Native American Mascot Research Paper
Austin Chambers
Unity and Diversity
Term Paper
Native American Mascot use Native Americans have been on this land for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Their way of life is very different from the socially accepted way of the Europeans. The traditional symbols of their people and the ceremonial dress that they wore are considered sacred. Many different college universities, professional sports teams and public businesses use these sacred symbols, images and traditional dress as a logo or mascot for their team or business.
As our country grows larger and more diverse, there is much popular debate from both Native Indians and Non-Indians about the use of these logos and symbols, and its moral appropriateness in today's society. There are some that feel those who use of these symbols "are complacent with and …show more content…
Along with these inauthentic costumes, hand gestures like the "tomahawk chop" and items like foam tomahawks and had drums are being carried by the fans that attend these games. This is disrespectful to them as well. Some view any and all "inauthentic representations of American Indian cultures as forms of cultural violence" (Pewewardy, 2004, P 183). We all know that racism still exists in today's society, despite our best efforts to believe otherwise. This is evident in the stereotyping of Native Americans. Florida State University is home of the Seminoles. Their mascot, and school for that matter, help perpetuate these stereotypes by using drum beating, war-whooping and symbolic scalping as part of the celebration rituals displayed by the mascot at halftime and on the sidelines. The band also partakes in this during the game. The "Indians" being portrayed here exist on in the imagination and in Hollywood. Nothing about it is historically
Unity and Diversity
Term Paper
Native American Mascot use Native Americans have been on this land for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Their way of life is very different from the socially accepted way of the Europeans. The traditional symbols of their people and the ceremonial dress that they wore are considered sacred. Many different college universities, professional sports teams and public businesses use these sacred symbols, images and traditional dress as a logo or mascot for their team or business.
As our country grows larger and more diverse, there is much popular debate from both Native Indians and Non-Indians about the use of these logos and symbols, and its moral appropriateness in today's society. There are some that feel those who use of these symbols "are complacent with and …show more content…
Along with these inauthentic costumes, hand gestures like the "tomahawk chop" and items like foam tomahawks and had drums are being carried by the fans that attend these games. This is disrespectful to them as well. Some view any and all "inauthentic representations of American Indian cultures as forms of cultural violence" (Pewewardy, 2004, P 183). We all know that racism still exists in today's society, despite our best efforts to believe otherwise. This is evident in the stereotyping of Native Americans. Florida State University is home of the Seminoles. Their mascot, and school for that matter, help perpetuate these stereotypes by using drum beating, war-whooping and symbolic scalping as part of the celebration rituals displayed by the mascot at halftime and on the sidelines. The band also partakes in this during the game. The "Indians" being portrayed here exist on in the imagination and in Hollywood. Nothing about it is historically