Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Weekend Contributor
Here is one ad that never aired during this year’s Super Bowl:
The Proud to Be video was made by Change the Mascot, a national campaign that was launched by the Oneida Nation. The video was released by the National Congress of American Indians a couple of days before this year’s Super Bowl. Change the Mascot’s aim is to end the use of the term “redskins” as the mascot for Washington, D. C.’s NFL team. The campaign “calls upon the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to do the right thing and bring an end the use of the racial epithet.”
Not being a wealthy organization, the National Congress of American Indians couldn’t afford to “buy a television slot during the Super Bowl to run its ad.”
Writing for ThinkProgress on January 31, 2014, Alyssa Rosenberg said the following:
It’s a gorgeous ad, and it’s a strikingly effective illustration of why the word “Redskin” is so troublesome. It’s not just that the term has evolved from its origins as a basic explanation of physical difference, to a slur that was used to reduce Native Americans to the value of their skins, for which literal bounties were offered. In a less violent but no less significant sense, “Redskin” collapses the remarkable particularity of Native American experiences into a single identity and set of attributes.
The NCAI ad is a forceful and often beautiful reminder that Native Americans aren’t a monolithic community. That’s a term that subsumes hundreds of specific identities, a huge range of cultural and artistic practices–and yes, as the ad doesn’t neglect to leave out–specific sets of social and political issues.
“Native American” may be a blanket identity category, but it’s one that invites curiosity, asking hearers to consider what came before the political and territorial consolidation of the United States, and the fact that American identity is rich and multifaceted, rather than a single way of being. “Redskins” is both a slur, and a term that invites the listener to skip over the work of thinking about what it means. “Redskin” reduces Native Americans to simply the color of their skin, and to the attributes we associate with football (a practice that’s also a product of a very specific marketing history, as my colleague Travis Waldron reported in his epic look at the fight against the Washington football team’s name): physical strength, maybe speed, and not much else. Not only is that kind of thinking profoundly lazy and racially reductive, it’s a tragedy both for the people who are subjected to it, and the people who deny themselves the experience of more of the world by practicing it.
The NCAI ad is a reminder of precisely what they’re missing out on, making all of these points without having to spell them out the way I do here. That’s great advertising, in service of a critically important message.
Last May, Daniel Snyder, owner of Washington, D. C.’s NFL team was quoted as saying, “We will never change the name of the team.” He then repeated himself when a reporter followed-up on his comment, “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”
Then last June, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the Washington Redskins‘ nickname was a “unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.”
Clem Ironwing (Sioux) doesn’t think the word “redskin” is a term of respect. In 1996, he spoke at a public hearing in Wichita, Kansas, on the subject of Wichita North High School’s sports mascot. He talked to those present at the hearing about having been removed from his family by the government when he was a young child and forced to live in a Catholic boarding school. Matthew Richter posted the comments that Ironwing made at the hearing. Here is an excerpt of what Clem Ironwing said:
“When my hair was cut short by the priests, I was called a “redskin” and a savage. When I spoke my native tongue, I was beaten and called “redskin”. When I tried to follow the spiritual path of my people, I was again beaten and called a “redskin”. I was told by them to turn my back on the ways of my people, or I would forever be nothing but a dirty “redskin”.
“The only way “redskin” was ever used towards my people and myself was in a derogatory manner. It was never, ever, used in a show of respect or kindness. It was only used to let you know that you were dirty and no good, and to this day still is.
Is it time to change the mascot? What do you think?
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Wichita North Redskins “Remarks by Clem Ironwing, Sioux, during a public Mascot/Identity Committee hearing.” (The People’s Path)
House Dem: ‘Redskins’ as offensive to Indians as ‘N’ word is to blacks (The Hill)
An open letter to Dan Snyder (Grantland)
The Harmful Psychological Effects of the Washington Football Mascot (Change the Mascot)
American Indian Boarding Schools Haunt Many (NPR)
Why ‘NEVER’ Abandoning ‘Redskins’ As His Team’s Name Might Soon Cost Dan Snyder A Lot Of Money (ThinkProgress)
Redskins, NFL Take Heat From Congress Over Team Name (Only a Game)
Members of Congress urge Redskins to change name (Big Story)
Read Roger Goodell’s Letter To Congress Defending The Redskins Name (DeadSpin)
NFL is ‘listening’ to those who oppose Redskins’ name, Roger Goodell says (Washington Post)
A slur or term of ‘honor’? Controversy heightens about Washington Redskins (CNN)
Bob Lutz: North High, it’s time to change the nickname (The Wichita Eagle)
The Other Redskins (Capital News Service)
Hundreds rally in Minn. against Redskins’ name (Yahoo/AP)
The Super Bowl Ad You Never Saw (Huffington Post)
ICTMN Exclusive: NCAI Releases R-word Video Ahead of Super Bowl (Indian Country Today Media Network)
Monk, Green: Mull name change (ESPN)
ENDING THE LEGACY OF RACISM IN SPORTS & THE ERA OF HARMFUL “INDIAN” SPORTS MASCOTS (National Congress of American Indians)
National Congress Of American Indians Releases Anti-Redskins Ad (Deadspin)
Here’s an ad about R–skins that its makers don’t have the money to show during Sunday’s Superbowl (Daily Kos)
The Best Ad You’ll See This Super Bowl Weekend (ThinkProgress)
The Epic Battle To Save The Most Offensive Team Name In Professional Sports (ThinkProgress)
Native American Group: Fight Against ‘Redskins’ About More Than Just The Name
By Travis Waldron
October 11, 2013
http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2013/10/11/2772101/major-native-american-group-fight/
Excerpt:
One of the main criticisms of the opposition to the name of Washington’s professional football team, at least one propagated by name defenders like ESPN’s Rick Reilly, is that the efforts to change the name are driven largely by white apologists who aren’t in touch with the Native American community. That isn’t and hasn’t been true, but as controversy over the name has escalated to new heights this year and as the media has taken a new interest in amplifying complaints against the name, Native American groups are renewing their fight and shaping the argument in new ways.
The Oneida Nation is one of those groups. It has aired advertisements in New York targeting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s support for the name, protested outside a Green Bay Packers game against Washington, held a conference in D.C. opposite the NFL owners meeting, and will air radio ads in Dallas during Washington’s game there this weekend. The National Congress of American Indians, which has long opposed the name, is now joining the fight in a new way, releasing a white paper this week that details its long opposition to the use of Native American imagery in sports and the discriminatory history from which those names arose.
The white paper also attempts to shatter another one of the central arguments in favor of names like “Redskins” and logos like the Cleveland Indians’ Cheif Wahoo: that changing them is nothing more than a political correctness issue and that Native Americans face far larger problems than a football team’s name or a baseball team’s logo. Citing research from sociologists and psychologists, NCAI’s white paper explains that these names and the stereotypes they perpetuate has harmful psychological and societal effects on Native Americans, a population that battles higher-than-average rates of suicide, alcoholism, depression, and addiction. From the paper:
Empirical evidence in a 2004 study by Dr. Stephanie Fryberg, a preeminent cultural and social psychology scholar and an enrolled member of the Tulalip Tribes in Washington state, showed that the use of American Indian-based names, mascots, and logos in sports have a negative psychological effect on Native peoples and positive psychological consequences for European Americans. Additionally, Fryberg has concluded that these mascots have negative effects on race relations in the United States.
When exposed to these images, the self-esteem of Native youth is harmfully impacted, their self-confidence erodes, and their sense of identity is severely damaged. Specifically, these stereotypes affect how Native youth view their world and their place in society, while also affecting how society views Native peoples. This creates an inaccurate portrayal of Native peoples and their contributions to society. Creating positive images and role models is essential in helping Native youth more fully and fairly establish themselves in today’s society.
Anti-Defamation & Mascots
National Congress of American Indians
http://www.ncai.org/policy-issues/community-and-culture/anti-defamation-mascots
From time immemorial, the greatness of tribal nations and Native people has been the foundation of America’s story. From tribes’ role as America’s first governments, to modern day actors, athletes, and political leaders, Native people contribute to American greatness every single day. Negative Indian stereotypes – especially those perpetuated by sports mascots – affect the reputation and self-image of every single Native person and foster ongoing discrimination against tribal citizens.
In general, NCAI strongly opposes the use of derogatory Native sports mascots. However, in the case where mascots refer to a particular Native nation or nations, NCAI respects the right of individual tribal nations to work with universities and athletic programs to decide how to protect and celebrate their respective tribal heritage.
Indian mascots and stereotypes present a misleading image of Indian people and feed the historic myths that have been used to whitewash a history of oppression. Despite decades of work to eliminate the use of discrimination and derogatory images in American sports, the practice has not gone away.
NCAI is pleased that tribal advocates have succeeded in eliminating over two-thirds of derogatory Indian sports mascots and logos over the past 50 years. Today, there are fewer than 1,000 of these mascots left. In 2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the governing body of college athletics, formally condemned the use of disparaging mascots and banned the use of Indian names, logos, and mascots during its championship tournaments.
However, there is plenty of work yet to do—especially in the realm of professional sports. NCAI recognizes that this can be a difficult and sensitive issue, and we acknowledge the significance of athletics for the public, as well as the attachment (both emotionally and financially) of professional teams and university athletic programs to their names and logos. At the end of the day, there is no excuse for cultural stereotypes that degrade, slander, mock or belittle Native people. This misrepresentation would not be acceptable for any other minority community in America and NCAI will continue to oppose the use of offensive Native mascots and imagery that promote harmful stereotypes.
nick,
You’ve done a lot of complaining on this thread about the issue of changing the name of an NFL football team. You’ve called those who disagree with you irrational and elitist. You seem extremely upset by this Change the Mascot campaign. Remember, this initiative was launched by American Indians–the Oneida Nation and the National Congress of American Indians. Some of us–including me–agree with their stance on the issue. If you are so bothered by this campaign, I suggest you contact the Oneida Nation and the NCAI and explain to them the error of their ways.
Change the Mascot
http://www.changethemascot.org/contact-us/
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
Embassy of Tribal Nations
1516 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 466-7767, Fax: (202) 466-7797
I must say it is ironic that the noble Indian mascots like Chief Illini, Marquette Warriors, etc. have been destroyed by the PC police and Chief Wahoo and Redskins live on. I have said in prior discussions I found Chief Wahoo by far the most offensive representation. The Indians redrew him to a less offensive character.
The core of PC is the right to not be offended that somehow elitist think is more important than the First Amendment. There is a right to free speech. There is NO right to not be offended.
Bron,
Do you think “redskins” is an offensive word? Do you think it disparages a group of people? What do you think about Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians? Do you think it is a dignified representation on American Indians?
Who here has used a racial slur? I talked about MY SON and myself being called racial slurs. Does that constitute using racial slurs? Does my parody of PC and the “R-Word”, using MY ETHNICITIES as examples constitute a racial slur? Know any Indians, Elaine?? Tell it to your strawman.
Elaine:
“. . . and the frito bandito offended the Hispanic community and should have offended all of us.”
That one. The Frito Bandito is offensive to Hispanics but Hispanic gang bangers arent? The Frito Bandito is an easy target, MS13 not so much.
La Raza: “hey Frito Lay, we dont like you spreading bad examples so can that Bandito character.”
Frito Lay: “See Senor we will do it pronto.”
La Raza: “Hey MS13 quit being violent and disrupting our communities and spreading negative stereotypes about Hispanics.”
MS13: ” Bang, bang go fuk yourself.”
I guess it’s a matter of opinion as to what constitutes a substantive comment on this thread. Some feel that it’s okay to use racial and ethnic slurs; some of us do not.
Bron,
Which article?
A hypocrite is someone who sanctimoniously declares “this is personal” and then goes about relating a story about knowing a person, who knows a person, who knew a courageous Indian. Then to further the hypocrisy calling people “racist” who have not said or done anything racist. No one here has called anyone a racist slur. The personal attacks, led by GBer’s and malcontents w/ no substantive comments, is a disservice to this blog. Again, I am friends w/ Indians, I have them to my house, I roomed w/ an Indian. I care ABOUT THE BIG PROBLEMS in their culture. You elitists are fiddling while the reservations burn. I have spoken several times about a former student who I keep in touch w/ and have helped who is Chippewa. So, can the personal attacks. Read the civility rule. We can disagree w/o being nasty.
Elaine:
That is a BS article. The Frito Bandito was a rascist symbol? Come on. Then I am offended by Martin Sheen playing a white man on tv. Talk about negative role model.
I am further offended by pigs being used as a symbol for capitalists, seems to me the pigs are the ones who feed at someone elses trough and lay around all day sleeping in a mud wallow.
AMERICAN INDIANS ARE PEOPLE, NOT MASCOTS
Charlene Teters, Spokane
http://www.aimovement.org/ncrsm/
Excerpt:
On the verge of the millenium, Indian people are still involved in what Michael Haney has described as the longest undeclared war against the American Indian, here in our own homeland. This war, no longer on battlefields is now being fought in the courtrooms, corporation boardrooms, and classrooms over the appropriation of Native American names, spiritual and cultural symbols by professional sports, Hollywood, schools, and universities. The issue for us is the right to self identification and self determination this is the fight of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media.
The American Indian community for 50 years has worked to banish images and names like Cleveland’s chief wahoo, Washington redskins, Kansas City chiefs, Atlanta braves. We work to remind people of consciousness of the use of the symbols resemblance to other historic, racist images of the past. Chief wahoo offends Indian people the same way that little black sambo offended African Americans and the frito bandito offended the Hispanic community and should have offended all of us. It assaults the principle of justice.
Last year during the media hype that surrounded the baseball playoff games between New York and Cleveland, the New York Post caught up in the hype covered its front page with the headline, “Take the Tribe and Scalp ‘Em.” Little concern was shown for the Indian children, or community living in New York City, or around the country. The American public has been conditioned by sports industry, educational institutions, and the media to trivialize Indigenous culture as common and harmless entertainment. On high school and college campuses Native American students do not feel welcome if the school uses as its mascot (not a clown, a mythical creature, or an animal) a Chief, the highest political position you can attain in our society. Using our names, likeness and religious symbols to excite the crowd does not feel like honor or respect, it is hurtful and confusing to our young people. To reduce the victims of genocide to a mascot is unthinking, at least, and immoral at worst. An educational institution’s mission is to educate, not mis-educate, and to alleviate the ignorance behind racist stereotypes, not perpetuate them and to provide a nondiscriminatory environment for all its students, conducive to learning.
Timeline: A Century of Racist Sports Team Names
Before the Washington [Redacted], there were the Duluth Eskimos and the Zulu Cannibal Giants.
—By Matt Connolly and Ian Gordon
| Fri Nov. 1, 2013
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/10/timeline-history-offensive-sports-mascots-redskins-snyder
Bruce,
I wrote a post for Flowers for Socrates recently about what Chevron is doing to avoid paying billions of dollars in damages for contamination of rain forest lands in Ecuador caused by Texaco.
Chevron Going after a Political Cartoonist for Satirical Video He Made with Amazon Watch.
http://flowersforsocrates.com/2014/02/06/chevron-going-after-a-political-cartoonist-for-satirical-video-he-made/
Here is the video that Mark Fiore made about Chevron:
Annieofwi proffered:
“I find it the hight of hypocrisy to pretend to be concerned about the plight of people whom one is so comfortable using ethnic slurs against. “
~+~
Excellently true Annie.
Preachin’ to the choir, Bron. Preachin’ to the choir.
nick:
you wouldnt believe the money around here, for the longest time I thought everyone was selling drugs until I realized the government is just taking your money and spending it like there is no tomorrow. And people abound willing to gather all they can.
Just a bunch of pigs at the trough. Many of the households around here have 2 people in government service with household incomes over $200k plus fat retirements. And many if not most of those people dont create or produce anything, their sole reason for existing is to take from Peter and give to Paul. They contribute little to society as far as I can tell. Mostly they hamstring the rest of us in the guise of protecting the public.
If every American spent 6 months with a lobbyist in DC, it would open their eyes to the abuse we suffer at the hands of government and industry. I believe most of the graft and corruption started with government granting favors, now industry is like swarming maggots on a rotting carcass.
You know things are screwed up when the area around DC is one of the richest areas in the US. How is that possible? There isnt any major industrial or financial center here. It is all that money from the people who work hard for it day in and day out. It is just being pissed away.
Bron, Snyder is like Jerry Jones. Rich A-holes who think they know football and their team is like a fantasy team. Did you know DC is now the richest city in the US? How screwed up is that. All our money making pols and lobbyist fat cats. How about the DC Rich White A-Holes. That would be perfect,
nick:
the reason they want the name changed is because the Skins suck, I wouldnt want to be associated with them either. Maybe a better name, if they want to keep with a native American theme, would be the Washington Papooses; they cant move, are carried by the NFL are all wet and smell bad [diapers not Native Americans]. Not to be confused with the rapper of the same name.
Or maybe just change the mascot to a peanut and have Planters Field?
Any way you slice it Dan Snyder is ineffective as a team owner.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1994-12-05/news/1994339058_1_chinks-pekin-high-tribune The students voted for the change. I remember them from high school tournaments.