Brief of Amici Curiae National Congress of American Indians et al. 2023 University of Washington | Seattle, WA, Bias against Native Americans spikes when mascots are removed, provoke racist stereotypes and harm the self-esteem of Native youth, Human-wildlife conflicts rising worldwide with climate change, Newly discovered form of salty ice could exist on surface of extraterrestrial moons, UW computer scientist and mathematician named Sloan Fellows. The Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs identified more than 20 schools across the state for violating the law by using terms such as Savages, Indians and Warriors in their mascot's name. Should we simply have a vote among Native Americans and let them decide? The measure passed with a bipartisan 92-5 vote and now heads to the Senate for consideration. For decades, NCAI largely focused its efforts on ending "Indian" mascots at the professional level, directing specific attention to the former mascot of the NFL's Washington "Commanders". The question today is "Should the use of Native American mascots be banned?" Yes, it should be banned. Jimenezs study used datasets from Project Implicit participants nationwide between 2004 and 2019, and two smaller subsets: one from the year before and after the removal of Chief Wahoo in Cleveland, and another from the year before and after the removal of Chief Illiniwek at the University of Illinois. Using Indian mascots causes Native Americans to feel that sports teams are making a mockery of their way of life and marginalizing the way they were treated by white settlers. But some Republicans have mounted strong opposition to proposed mascot bans, calling them government censorship or, in one case, political correctness run amok.. In 2020, NCAI formally expanded the initiative to include work at the K-12 level, which included the development of the, To request NCAIs help at the K-12 or state levels, please email, Proud to Be - The Campaign to End Harmful Indian Mascots, Generation Indigenous Tribal Leaders Challenge, Ending "Indian" Mascots Update: More School Districts Retire their Native "Themed" Mascots, NCAI Shares Statement on Atlanta "Braves" Mascot and Fan Rituals, NCAI Reiterates Longstanding Opposition to Atlanta Braves' Mascot and "Tomahawk Chop" Fan Ritual as Team Plays in World Series, Ending "Indian" Mascots Update: NCAI Launches State Activity Tracker, NCAI Commends Announcement by Major League Baseball's Cleveland Franchise of Its New Name "Guardians", Ending "Indian" Mascots Update: NCAI Presents Overview of National School Mascot Tracking Database; More Native "Themed" Mascots are Retired, Replaced, Ending "Indian" Mascots Update: Colorado and Nevada Pass Bills Banning Native "Themed" Mascots, Logos, and Team Names, Ending "Indian" Mascots Update: The State of Washington Bans Native "Themed" Mascots, Logos, and Team Names, NCAI Statement on the Washington Football Team's Retirement of Racist Mascot, Ending the Era of Harmful Indian Mascots, NCAI offers its deepest condolences to the family of Senator James Abourezk, a tireless advocate for justice and https://t.co/7DapoluRCu. OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) The use of Native American names, symbols and images would be banned from being used as school mascots, logos and team names at most public schools in Washington under a bill passed Tuesday by the state House of Representatives. Statelines team of veteran journalists provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy. Some schools and sports teams chose a Native American mascot name with the intent to honor this population of people, as well as to educate the public about the importance of these populations. Many Sports teams in this era, now have mascots and team names that are offensive to Native Americans. Perhaps a factor is earlier reports questioning the legitimacy of the actually-being-a-Native-American credentials of at least one board member who makes the rounds at these meetings, and who appeared in a video extolling the Washington Redskins nickname. [Fans] were extremely racist and derogatory to these students at the same time.. But it's not just about gaming for us -- it's about our culture. Instead, these findings could inform how to approach removing mascots so as to mitigate racist attitudes and actions. So when you say it's fine to use non-derogatory imagery as long as it's being used appropriately, you're saying that part of that "appropriate use" is educational content about Native Americans? He said all traces of the mascot would be removed and tasked the high school with coming up with something new. That's what makes these kids feel marginalized -- the way their culture and their people were treated. Maryland residents set only a slightly higher bail for the case in their home state than they did for the Cleveland or Kansas City scenarios. The lawsuit also states that the use of positive Native American symbolism is a form of "reappropriation" or a way to "reclaim names and images that were once directed at them as insults in order to turn them outward as badges of pride.". In 2005, the American Psychological Association called for an end to the use of such mascots. How do you feel about the NCAA's regulations restricting the use of Native American imagery but allowing it when permission is granted by a local tribe, as in the case of Florida State University and the Seminole Tribe? This is mocking the Native American people and not honoring them at all. I think that's absolutely fine. The new UW studies surveyed peoples attitudes relative to the removal of two other well-known mascots: the Cleveland Indians Chief Wahoo, eliminated from uniforms and merchandising in 2018; and the University of Illinois Chief Illiniwek, discontinued in 2007. The World Series champion Atlanta Braves were again under scrutiny for the team name and their fans performing the "tomahawk chop" during games. Undermines the ability of American Indian Nations to portray accurate and respectful images of their culture, spirituality and traditions. If they're using a menacing-looking Indian and trying to intimidate the other team because they might get scalped, that's inappropriate. I have to chuckle when I hear that. If Native children are struggling, hopefully this kind of education and outreach and help identify why, instead of having us blame it on a mascot. Another intent is to teach about the history of Native Americans and their contributions to the early settlers or to honor an individual Native American that holds an important place in history. Or in some communities, even more slowly millimeters forward, really. Is a form of discrimination against American Indian Nations that can lead to negative relations between groups. Schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York have opted to change their mascots, only to have new members elected to the school board on the platform of reinstating the previous nicknames. The increase in racism, however temporary, should not be seen as a reason to retain Native American mascots, Jimenez said. How do you feel about that? According to the National Congress of American Indians, a Native rights organization that represents tribes across the country, 19 states in recent years have considered policy changes to ban or limit Indigenous mascots in public schools. November 2021 Our position is that if it's not derogatory and it's being used appropriately, with an opportunity to share or cross-share our culture, then it's fine. Sharing charts, maps, and more to show who Americans are, how policy affects the everyday, and how we can use data to make a difference. Native Americans should be able to look at . I do not think that Native American mascots should be allowed in schools and teams. All rights reserved. Native Amerian mascots should be banned. Contact him here. Native Americans see this issue of mascots as a . Its sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Debra Lekanoff, a member of the Tlingit tribe, said more than 30 schools in the state had Indigenous mascots when she introduced the bill. The firm is representing a John Doe, Jane Doe and three other Colorado residents who cite Native American heritage in the lawsuit. The organization's lawsuit argues that the Colorado law is unconstitutional and "unlawfully enacts state-sanctioned race discrimination" against the Native American residents the association is representing. Presents stereotypical images of American Indians. Instead, these findings could inform how to approach removing mascots so as to mitigate racist attitudes and actions. We have a very rich, diverse culture, which is showcased in a world-class, award-winning cultural museum on our reservation. People around the United States are trying to get professional sport teams to change their names and mascots because they feel it depicts their certain race in bad way. But if you look at generational trauma and the way Native peoples were treated 300 years ago, it wasn't until 1924 that we were formally recognized as human beings, and we didn't get the chance to vote until after women did. Next, This gives people to have an insight on Native American culture. Indian mascots can damage the perception of Native Americans on the parts of the Native Americans themselves, as well as other populations of people, according to an article in Basic and Applied Social Psychology. Watts sponsored Nevadas new law that bans racially discriminatory mascots, saying he wanted to handle the issue broadly to avoid future controversies. NCAIs work to end Indian or Native themed mascots, used interchangeably here, is guided by our numerous resolutions pertaining to cultural appropriation and the harmful effects of these mascots. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. In 2020, NCAI formally expanded the initiative to include work at the K-12 level, which included the development of the National School Mascot Tracking Database. What if a high school or university wasn't interested in doing these types of cultural exchanges and educational efforts? So far, mascot bills have passed only in states with Democratic majorities, though some legislation has drawn significant bipartisan support. This little bill just says we are going to heal, and honor and respect one another.. NCAI's position is clear, longstanding, and deeply rooted in our 78 years as a leading voice for Indian Country we advocate for and protect the civil rights,social justice, and racial equity of all Native people in all parts of American society. They could have a room of 1,000 tribal members who tell them to stop, but if they can find one person who says they're part-Native who supports it, that's who they'll listen to, Dana said. Complicating the picture is the seeming omnipresence of a group called the Native American Guardians Association , which has criss-crossed the country arguing that it, as a group of Native Americans, want to keep respectful use of Native mascots in the name of keeping their history alive. In the 1970's and 1980's, the Cleveland Indians mascot would come out of his tee-pee and do a dance when Cleveland hit a home run. I dont have a definite number of the decline in usage of Native American mascots at the elementary and secondary school level, butyou dont have tocount the schools on this Wikipedia entry of those that do use them to figure out that there are still a lot. Native American mascots and nicknames are inherently harmful to Native children, Sports journalism's foremost uniform reporter. For decades, NCAI largely focused its efforts on ending Indian mascots at the professional level, directing specific attention to the former mascot of the NFLs Washington "Commanders". Everyone quoted in the article was opposed to the use of such imagery, which led many readers to ask why I hadn't given equal time to the other side. Teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Blackhawks, North Dakota Fighting Sioux, and many more teams have mascots or names that mock the Native Americans. Lancaster High School students skipped classes and, walked along the perimeter of the school to protest the districts dropping of the schools nickname and mascot Thursday, March 19, 2015, in Lancaster, N.Y. In Driggs, Idaho, a small resort town near Grand Teton National Park, the battle over removing East Idaho High Schools Redskins nickname is quite pitched its now in its sixth year. Growing up in an Indigenous family and community, your identity is centered around things like the feathers and paint and drums that feel very special to you, Dana said. Ending "Indian" Mascots Update: NCAI Launches State Activity Tracker(08.03.21) Some mascots should be banned because they are stereotypical When Shawna Newcomb attended high school in Weymouth, Massachusetts, a decade ago, her team faced a rival nicknamed the Wamps after a local tribeher tribe. I mean, it really is. That's why it's important to have a statewide bill.. Some lawmakers said harm to students underscored the urgency to act. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. He says the mascot is only racist if its being used as a slur. The second study relied on the use of hundreds of thousands of responses from Project Implicit, an online platform for collecting data about bias and educating about prejudice and stereotypes, co-created by Tony Greenwald, an emeritus professor of psychology at the UW. Ostens measure prevents communities with Indigenous mascots from receiving state aid generated by tribal casinos. New plaques provide context to public art and acknowledge changing values. Collings credited Maulian Dana, tribal ambassador for the Penobscot Nation, for pushing him to introduce the bill. This conversation has long plagued major sports teams, including the Washington Football Team, which dropped its original nickname in 2020, and the Cleveland Indians, which will start the 2022 season as the Cleveland Guardians. July 2020 From tribes' role as America's first governments, to modern day actors, athletes, and political leaders, Native people contribute to American greatness every single day. Last week I wrote about the recent symposium about Native American imagery in sports that took place at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. Maine indeed, in mid-May, became the first state to ban its public schools from using Native American nicknames and imagery. Based on responses to Project Implicit questions, prejudice against Native Americans increased in the year after a mascot was removed specifically among Ohio residents after the discontinuation of Chief Wahoo; and, after the removal of Chief Illiniwek, among residents not only of Illinois, but also among those of all other states. When you see people stealing and misusing it, it feels very hostile and painful.. Sign up for our daily updateoriginal reporting on state policy, plus the day's five top reads from around the Web. The mascots can also impair race relations in the United States, claims Stephanie Fryberg, a cultural and social psychology scholar, based on studies she's completed.