Editor's note: Part of a series looking at the debate surrounding some high school mascots as Washington's NFL team and others have announced changes in 2020.
“It’s important to reassure these people that none of that pride in their town, in themselves, in their kids, goes away,” Dana, theTribal Ambassador, told USA TODAY Sports. “But by changing the mascots, they have a chance to have a new start without actually hurting anybody.” The state of California passed legislation banning public schools from using “Redskins” as a team name. But like in other instances, in other states, the Racial Mascot Act includes several exceptions. The law that went into effect Jan. 1, 2017 but schools could use uniforms bearing the name if they had been purchased before that date.
“Historically, not only have politicians been shy or reluctant to champion Indian issues, many of them have ridden into office because they felt it was politically expedient to criticize or belittle them,” Pevar told USA TODAY Sports. “Still today, it’s not uncommon for politicians to take advantage of and capitalize on anti-Indian sentiment, so it takes a lot of courage for politicians to speak out on these issues.
“We need a lot more collaboration,” Collings, who sponsored the bill and is a Democrat, told USA TODAY Sports. “The Democratic Party isn’t perfect. We need to speak out more on these issues. We’re often afraid of how this can impact our elections. We need everyone, Democrats, Republicans – elected officials need to step up and speak out. They can’t condone any of this.
Part Mohawk and part Ojibwe, Payment lived through the stigma of seeing her identity reduced to a caricature at Skowhegan. While she was a student there, she appealed for the mascot to be changed, but she said her efforts never attracted serious consideration.
WHY
Maybe American Indians like being honored as great warriors as mascots. And maybe all this petty bullshit people dream up, because they have to much time on their hands, is causing more problems in America that the majority believe.
Why? Because the only people who give a shit are guilt ridden white people who get off on virtue signaling.
Somebody please explain to me like I’m 5, why it’s wrong for a learning institution to be represented by a Native American mascot. I just don’t get what’s wrong with it.
So only white & black people and animals can be mascots. Sounds racist or unfair. I guess a black cowgirl on a horse is OK. Sounds about right in the world I live in.
Exactly who benefits from these changes?
Yes erase all natives Americans from everything, better jet lest stop saying native, sounds crazy right!
Because it’s stupid
I don't see a lot of Native Americans complaining it. Even the term Native American is misleading. Native Americans are not actually native or indigenous to America, they came here from Asia tens of thousand of years ago. Anyway.
And if you bother to ask any Native American - they probably couldn’t care less. This is just some woke weirdo thinking.
For some reason, one of the cheerleaders seems to have angered the Native American.
Why stop at schools ? Change every road, rest stop, park, building, everything that even alludes to any Indian aka Native American.
If these symbols disappear then 50 years from now, no one, will remember who were the first Native Americans that populated America.
I din't know what that brown haired girl with the pony tail did, but that native american is about to skewer her.
B/c it's not really the kind of thing that should require legislation. And then what's subject to restriction next and how extensive will the Mascot Code be, etc.
Oversensitivity at its finest.....