Native Mascots In Sport Essay Research Paper

Native Mascots In Sport Essay, Research Paper

Brody Stonehouse

Natives in Entertainment: Perpetuating Stereotypes

Ever since Europeans first colonized North America there has been an ongoing

struggle between native and non-native peoples. Even now after many bloody wars have been fought and land claims settled there continues to be many issues that need to be resolved. One such issue is the racist and stereotypical portrayal of native people in modern media. Although depictions of native people for entertainment purposes can sometimes be dignified and honouring, nevertheless such depictions are usually derogatory towards native people because they are culturally offensive, racist, and stereotyping.

On the forefront of the issue of native images in modern media is the use of native names and logos by sports teams. Many professional and amateur sports teams use native names and logos that create culturally offensive depictions of native people. In recent years attention has been brought to such use, and despite severe protest teams continue to refuse to change their attitudes towards the use of these offensive images. Ted Turner, media magnate and owner of baseball s Atlanta Braves, contests that the use of Native American names and symbols is not meant to be offensive to native people but instead is meant to honor them (New York Post).

Joseph P. Gone, a native writer for New York Magazine, does not believe that such portrayals are honouring towards native people. In his article Chief Illiniwek: Dignified or Damaging, a follow-up to the movie In Whose Honor: University of Illinois Chief Illiniwek, Gone points out that the University s portrayal of the Chief is manifested by several inaccuracies. Gone goes on to say:

For decades the University promoted and the students believed that the cheifs dance was an authentic form of some Indian tribal celebration. Whether or not the Chief s Dance was originally derived from a Lokota ritual, it was adapted early on for sports events and currently resembles no traditional or contemporary expression of dance known to native people (New York Magazine).

The use of native dress, chants and dances are not only historically incorrect but they are also a misrepresentation of native people. Jeff Thomason, author of Native Issues:2000 and Beyond, analyzes the stereotypical misrepresentation of native people by contending:

Teams that use Indian logos and mascots show us only the prototypical stereotype Indian: one that wears war paint, and dances wildly to a fanciful drum beat during halftime. Each of these are defining characteristics of the Indian stereotype that has been spoon-fed to the American public for over a century through such media as newspapers, books, cartoons and especially Hollywood westerns (64).

Many different mediums of entertainment are used to perpetuate common stereotypes relating to native people. Movies, television and books are among the worst culprits for this type of stereotyping. Until recently it was not uncommon to see a movie or television show that depicted native people as stupid or savage. Terms such as heathen, brave and squaw were often used when referring to Native Americans.

One of the common themes in modern media is the depiction of Native American s as the enemy. Francis Wood, a native activist, writes in his book Beneath the Cloud: Issues facing Modern Natives Not only are native people commonly depicted as the enemy, which was partially true, but they are also shown as the aggressor which history tells us is quite untrue (39). Wood goes on to say Movies and television have a long history of false portrayals of natives, instead of recognizing that there are many different tribes, each with their own diverse culture, they lump all of us together into a prototypic Indian savage (67).

Other common depictions of native people show them as warlike, stupid, and savage. Hollywood is one of the primary forums for such stereotyping. Indian images are created in Hollywood by filmmakers whose primary interest is to make money. People making decisions today had theses stereotypes perpetuated by such blatantly racist films as The Searchers(1956), The Unforgiven(1960), and White Commanche(1968) (Mihesuah 9,10).

Even Children s programming is riddled with hurtful stereotypes. Rick Reilly, writes of on such stereotype in an article for Sport Magazine saying, Turn on TNT during the Thanksgiving season and you ll see an unambiguous mockery of the dimwitted, hook nosed, tomahawk-weilding, broken-English-speaking redskin who was the primitive foil for the antics of Bugs Bunny (56).

Devon Mihesuah, a University professor and expert in Indian relations, analyzes a more recent children s film Pocahontas saying that it epitomizes Hollywoods Commercialized approach. The heroine absurdly sings with forest animals, is clothed provocatively, and blessed with a Barbie doll figure (10).

A major complaint of native people is the lack of positive Native American characters in movies and television. Many native children grow up without the option of a positive role model of their own kin. Alvin M. Josephy Jr. writes of the stereotypes commonly associated with natives commenting:

One of the enduring characteristics of Indian-White relationships has been the susceptibility of non-Indians to thinking abou