at all those people pretending to tomahawk ... well... are they pretending to scalp Indians? Or are they pretending to be Indians scalping whites? I'm not really sure. Either way, why in the hell are they glorifying such a horrid period in our nation's history? Would they remind African Americans that they were chained? Or Jewish people that they were killed in gas chambers?

Seriously! Why can't people realize that this "chop" is a nod to killing people?

Pages