Sports Mascots Honor the Native American Indian Essay example -- Native

The year is 1991. The Atlanta Braves had just completed their first trip to the Fall classical in four decades, and the Washington Redskins were undefeated, well on their way to their third Super Bowl title. All across the eastern seaboard, sports fans were tasting success - season American Indians were in an uproar. This year witnessed the peak of the protests over the workout of mascots with American Indian themes. With two of the major professional sports teams in question making front-page tidings across the country, many of us heard American Indians complaints for the first time. Suddenly, thanks to the cries of thousands of demonstrators, the names of many Americans favorite teams had become synonymous with nigger. American Indians believe that the use of these mascots presents a slanderous stereotype of their society, and they demand immediate cessation of such usage. Are these demonstrators justified? According to the organizations in question, the choice of mascots based on American Indian themes was not intended to be derogatory and in most cases was instead intended to honor certain American Indian tribes or individuals. In stark contrast, nigger was intended from its inception as a derogatory term for African-Americans it is purposefully used to belittle its victims. American Indians have made themselves victims here, choosing to be insulted where no insult was intended. Because the intentions behind them are not slanderous, the use of mascots with American Indian themes should be continued. Since its birth, Indians definition has never been derogatory. It dates back to the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus erroneously applied the label to the natives of the ... ... - Heroic Symbol at Florida State. Seminoles Official Athletic Site. 18 May 1993. Online. Available http//www.fansonly.com/schools/fsu/trads/fsu-trads-seminoles.html. 28 February 1999. Louis Sockalexis The Cleveland Indian (1871-1913). The Off icial Cleveland Indians Baseball guild Homepage. Online. Available http//www.indians.com/history/sockalexis.html. 25 February 1999. Munson, Barbara. Common Themes and Questions about the Use of Indian Logos. American Comments A Web Magazine. 1997. Online. Available http//www.iwchildren.org/barb.htm. 25 February 1999. Native Americans. Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation, 1995. Seminole Wars. Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation, 1995.