Despite numerous national and international organizations decrying the harm caused by them, people still cling to racist Indigenous mascots for sports teams.
May 30, 2023Liked by Amelia Mavis Christnot, George Takei
I totally agree that all states need to ban non-native schools from having indigenous mascots. Public schools are using taxpayer dollars to perpetuate the stereotypes and hatred. This needs to stop.
Philámayaye. I would hope individual schools would recognize the harm and respond appropriately, but as the examples in the piece show, some people think their traditions are more important than Indigenous children.
May 30, 2023Liked by Amelia Mavis Christnot, George Takei
Unfortunately it’s just another tool used by the colonizers to politicize and shame indigenous peoples in what they consider their place in the colonialists eyes! I’m sorry to say that, being a caucasien of European descent I’ve seen it in all its disgusting glory and I for one find it truly abhorrent that it’s perpetuated to this day! I have indigenous members by marriage in my family and I know they’re disgusted with it too! Indigenous peoples have a rich heritage and that should be respected and cherished and not turned into a cartoon or used as a prop for anything like the blatantly racist ways that it’s been done for hundreds of years! And yet it persists because of the blatant disregard for the facts that conquerors use to justify oppression! And it’s only going to get worse as the hatred’s and division grows in this country because of the culture war politics of the Republican Right continues! I’m a Transgender Woman and I know first hand how much vitriol and hatred these narrow minds can put out on a community that they deem inferior, but will continue to stand strong with my oppressed sisters and brothers no matter who or where they are from! Let Love Rule the world before we have no world to Love! 😢☹️🥰❤️
I have to advocate for the community! All communities need our voices and I’m going to help us anyway I can! This country is in dire straits and if we don’t change it then we’ll all be in serious trouble and danger! Thank you for all that your doing to help educate this country and the world with your work! 🥰❤️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️⚧️
I live in Illinois. So far I have written and shared your piece with my governor JB Pritzker and and my state senator Robert Peters. I assume I will get a form letter back, but I also forwarded your appeal to many friends and asked them to also ask our or their governor and state senator to represent us. I now need to figure out who else to write to. None of whom live in Maine. Will update if there is a legislative change.
May 30, 2023Liked by Amelia Mavis Christnot, George Takei
Very impressed by Dr. Treuer. He explains this issue in a way that anyone should be able to understand and empathize.
As for me, I grew up in Virginia as a Washington Redskins fan, never once giving a thought to just how racist the word “redskin” really is. I am sorry that it took so long for the team to abandon that mascot, but relieved that it finally happened a few years ago. It has been a slow march, but we are getting there. Thanks for keeping this wrongdoing front and center, we still have a long way to go.
May 30, 2023·edited May 30, 2023Liked by Amelia Mavis Christnot
My high school sports teams' mascot was (and still is) the Redskins. A large group of students advocated for a change due to the racist nature of this name and depiction and we suffered retaliation (several of us were on the staff of the student newspaper and were told we couldn't publish any articles/letters to the editor related to the mascot). This has been a topic of debate/disagreement for a long time and sadly hasn't changed. I'm glad to see that there is finally some movement in getting schools to stop this practice (and professional teams). Thanks for this article!
Thank you, Amelia! Native American people have been done such a great disservice by our mostly-white society, and so diminished! Our knowledge of the diversity and beauty of Native American cultures has been distorted by bad teaching in public schools and dreadful (and often incorrect) characterizations in movies and TV. I am so deeply sorry for all that has happened to all indigenous peoples, I am in tears just thinking about it. We who claim to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion still have a *lot* to learn.
All my life, I've been an avid baseball fan. And growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I was always saying the same thing - "Wait til next year!" - waiting for a championship. A few years back, I finally started to grow up, and my chant of "Wait til......" morphed from wanting a winning team, to wanting a socially responsible team. And FINALLY, with much poking and proding, the powers that be grew up with me, and US, and appropriately, became the Guardians, as in the guardians of human dignity!! I think now, having FINALLY grown up, my beloved Cleveland baseball team is READY to be champions!!
Progress!
Philámayaye for sharing this good news..
Great article. Thank you.
Philámayaye for reading it.
I totally agree that all states need to ban non-native schools from having indigenous mascots. Public schools are using taxpayer dollars to perpetuate the stereotypes and hatred. This needs to stop.
Philámayaye. I would hope individual schools would recognize the harm and respond appropriately, but as the examples in the piece show, some people think their traditions are more important than Indigenous children.
Unfortunately it’s just another tool used by the colonizers to politicize and shame indigenous peoples in what they consider their place in the colonialists eyes! I’m sorry to say that, being a caucasien of European descent I’ve seen it in all its disgusting glory and I for one find it truly abhorrent that it’s perpetuated to this day! I have indigenous members by marriage in my family and I know they’re disgusted with it too! Indigenous peoples have a rich heritage and that should be respected and cherished and not turned into a cartoon or used as a prop for anything like the blatantly racist ways that it’s been done for hundreds of years! And yet it persists because of the blatant disregard for the facts that conquerors use to justify oppression! And it’s only going to get worse as the hatred’s and division grows in this country because of the culture war politics of the Republican Right continues! I’m a Transgender Woman and I know first hand how much vitriol and hatred these narrow minds can put out on a community that they deem inferior, but will continue to stand strong with my oppressed sisters and brothers no matter who or where they are from! Let Love Rule the world before we have no world to Love! 😢☹️🥰❤️
Thank you for speaking up and speaking out.
I have to advocate for the community! All communities need our voices and I’m going to help us anyway I can! This country is in dire straits and if we don’t change it then we’ll all be in serious trouble and danger! Thank you for all that your doing to help educate this country and the world with your work! 🥰❤️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️⚧️
Philámayaye.
Tókȟa šni
Had to look it up but again thank you for your wonderful article about a practice that should have been gone ages ago! 🥰❤️
This is a wonderful article. Thank you for explaining things in such detail.
I very much enjoy what our writing team produces. Such a diverse and interesting array of perspectives and thought.
Philámayaye for supporting The Big Picture.
Thank you for this article! This is an issue that is sorely overlooked.👍
Philámayaye. I agree.
I will forward this to my legislators today.
Let us know how it goes!
I live in Illinois. So far I have written and shared your piece with my governor JB Pritzker and and my state senator Robert Peters. I assume I will get a form letter back, but I also forwarded your appeal to many friends and asked them to also ask our or their governor and state senator to represent us. I now need to figure out who else to write to. None of whom live in Maine. Will update if there is a legislative change.
Illinois residents are still having a problem with getting rid of Chief Illiniwek. This article gives many good reasons why the chief was retired!
It is shameful!
Philámayaye for your efforts.
I’ll just keep this simple. Thank you for your perspective and explanation. I learned a lot.
Philámayaye for reading it.
Very impressed by Dr. Treuer. He explains this issue in a way that anyone should be able to understand and empathize.
As for me, I grew up in Virginia as a Washington Redskins fan, never once giving a thought to just how racist the word “redskin” really is. I am sorry that it took so long for the team to abandon that mascot, but relieved that it finally happened a few years ago. It has been a slow march, but we are getting there. Thanks for keeping this wrongdoing front and center, we still have a long way to go.
Philámayaye for being open to other perspectives.
My high school sports teams' mascot was (and still is) the Redskins. A large group of students advocated for a change due to the racist nature of this name and depiction and we suffered retaliation (several of us were on the staff of the student newspaper and were told we couldn't publish any articles/letters to the editor related to the mascot). This has been a topic of debate/disagreement for a long time and sadly hasn't changed. I'm glad to see that there is finally some movement in getting schools to stop this practice (and professional teams). Thanks for this article!
Philámayaye for supporting the efforts to remove harmful stereotypes anx racial slurs as team names.
Thank you, Amelia! Native American people have been done such a great disservice by our mostly-white society, and so diminished! Our knowledge of the diversity and beauty of Native American cultures has been distorted by bad teaching in public schools and dreadful (and often incorrect) characterizations in movies and TV. I am so deeply sorry for all that has happened to all indigenous peoples, I am in tears just thinking about it. We who claim to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion still have a *lot* to learn.
Philámayaye for your feedback.
All my life, I've been an avid baseball fan. And growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I was always saying the same thing - "Wait til next year!" - waiting for a championship. A few years back, I finally started to grow up, and my chant of "Wait til......" morphed from wanting a winning team, to wanting a socially responsible team. And FINALLY, with much poking and proding, the powers that be grew up with me, and US, and appropriately, became the Guardians, as in the guardians of human dignity!! I think now, having FINALLY grown up, my beloved Cleveland baseball team is READY to be champions!!
Very informative! Thanks for opening my eyes and educating me