While reading DeVoss and LeBeau’s article, Reading and Composing Indians: Invented Indian Identity through Visual Literacy, I couldn’t help but think back to particular mascots in high school. In the North Central Kansas League, we used to play the Wamego Red Raiders all the time and I remember having a discussion about various Native American representations throughout sports teams’ mascots. I’m pretty sure Wamego has faced some backlash, but they are currently still using the ‘Red Raider’ as their mascot. And, as we all know, they are definitely not the only ones with mascots such as these.
According to DeVoss and LeBeau, sports teams such as the
Warriors, Chiefs, etc., and “their accompanying imagery – large-nosed,
headdressed chiefs holding bows and arrows or tomahawks” (50) have received a
lot of attention throughout the years. These representations often support an
imagery that “misrepresents and homogenizes a group of people representative of
more than five hundred nations in 2009 and, further, promotes misunderstanding
and fosters ecologies of appropriation and ridicule” (50).
After reading this article, I came across a short news story about Cooperstown Central
School’s students voting to drop the ‘Redskins’ mascot name from their school. Oneida
Nation – a Native American tribe whose territory is less than an hour away –
has offered to pay the district for new sports jerseys. The school is deciding
upon new names and at the bottom of the article, it lists suggestions for new
names: Deerslayers, Hawkeyes and Pathfinders.
After reading this article, I was left wondering about 1)
Oneida Nation feeling “honored to help the district pay for new sports jerseys”
and 2) about the suggested new names. Should the school let Oneida Nation help pay for new jerseys? Are the suggested
mascot names much better? What do you all think?
This doesn't directly answer your questions, but I found it interesting the other night at a DU hockey game when our raccoon hat clad mascot 'Boone' was running around hyping up the crowd against the North Dakota Sioux. I'm sure someone else will blog about this, so I'll just leave a quick comment.
ReplyDeleteBoth schools are in mascot transition/debate at the moment. The Sioux for the above-mentioned reasons, and Boone for his connection with Native American massacres. Despite their unofficial status, depictions of the Sioux and Boone were everywhere.
Unfortunately, even if schools change their mascots, there's such a strong history that images of the former will linger for years to come and may never fully dissipate. But it is a step in the right direction.