That’s funny, I’m part Cherokee and it doesn’t bother me. Like the Seminole tribe that indorsed FSU usage of the tribes name for it’s football team. They are proud of it.
I would be too.
Intentions should count for something. Members of ethnic groups are not the owners of their ethnicity. It is simply a fact of their existence.
My high school student body referred to themselves as the "Cherokees". Their (our) intention was to demonstrate pride in ourselves and establish an identity separate from our rivals. We would certainly ridicule them, but intended no ridicule regarding ourselves.
I'm Irish, but I see no problem with Notre Dame being "the fighting Irish". (And if anybody claims I should be offended, we can meet out back later to straighten this out.)
For entertainment value, I was tempted to write to Notre Dame claiming to be offended that predominately Catholic Irish are being portrayed as accomodating to a pro-abortion Obama. Maybe if I get some free time later I can work up some outrage. (If offended alumni really are withholding 11 million dollars in donations, that ought to suffice.)