Play With Our Name (Seminole Tribe)

NY Times ^ | August 27, 2005 | JIM SHORE

[neverdem]

EARLIER this week, the National Collegiate Athletic Association reversed its recent decision that would have forced Florida State University to drop the use of the "Seminole" name and related symbols. But it continued to ban the use of Native American mascots and nicknames in postseason N.C.A.A. tournaments, a decision that affects 17 other universities.

As a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, I believe the N.C.A.A. should encourage those colleges that have Indian mascots and nicknames to build better relations with the Native American community. Perhaps each university could establish a relationship with a reservation, involving programs like internships, scholarships and tribal history and culture classes.

Here in Florida, the relationship we have with Florida State goes beyond the football field. Florida State encourages members of the Seminole Tribe to apply for admission and spreads information about Seminole culture and history.

Too many Americans, including Native Americans, get caught up in the debate over the tomahawk chop and miss the opportunity that comes in having a tribe in a close alliance with a major university. While the Seminole Tribe of Florida gets no financial compensation for the university's use of the Seminole name and related symbols, the richness of the relationship brings a variety of social and economic benefits to our tribe.

The use of Indian nicknames and mascots by colleges and universities started in the early 1900's. Many of these names were generic - Braves, Chiefs and Warriors - but some were the names of tribes like the Chippewas, the Hurons, the Sioux and, of course, the Seminoles. Eventually, there were more than 100 colleges with Indian mascots and some 2,500 high schools. Professional sports teams joined in, too.

In the 60's and 70's, however, activist groups began challenging the use of some of these names, calling them...

[neverdem]

Jim Shore is general counsel of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

[Sgt.Po-Po]

The university also reached out to the tribe in other ways. For years, Florida State University has invited Seminole Tribe high school students to visit its Tallahassee campus. The university organizes an annual summer trip to encourage young Seminoles to apply for admission. And the program is working. This fall, four new Seminole students will join four already enrolled there.

Four! Four???? I think the University of ND has a few hundred Inidans from many different tribes, not just the Sioux, as well as probablly the largest Indians in Medicine program in the USA.

[metmom]

What? The Indians DON'T mind?

[neverdem]

Four! Four???? I think the University of ND has a few hundred Inidans from many different tribes, not just the Sioux, as well as probablly the largest Indians in Medicine program in the USA.

Maybe it's a function of distance. If most of the Seminoles are concentrated around Hollywood, according to Mapquest: "Total Est. Time: 6 hours, 59 minutes (and) Total Est. Distance: 465.39 miles", Tallahassee, FL to Hollywood, FL. That's assuming most of them live near where "Support for Florida State is obvious at the Seminole Tribe's showcase Okalee Indian Village in Hollywood, Fla".

[Better Dead Than Red]

This makes me wonder. Have Indian tribes ever protested the Army for the nicknames of helicopters (Kiowa, Apache, Chinook?)

[neverdem]

Have Indian tribes ever protested the Army for the nicknames of helicopters (Kiowa, Apache, Chinook?)

I never heard of any such protests. Maybe it's just because the left is so ignorant of all things military. ;^)

[neverdem]

Check the link in comment# 4.

[MIT-Elephant]

"Four! Four????"

I admit that number seems a bit low, but I believe the Indian population of Florida was marched west in the 19th century...I would be curious to know how many native Americans still live in Florida.

[carumba]

EARLIER this week, the National Collegiate Athletic Association reversed its recent decision that would have forced Florida State University to drop the use of the "Seminole" name and related symbols. But it continued to ban the use of Native American mascots and nicknames in postseason N.C.A.A. tournaments, a decision that affects 17 other universities.

Is this an application of that wonderfully convenient and ever so flexible tool known as the double standard? I have heard other schools use nicknames with the blessing of the tribe that is named by the schools in question. So FSU gets a pass, and the other guys don't because FSU is what?...willing to that the issue to court? Blatant hypocrisy. In the mean time they can't solve the real problems like no championship for college football.

[Slump Tester]

"Perhaps each university could establish a relationship with a reservation, involving programs like internships, scholarships and tribal history and culture classes."

It would be easier to just give them beads and trinkets with some firewater.

[xzins]

But it continued to ban the use of Native American mascots and nicknames in postseason N.C.A.A. tournaments, a decision that affects 17 other universities.

To be consistent, they should ban the names: Illinois, Dakota, Indiana, Kansas, Wichita, Miami,...

For Example: Kansas 1722, from Fr., variant of Kansa, native name of a Siouan people.

Will the NCAA force Kansas to change its name?

[DainBramage]

The Fighting Engines

[Leroy S. Mort]

Perhaps each university could establish a relationship with a reservation, involving programs like internships, scholarships and tribal history and culture classes.

If the internships involve being a blackjack dealer, I know a kid who would be great at it.

[R. Scott]

My late wife – a Seminole – didn’t mind. She considered it an honor.

[DeaconRed]

OK, I live in Seminole County Florida.
Maybe it should be changed to "White-Boy" County,
"Cracker" County
Irish County

[R. Scott]

Or the names of US Navy tugboats?
ATF-67 Apache
ATF-68 Arapaho
ATF-66 Cherokee
ATF-83 Chickasaw
ATF-70 Choctaw
…
ATF-91 Seneca
ATF-76 Ute

[carumba]

From the National Lampoon as I can best remember: Every year on Memorial Day weekend surgery teams perform radical mastectomies on 250 native American women. They call it the Indian nippleless 500. Oops, politically incorrect alert. Old joke alert.

[DainBramage]

LOL

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

It would be easier to just give them beads and trinkets with some firewater.

This is the sort of remark that has driven some conservative American Indians from FreeRepublic.

Think about it.

[America's Resolve]

(Kiowa, Apache, Chinook?)

I hate to think of the number of place names, especially here in Iowa that have an Indian origin.

I have to wonder just where the NCAA derives the powers to be this politically correct from. They have nothing better to do than to determine if this or that is racist?

One has to wonder where it's going to end. Most of these schools and their mascots existed before the NCAA IIRC.