Posted on 03/16/2002 4:07:20 AM PST by JohnHuang2
DENVER (AP) - The idea started among some University of Northern Colorado students as a satirical commentary on a local high school's American Indian mascot.
The students named their intramural basketball team, made up of American Indians, Hispanics and whites, ``The Fighting Whities.'' They printed up jerseys saying ``Every thang's going to be all white,'' with a caricature of a middle-aged white man.
``The Fighting Whities,'' however, have taken on a life of their own.
More than 1,600 e-mails have flooded into the university in Greeley, north of Denver. Some say it's about time that a white person is made a mascot for a sport team. Others complain the idea as perpetuating yet another racial stereotype.
``It's obvious some of the people are taking it the way it's not supposed to be taken,'' said team member Jeff VanIwarden.
Team members have gotten phone calls from around the country and invitations to appear on television. They were mentioned by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show on Tuesday. The American Indian Movement has weighed in supporting the name.
The team chose the name after it couldn't persuade nearby Eaton High School to abandon its nickname, the Fightin' Reds, and the American Indian caricature on the team logo. The students say the logo is offensive.
The school superintendent denies the logo is derogatory and called the group's criticism insulting.
Some e-mails said the mascot image should be even more derogatory than a middle-aged white man with a tie.
``Some people online were saying that the mascot should be ... a fat guy with buckteeth kissing his sister,'' said Tom Crebbs of Oakland, Calif., who heard about the idea and started his own Web site selling spin-off shirts, hats and mugs.
Others, like Michael Gonsalves of New York, disagreed: ``If you are fighting against a perceived injustice, is the proper recourse to go out and do the very same thing?''
With all the publicity, the team plans on printing new T-shirts. VanIwarden said they will have a message condemning racial stereotypes to dissuade people from making light of the shirt.
On the Net:
The University of Northern Colorado: http://www.unco.edu
The American Indian Movement: http://www.aimovement.org
The possibilities are limitless:
"The scape goats" (I know this one is already claimed by Funky Winkerbeam's team, but it fits)
"The whipping boys"
"The Bigots"
"The homophobes"
"The Sexists"
"The cross burners"
" The slavers"
"The good OL' boys" ("Good ol' girls")
" The Crackers"
" THe Honkies"
" The Red Necks"
" THe steadily employed"
" THe self sufficient"
" THe tax payers"
" The builders"
" The providers"
" The pacifists"
" The studiers"
" The doers"
" The apologists"
" The used"
" The pi$$ed on"
"The pi$$ed off"
" The lambs"
" The slaughtered"
" The providers"
"The walked on"
"The unrespected"
"The fed up"
"the mad as hell"
" THe ain't gonna take it no mores"
They are no more peace loving than any other group of homo sapiens. They WERE nearly wiped out by Europeans. That is fact. There is no need to counter the left's attempt at changing history by changing history to make it more comfortable to the right. The descendants of the perpetrators of the crimes are NOT responsible for the sins of their fathers, but changing history is ALWAYS wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right.
There is evidence that whole tribes of native Americans in the Southwest were raided and slaughtered by tribes coming UP out of central America, too. History is HUGE and complicted, weaving a tapestry of fabulous intricacy. The more history we learn, the more clear the various patterns of the tapestry become.
Wow...I need more coffee.
Agreed. I went to the site you linked, clicked on 'Suggestions for a new product', and suggested 'Fighting Whities'.
Looks like the pendulum is about to swing back. Hang on to it for now, they'll probably change their minds and want it before long.
)  Steven R. Nickerson © News  Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at the University of Northern Colorado, chose the mascot "The Fighting Whities" for his intramural basketball team. A group combating stereotypes provided them with T-shirts with the name "The Fighting Whites," but the nickname evolved into Whities. |
| | |
'Whities' mascot about education, not retaliation
Intramural basketball team takes shot at Indian caricature used by Eaton High School
By Joe Garner, News Staff WriterGREELEY -- A leader of the protest against Eaton High School's Indian mascot said Monday that he isn't retaliating against the school, although his wife resigned her teaching job there out of anger.
Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at the University of Northern Colorado, is a member of an intramural basketball team that has adopted the name "The Fighting Whities." Team members say they want to raise awareness of the issue of painful cultural stereotypes.
The team, made up of American Indian, Anglo and Hispanic players, is protesting nearby Eaton's use of the team name "Fightin' Reds" and an Indian caricature as a mascot -- both identified with the school for generations.
Little Owl's wife, Kacy Little Owl, taught special education at the high school seven miles north of Greeley for two years before leaving at the end of last school year, said Principal Doug Chamberlain.
Chamberlain said he couldn't discuss her resignation because it was a personnel issue, but added that there was no cloud over her leaving.
Little Owl said his wife, who is Anglo, felt that the small rural school was more interested in athletics than academics and did not support her professionally. He said she is employed elsewhere as a teacher.
He said the couple, as parents of a half-Anglo, half-American Indian son, felt uncomfortable mingling with townspeople at school events, especially at ballgames where the large-nosed Indian caricature was the prominent team symbol.
"It was offensive in it's own way," said Little Owl, 29.
He said the small town of Eaton was a convenient first target to raise the issue of how sports mascots used by teams ranging from Colorado high schools to professionals offend Indians.
"They are close, and there needs to be a starting place," he said.
The intramural team originally took the name "Native Pride," but a group combating stereotypes provided them white T-shirts with a cartoon mascot of a white male with slicked-back hair wearing a tie and dark coat. The T-shirts are imprinted with "Every thang's going to be all white!" on the front and "The Fighting Whites" on the back. But the nickname has evolved to the more-barbed "The Fighting Whities."
"When I put the team together, I didn't plan to make a political statement," said student Charles Cuny, a 27-year-old Indian on the team, which will play again March 27 in the intramural tournament. "I just wanted to play basketball on Tuesdays."
Cuny said he, and most other young Indians, are more interested in larger issues, such as health care, tribal treaties with the federal government and mineral rights to their land, but offensive mascots are a starting point to deal with the weightier issues.
Cuny said the Indians on the team don't expect their T-shirts to cause Eaton to change its mascot.
"Going to the school board is like going to Congress and asking for our land back," Cuny said. "It's not going to happen."
Mario Rosas, the 18-year-old Eaton student president, said the "whole community looks at the 'Fightin' Reds' as its mascot. It's part of us. We're so proud of it."
A Hispanic in a 416 enrollment high school that is about 80 percent Anglo, Rosas said other Hispanics hadn't raised questions about the Indian mascot, although, as a minority in Eaton, they are sensitive to discrimination.
Little Owl said, "The Fighting Whities" issue is "to make people understand what it's like to be on the other side of the fence. If people get offended by it, then they know how I feel, and we've made our point."
Contact Joe Garner at (303) 892-5421 or garnerj@RockyMountainNews.com.
March 12, 2002
Guess I ain't never gonna be Politically Correct.
My, how tolerant, sensitive and open-minded some people are! As if whites have ever approved of a mascot that was deliberately insulting and that depicted a race of people as incestuous!
Posted by Gregg J. Bourland, Tribal Chairman on 1/23/2002 11:24: IP: 209.180.75.54
As the leader of one of the largest and most progressive Tribes in the United States, I am writing this letter to appeal to Eaton High School to change the name of their team mascots.
Contrary to what Supt. Nuspl may think, the name and caricture are offensive and repulsive to Native Americans. I realize that he is simply protecting what he sees as a tradition. But, we are speaking from real life.
I do not think that Eaton High School would even consider changing the mascot name to the Eaton Niggers, the Eaton Wops, the Eaton Chinks, etc. And please forgive me for using these words. I only do so to try to get a point accross.
But, Redskin and Reds are equivilant to these words. If the school cannot see that then I feel sorry for your community as a whole. This would tell me that you are not very progressive nor are you very minded.
But, I believe that the people of Eaton are simply not informed and are very progressive and open minded and will do the right thing, by changing this most offensive name.
Thank you,
Gregg Bourland
Tribal Chairman
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
www.sioux.org
Posted by Joe Wise on 3/14/2002 14:41: IP: dip-56.maxg1-2.dips.clarion.csonline.net
In Reply to: Eaton High School Fighting "Reds" posted by Gregg J. Bourland, Tribal Chairman on 1/23/2002 11:24:
New York Niggers, New Jersey Jews, Washington Whities ; exactly my thoughts and words for twenty years, if you get it - it will be all of a sudden like a revelation , then you'll feel like the bigot you were.
On Tuesday, the student basketball team set up an e-mail account to start taking orders - even though players have not yet figured out exactly how to mass-produce their shirts.
Would-be buyers may send T-shirt requests to fightingwhites@hotmail.com. The team will send back acknowledgments and more information. The system is meant to gauge demand while the team irons out copyright issues and checks university guidelines, said Jeff Van Iwarden, 21, one of the team's few Anglo players.
The Fightin' Whities expect to charge about $20 for their shirts and will donate all profits to a Native American cause that has yet to be determined, Van Iwarden said.
In the course of just two days, as news of the team has exploded nationwide, the players have gained countless fans across the country.
Many are clamoring for T-shirts bearing the team mascot - a 1950s-style caricature of a middle-aged white guy - and the phrase "Every thang's gonna be all white!"
The intramural basketball team's official name is "Native Pride." But the team calls itself the "Fightin' Whites" - and is widely known by the more in-your-face "Fightin' Whities" - as a jab at nearby Eaton High School.
School officials in Eaton, a farm town north of Greeley, have refused to discuss the school's mascot - the Fightin' Reds - despite complaints from area Native Americans who see it as a degrading stereotype.
Eaton High School's mascot is a caricature of an Indian with a misshapen nose, wearing a loincloth and eagle feather.
The UNC team was frustrated that pleas for tolerance were misunderstood or discounted, they said. So the players decided to use some provocative humor to stir up the debate.
"Walk in someone else's shoes, and then you can make a judgment," said Ryan White, 22, a team player and member of the Mohawk Nation.
 |
 |
03.15.02 03.15.02 03.15.02 03.14.02 |
We honor their warriors, they honor our busniessmen, LOL.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
