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Team picks white man mascot to make point
Greeley Tribune ^ | 10 Mar 02 | Julio Ochoa

Posted on 03/10/2002 7:27:34 AM PST by real saxophonist

Team picks white man mascot to make point

 Story By Julio Ochoa

An intramural basketball team at the University of Northern Colorado called "The Fighting Whities" is turning the tables on the Eaton mascot issue.

Led by Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at UNC, the team chose a white man as its mascot to raise awareness and understanding of stereotypes that some cultures endure.

"The message is, let's do something that will let people see the other side of what it's like to be a mascot," Little Owl said. "I am really offended by this mascot issue, and I hope the people that support the Eaton mascot will get offended by this."

The players, made up of a mixture of American Indian, Hispanic and caucasian students, wear white jerseys with the picture of a white man in a suit on the front and the slogan "Every thang's gonna be all white!" printed beneath.

"It's not meant to be vicious, it is meant to be humorous," said Ray White, a Mohawk American Indian on the team. "It puts people in our shoes, and then we can say, 'Now you know how it is, and now you can make a judgement.' "

Judging right or wrong is hard when you don't understand how it feels to be stereotyped, White said.

"We are looking for understanding," he said. "We want change, but you can't force change."

American Indians could go through the general assembly or town meetings to try to change mascots, but the same message might not get through, White said.

"We all live in the same community and want the same things, so it is good to be standing in each other's shoes for a while," he said.

Charles Cuny, an Ogalala Lakota and member of the team, said he went to an American Indian Catholic high school with a mascot called the Red Cloud Crusaders, after a famous chief of the Lakota Indians.

The problem with Eaton's mascot is a matter of respect, he said.

"There are certain words that are accepted and certain words that are unacceptable," Cuny said. "Really a mascot is something that you look up to, and on one hand that is nice, but maybe we could go about it another way."

Having a white mascot is a way to make people more aware of American Indian issues, he said.

"We live in a politically correct society, and sometimes indians get overlooked," he said. "There are so few indians who have clout that there are a lot of things that go unsettled."


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: mascot
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To: socal_parrot
Listen...be happy....NYU..we were the "Violets"..true..actually, I think that's the real resason we gave up Division I men's basketball
181 posted on 03/10/2002 9:39:20 AM PST by ken5050
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To: real saxophonist
Fighting Whities doesn't make thier point. It makes thier point moot. This doesn't offend, it's funny. ha ha
182 posted on 03/10/2002 9:40:51 AM PST by demlosers
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To: RANGERAIRBORNE
I did not hear ONE WORD of advice regarding self-reliance, education (other than as a scheme to funnel money to Indians), or anything else that might really be valuable. (Not from the speakers, anyway- I did hear these things from a very few attendees).

It's sad what socialism has done to the Indians. For centuries they were very self-reliant, capable of living off the land and enduring harsh conditions but it seems now the majority are reliant on government handouts.

183 posted on 03/10/2002 9:41:06 AM PST by FITZ
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To: luvbach1
Isn't honkies the equivalent of N-----s? So that shouldn't fly

You're right, but the "Hornies" didn't quite sound right, either.

184 posted on 03/10/2002 9:41:24 AM PST by LJLucido
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To: kaylar
Are there any teams out there using a confederate soldier as a mascot?

I think the Staunton, VA high school mascot is the Leemen.

185 posted on 03/10/2002 9:42:42 AM PST by JamesWilson
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To: socal_parrot
Or the Hope College Dutchmen
186 posted on 03/10/2002 9:42:53 AM PST by Wrigley
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Comment #187 Removed by Moderator

To: Libloather
Excellent
188 posted on 03/10/2002 9:45:18 AM PST by Wrigley
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To: rvoitier
My father played minor league baseball for the Atlanta Crackers in the 40's

I'd love to see that mascot!

189 posted on 03/10/2002 9:46:40 AM PST by JamesWilson
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To: Jaidyn
Will all the games end in a tie so no feelings are hurt? Or will The Whiteys have to lose until the other teams get their act together?

LOL

I'm sure that the whities will inevitably become the reason all the other teams failed. Eventually (as one other poster put it) rooting for the whities will have to be banned as a hate crime.

190 posted on 03/10/2002 9:47:03 AM PST by liberalism=failure
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To: real saxophonist
The message is, let's do something that will let people see the other side of what it's like to be a mascot,"

Obviously their message was stupid and didn't work ----but these guys should continue because it sounds like they could make a killing on the T-shirts etc. It would be politically correct for whites to wear these shirts since the liberals will think it's helping to get the message out.

191 posted on 03/10/2002 9:47:38 AM PST by FITZ
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To: Scorpio
The only reason some people even remember the Aztecs or Mohawks, etc., is because they are memorialized today in team names and mascots.

Of course, if the Aztlan crowd hates the San Diego State Aztecs, San Diego State can always claim the mascot of the old ABA team, the San Diego Conquistadors.

The Conquistadors sailed from Cuba to conquer Mexico and the Aztecs and, as a Cuban American, I promise not to be offended by the Conquistador logo.

Umm.....do you think that having blood dripping from the Conquistador's pike might be a little bit over the top?


192 posted on 03/10/2002 9:48:06 AM PST by Polybius
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To: real saxophonist
Sensitive little sissies. "Fighting Whities". Yep. We kicked their Indian and Spanish butts, now didn't we? I never could understand how any team would want to be associated with those loser Indians. We've been kicking their butts for over two hundred years. /sarcasm
193 posted on 03/10/2002 9:48:09 AM PST by PatrioticAmerican
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To: TN4Liberty
The old Boston/New England Patriot on the side of the helmet was white, but I think he was gay. That crouching wink always bothered me.

LOL! Never thought about it until now, but I think you're right. Also, wasn't he about to catch or pitch?

194 posted on 03/10/2002 9:51:43 AM PST by JamesWilson
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To: real saxophonist, PhiKapMom
Hell, I LIKE IT! Now there are two whitey mascots; this guy and the U of N Cornhusker. It proves the point that some of these people just need to get a sense of humor. Does this mean that MY school can have our original mascot back now? His name was "Little Red" and he was the coolest mascot on earth. He was banned by a Federal Judge back in the early '70s.
195 posted on 03/10/2002 9:55:11 AM PST by OKSooner
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To: real saxophonist
LOL! I want my team mascot to be "The dumpy middle-age White guys"!

This is a beautiful thing! Celebrate diversity!

"We're going to open up a barrel-o-gelatinous whupass on you!"

196 posted on 03/10/2002 9:55:27 AM PST by Caipirabob
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To: luvbach1
Yea but since when do we listen to them? Only the perverts in congress listen to crazy people.
197 posted on 03/10/2002 9:59:30 AM PST by Khepera
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To: real saxophonist

"The Fighting Whities".....I like it!
Tell me again why we're supposed to be offended?


198 posted on 03/10/2002 10:01:42 AM PST by vannrox
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To: JamesWilson; rvoitier
My father played minor league baseball for the Atlanta Crackers in the 40's

I'd love to see that mascot!

They also had the Altlanta Black Crackers in the Negro League


199 posted on 03/10/2002 10:03:44 AM PST by Polybius
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To: Bonaparte
"Whiteskins", I was thinking? But I do like your "White Devils" better! BTW -To another post: Razorbacks are hogs.
200 posted on 03/10/2002 10:04:12 AM PST by JackFromTexas
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