Name dropping
By GREG TEPPER World Sports Writer
7/23/2006
Redskin. Chief. Savage. Indian. Warrior. Brave.
For some, they're words worth fighting for. Or against.
The issue of American Indian mascots and images being used in schools remains divisive and volatile, especially in Oklahoma, which boasts one of the nation's highest Indian populations.
Oklahoma, whose name is derived from Choctaw words meaning "red people," ranks second in the nation in percentage of high schools that use an Indian mascot. Of Oklahoma's 465 high schools, 64 of them, more than 13 percent, use an American Indian- derived mascot.
In the year since the NCAA announced depictions of American Indian as mascots are prohibited from postseason events, two Oklahoma colleges have made changes. Southeastern State had to change its mascot or face exclusion from NCAA postseason events. The Savages are now the "Savage Storm."
Northeastern State made a proactive decision. Although its mascot -- Redmen -- was deemed acceptable by the NCAA, the school decided to make a change on its own.
Unlike the two colleges, Oklahoma high schools haven't changed team names and don't appear likely to. And the executive director of the state's high school governing body -- the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Assocation
-- says it won't impose change unless schools raise the issue.
Proponents of the mascots claim schools honor the traditions of American Indians. Opponents feel Indians are being exploited and objectified.
Source of pride
Union High School has the second-largest enrollment in Oklahoma and has one of the strongest athletic programs in the state. Before every football game, a teepee is erected and Union football players charge through it and onto the field.
The Redskins have arrived, and not everyone likes it.
Union has faced steady criticism from American Indian groups, including one that attends every board meeting. But Union maintains its stance -- the mascot isn't meant to offend.
"So you're trying to stir up an issue that has already been resolved?" Union superintendent Cathy Burden asked after being recently queried on the topic.
Burden cites the Redskins' history as the reasoning behind the controversial image's use.
"Union School District was formed when four districts merged together in 1919, and Indian symbolism was used at that time for the yearbook and other activites, like the band and sports teams," Burden said. "They always used Indian names with respect."
Union traditions include a fervent competition among students to be selected to recite the "I'm A Redskin" speech at each year's graduation, as well as various Indian images around the school and school activities. But the word "Redskin," which many consider a word to describe Indian scalpings, has created a stir for the district.
"A new connotation of the word is a very negative connotation," Burden said. "This is a Native American state, and we are proud of it. It doesn't make any sense to demean ourselves. The new definition does not fit with the way we have used it at Union."
In Wynnewood, a Garvin County town of about 2,300, the Savages mascot is embraced.
"It's pretty much a sacred thing here in Wynnewood," superintendent Bill Weldon said. "There's a lot of pride associated with that name. We have a pretty high Native American population here, and they don't seem to be bothered by it. They have pride in it."
Weldon says his school's mascot represents something noble.
"I guess it represents the fight, the challenge," Weldon said. "Savages took on the challenges of the white man, and they were fierce in defending what they believe to be theirs.
"When you come into Savage country, we're going to be ready to defend it."
Local leader: It's 'offensive'
Louis Gray doesn't believe there should be any debate about American Indian mascots.
"There are the 'Savages' and 'Redskins,' names which, to me, are more like racial slurs," said Gray, the founder and president of Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism. "And then there is the objectification of my people, like 'Indians,' 'Braves,' 'Warriors' and so on. I'm opposed to both uses, but the 'Redskins' and 'Savages' are the most offensive. It's very demeaning to me and to my people."
According to Gray, TICAR members have attended Union's school board meetings every month "for the past three to four years, but have never been able to be put on the docket." Burden, who led the school district through the proceedings that resulted in keeping the Redskins mascot, responded by saying that the TICAR members are not members of Union's community, so they are not entitled to a place on the docket.
Gray said the use of the images and traditions native to his people is not honorable because those whose images are being used did not consent.
"It's not our choice. We didn't ask to be mascots," Gray said. "The simplest response is that no other race is objectified the way my people are. They misuse images and traditions.
"If we don't like it, then I can't say that I'm being honored."
A member of the Osage tribe, former candidate for the Osage Congress and brother of Osage Chief Jim Gray, Louis Gray has fought to get "Savages" and "Redskins" removed from schools, attempting unsuccessfully to get legislation passed to do so. But TICAR's main objective, Gray said, is to teach.
"We are trying to educate the public whenever possible," Gray said. "We don't do protests or marches. We want people to understand us, not hate us further.
"More and more Oklahomans are coming around and realizing that hey, it's about time we start treating the Native American people with respect."
Governing bodies staying out
The precedent for changing Indian mascots was set in August 2005, when the NCAA announced it would ban the use of American Indian mascots and logos by sports teams during postseason NCAA tournaments and later banned use in football bowl games, as well.
Of the 18 schools affected, the most notable are the Utah Utes, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux and the Illinois Fighting Illini. UND is suing the NCAA in an attempt to keep its nickname and Indian head logo.
But disputes about American Indian mascots in high schools have been at the local level.
The National Federation of State High School Associations, which oversees state high school associations, has left the mascot issue up to the local level.
And in Oklahoma, the OSSAA has not been approached by anyone to make a change similar to the NCAA's, OSSAA executive director Danny Rennels said.
"We would certainly respond to any group's request, and I'm not really sure what it would be," Rennels said. "There would ultimately have to be a vote from the member schools in order to make that change. We would have to go back to them for their input prior to any decision."
However, when asked whether or not the OSSAA would have any sort of power on the issue, Rennels balked.
"We don't regulate those types of things," Rennels said. "We are more in charge of playoffs and things like that. I would not see any type of authority from us to issue a ban or even a recommendation on that issue."
The lack of power to change high school mascots is not limited to Oklahoma. High school associations in Texas and Kansas had the same sentiment: Even if they wanted to do something, it would be difficult.
"We would probably still leave it to the local level," said Cheryl Gleason, assistant executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. "They choose a lot of things, and the mascot is just another one of them. So I would have to say no, we would not have any power to make them change."
Some standing in favor
The American Indian community is not united against the use of such imagery and mascots. Some are fighting to keep the mascots in schools.
David Yeagley is a former humanities professor at Oklahoma University and the University of Central Oklahoma and is the founder of the Bad Eagle Foundation, a "nonprofit organization designed for American Indian conservatives and patriots," according to its Web site. Yeagley favors Indians as mascots.
"I believe there should be more of them," he said. "They represent the character and the spirit and the power of the Indian people. These mascots represent all the positives about Indians."
Yeagley, a member of the Comanche tribe who admits that his views are different than many, believes these mascots are not harmful psychologically to the Indian people but honor the power of the people.
"I resent the fact that Indians have been co-opted into believing the 'America is bad' chorus that says that we should change the name of anything with an Indian name, anything that voices victimization," Yeagley said.
"The attitude that any use of race by white people is offensive, that whole attitude I find psychologically crippling.
"That is a weak, defeatist attitude," Yeagley continued. "It is not warriors that are protesting mascots."
Lost in the controversy, Yeagley said, is that schools who are using Indian imagery and mascots can use them to educate the students about the character of the Indian people, a reason he is adamant against elimination.
"It's a type of ethnic cleansing to remove these Indian mascots," he said.
Last football season, two students at Glenpool roamed the sidelines at football games in neutral tribal attire, consisting of buckskin leggings, ribbon shirts, breach cloths and moccasins.
"This was something they studied," superintendent Kathy Coley said, citing that the students were a part of the Native American Student Association. "They studied the traditional dress and did it as a part of their program and found out exactly what to wear and what it all meant."
According to Coley, the school uses the symbols and name to help students understand Indian traditions.
"I think that in our school district, it is more a way to promote their culture rather than to stereotype them," Coley said.
The school has never been approached to change their mascot, she said. But the debate continues elsewhere, and Burden says that sometimes the fight may not be worth it.
"I'm not so sure we need mascots anymore at all," Burden said. "It's very hard to be politically correct with everyone."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Tepper 581-8355
[email protected]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAA'S LIST
In August 2005, the NCAA banned the "hostile" and "abusive" use of American Indian nicknames, mascots and logos in postseason events. The movement left 18 schools in violation. Here is a list of the schools, their mascots and what has happened since the ban:
Alcorn State (Braves): Dropped their logo depicting a tomahawk-toting Indian but remain known as the Braves.
Central Michigan (Chippewas): Successfully appealed to NCAA and was removed from list of violators.
Catawba College (Indians): Successfully appealed to NCAA and was removed from list of violators.
Florida State (Seminoles): Successfully appealed to NCAA and was removed from list of violators.
Midwestern State (Indians): Changed nickname to Mustangs.
Utah (Utes): Successfully appealed to NCAA and was removed from list of violators.
Indiana University, Pa. (Indians): Changed nickname to Bears after losing May 2006 appeal.
Carthage College (Redskins): Changed nickname to Red Men.
Bradley (Braves): Removed from list of violators by NCAA in April 2006 but placed on five-year watch list.
Arkansas State (Indians): No change made.
Chowan College (Braves): Changed nickname to Hawks.
Illinois (Illini): After losing NCAA appeal, mascot Chief Illiniwek banned from NCAA postseason events, but school may keep Illini and Fighting Illini mascot.
Louisiana-Monroe (Indians): Changed nickname to Warhawks.
McMurry University (Indians): Lost appeal to NCAA in May 2006 and will appeal again.
Mississippi College (Choctaws): Successfully appealed to NCAA and was removed from list of violators after local tribe endorsed the mascot's use.
Newberry College (Indians): Lost appeal to NCAA but refuses to change nickname.
North Dakota (Fighting Sioux): Suing NCAA after appeal was turned down.
Southeastern Oklahoma State (Savages): Changed nickname to Savage Storm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Debating the pros, cons of Indian mascots
Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism founder Louis Gray and Bad Eagle Foundation and American Indian mascot proponent David Yeagley gave their thoughts on six commonly used Indian mascots.
Redskins
Gray: "Redskins is a term used to refer to Indian scalps, which would entail murdering an Indian and getting a reward for doing so. I think that's inappropriate in any culture, especially to use it to glorify a team or rev up a crowd. It's just wrong."
Yeagley: "The vast majority of Indians do not object to this. How can this be offensive when American negroes prefer to be called black? It is just a visible way of identifying people due to historical contexts."
Savages
Gray: "Savages implies someone who is less than human. They are evil, animal-like. And it's an insulting term for Indian people to hear. We are people with feelings, with dreams, and hopes and aspirations. We are not savages."
Yeagley: "Savages is the primal glory. You can't even relate to it. Indians earned that name because those fears were earned by warriors protecting their land."
Warriors
Gray: "Not all Indians are bloodthirsty savages. People don't realize that there were a lot of peaceful Indians. Most Indians were peaceful. So to stereotypically say Warriors is wrong."
Yeagley: "Warrior is top of the line. It's excellent. It represents responsiblity and courage and bravery, everything a man is supposed to be. Indians have the honor of carrying that name and tradition, and they are going to protest against it? People are being taught by white Communist professors to be offended by it, and it's not right."
Indians
Gray: "I am a member of the Osage tribe. When I was growing up, whenever someone did not want to use my name, they would refer to me as 'Indian.' I'm an Osage. That term (Indian) brings back painful memories of discrimination in my childhood."
Yeagley: "Indian refers to the native people of North America. The word Indian belongs to the American Indian people, and it doesn't offend me at all. The word Native American is purposely confusing, another socialist term that was created in the '70s. It's obscuring. It is a scheme to pit the races against each other. I prefer American Indians.
Braves
Gray: "Braves is just a Hollywood version of the noble Indian stereotype. It's an impersonal way of referring to someone. We have names. I don't call caucasian people "soldier" or "calvarymen."
Yeagley: "Braves is along the same line as Warrior, it is a universal value of courage and the ability to defend yourself."
Chiefs
Gray: "Chief is an honored title for my people. My name is Lewis, not Chief. It's an easy way for someone to stereotype a group and put them in their place."
Yeagley: "Chiefs, though it did not originate as an Indian word, has come to be associated with Indians. It is the most honorable position for the Indians, so why would you complain about that?".