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."
Tell that to the University of Marquette. They had to change their name about five years back from the Marquette Warriors to the Marquette Eagles.
Although "Eagles" is one of America's symbols of freedom, and I understand that, however, the point of my post is to see the political correctness gone too far.
David Yeagley is great!!
I'm glad that that's not the case anymore, however we have gone too far in the other direction, and we keep moving that way.
I like it!!!
Only in America..........if it was a white team calling themselves Mighty Whities, the NAACP would be having the proverbial hissy fit. Thanks to Native Americans, we have our own team! I am humbled and honored.
I'm glad that that's not the case anymore, however we have gone too far in the other direction, and we keep moving that way.
Weeellll, being an LSU alumnus, I can't rouse a whole lot of sympathy for them. Also, having moved up to the GRATE (not a spelling error) NORTHWEST, I don't follow Louisiana sports much at all. How is LSU baseball faring this year--they used to be pretty good.
But............We all know what would happen then. Every race including Indians would be screaming to high heaven that we aren't sensitive to diversity.
Bring em on. How about the Alfred Packard team. If we can't beat you will eat you.
Me too. I want to give them away for Christmas!
As an American of Norwegian/Swedish descent, I am OUTRAGED that the Minnesota Vikings have opted to sully my heritage with such degrading actions as losing four Super Bowls and employing Randy Moss.
I was just going to let it go, but now that I've seen what can be accomplished with a little initiative, I'm going to contact a lawyer tomorrow...
Clearly, the Vikings are deliberately besmirching my Scandinavian heritage.
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