Posted on 01/23/2010 3:56:16 PM PST by real saxophonist
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Legislation aims to rid American-Indian image from sports
Mascot under new wave of scrutiny
By Nate Miller
nmiller@greeleytribune.com
Depictions of American Indians in school mascots like the one for the Reds at Eaton High School could become a thing of the past if an Aurora lawmaker has her way.
Sen. Suzanne Williams, D-Aurora, introduced Senate Bill 107 at the start of this legislative session that would bar public and charter high schools in Colorado from using American Indian-themed mascots unless they received permission from the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs. The bill, which was assigned to the Health and Human Services Committee, would fine school districts $1,000 a month if they don't comply.
Eaton Re-2 School District Superintendent Randy Miller said with all the challenges education in the state faces — including a $1 million budget shortfall in Eaton — this bill misses the mark.
“I would hope they would make a little bit better use of their time than that,” he said. “It's not going to be a cheap thing on our behalf to change things.”
Williams, who is an American Indian, said the timing is right for the bill.
“Native Americans are trying to put a new face, a contemporary face on themselves, and when they are continually called Reds or Savages, that's not how they see themselves,” she said. “Many Native Americans look at the Reds or the Savages as very detrimental labels for themselves. They don't see themselves that way. And it's the question, would you want your children to be called Savages?”
University of Northern Colorado Native American Student Services Director Solomon Little Owl garnered nationwide media attention eight years ago when he and some students started an intramural basketball team called the Fightin' Whites to send a message to teams with mascots like the Reds. He said he hadn't read the bill so he didn't know the details, but he supported the concept. He said he's realistic. He recognizes that in the midst of the recession, an issue such as team mascots can seem small, but it isn't. When he sees a mascot like the one in Eaton, it has a real effect, he said.
“My stomach just turns,” he said. “As a society, if we understood other people's feelings, there's a lot that could be fixed.”
Miller said it simply doesn't make since to view American Indian-themed mascots as a negative.
“I've been in three schools that had an Indian mascot, and in each and every one of them, it's a pride thing,” he said. “We don't look at it as a negative at all, it's meant to be a positive.”
Williams said there is a right way for schools that want to retain their American Indian-themed mascots to do it. She cited the example of Arapahoe High School in Littleton.
“Look at the model of what Arapahoe did,” she said. “In a very thoughtful manner, they contacted the Indians of Arapahoe of Oklahoma.”
She said the school engaged in a conversation, used it as a learning experience, got the permission of the Arapahoe to use the mascot and changed its look to a more respectful portrayal of American Indian culture.
Miller said he doesn't have a problem with schools that have American Indian mascots learning about the culture, but he thinks it goes to far to fine schools that don't.
“If the Eaton community really wanted to change the mascot, obviously that's something we would look at,” he said. “But that should be a local control issue.”
Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, said the legislation represents a gross overreach of government.
“I think it's clearly a local control issue,” he said. “For the state to be stepping into that area I think is really outrageous.”
Renfroe, who was a member of the Eaton school board, said the mascot has always been popular in Eaton and the bill represents political correctness run amok. He said it's also hard to justify the fiscal impact the bill could have on a school district.
I posted a lot of ‘Fightin’ Whites’ articles back then. It’s funny to me that this silliness has come back up.
Good! Let’s name our sports teams after other cultures and leave the whatever they want to be called to stew in their self made juice. What’s wrong with the Zulus or the Watusis or the Huns or Cossacks? The list is endless.
What a crock of crybaby SOB’s.
We go thruough this every few years and then they go after the Washington Redskins
Well ,the way the Redskins played this year I guess I cannot blame them too much. what a bynch of losers.
Well, Lewisville Texas has got the Fightin’ Farmers, which creates a pretty weird image...
These people should be sued just for wasting everybody’s time with this obnoxious crap!!
mrs
Good god! Is nothing too petty for these libs. I’ll bet dollars to donuts that this liberal moved here from California.
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The Indian givers?
Sounds like the educational system in Greeley deserves more attention before focusing on stupid crap like political correctness.
Or how about “The Fighting Irish”, how dare they. If anything we should be “The Drinking Irish”!
White America’s tribute to the fighting spirit of Native Americans is considered de facto racist because, well, because whites are always assumed to have racist intentions.
Well, can’t name teams after historical figures, or races, nor animals (PETA).
The new statute will declare that all Teams must be named after viruses. Nobody likes them, so who’s to complain?
How ridiculous: we name our sports teams after things we ADMIRE! Braves, Warriors, Spartans, Redskins, etc.
These names evoke memories of power, honour, tenacity, strength, heroism,and tradition.
They are not insults, but honorifics.
I've always been pizzed about this sort of stuff. It's derogatory to us white guys!s
Phack' em! Make every mascot in the whole country white and let Jesse, Al and Louie's head explode when they decide that minority's aren't being represented properly.
This paleface say, much wampum needed to stop forked tongue.
I’m sure there is a PETV out there somewhere.
They need a bill to prohibit politician’s from having buildings, airports and roads named after them. It’s an offense to humanity.
Don’t forget Trojans (wink, wink).
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