I have previously expressed my concerns over the removal of long-held mascots and names in colleges from “the Cowboys” to “Shooter the Fox” to the Aztecs to the “Fighting Sioux” to “Chief Illini.” Now, the California State University at Long Beach has decided to dump its mascot, “Prospector Pete,” because some students complained that a gold miner from the 49ers is “offensive.”
Prospector Pete represents the many settlers who came to California in the Gold Rush. Because this period include violence against Native Americans, some students and groups have objected to the mascot.
The mascot was originally called the “The Forty-Niner Man,” in 1967. The choice of a 49er made sense for campus which was created in 1949 — one hundred years after the Gold Rush.
Nevertheless, President Jane Close Conoley declared “As our diversity grew and more voices were heard, we came to know that the 1849 California gold rush was a time in history when the indigenous peoples of California endured subjugation, violence, and threats of genocide.”
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times the school is now searching for a non-offensive mascot. Good luck with that.
Once again, I fail to see why this mascot is not a representation of a critical and transformative time for the school. The 49ers faced great challenges in crossing the continent to seek a better life and then scratching out a living in search of nuggets. It took no small degree of sacrifice and grit. The objection is to the period not every person who immigrated to California to prospect.
What do you think?
Ever been to Long Beach? They should be more offended they are in Long Beach.
The indigenous people of America suffered “subjugation, violence, and threats of genocide” at each others’ hands because, and this will amaze some people, we are all human. It wasn’t exactly safe and civilized hundreds of years ago.
Every Native tribe was different. There was almost ubiquitous sexual slavery of female captives. Braves raided for horses and women. They got those horses from the Conquistadors, and then immediately used them to dominate enemy tribes. Why did some tribes live in inhospitable places in the desert, with far shorter lifespans than tribes in more lush areas? Because the strongest tribes captured and held those lush areas, full of game, and pushed out the weaker ones to the lesser resources. To be fair, the Iroquois should have given up all that great land and returned it to the tribes that had any survivors. They did manage to completely wipe out some of their enemies. Except, Native Americans did not believe in ownership of the land, in the sense that it could be owned and passed down. They ascribed to the might makes right mentality. The tribe strong enough to hold a territory, held it until and unless someone else pushed them out. Many tribes raped or tortured captives. Some tribes valued bravery in the face of pain so greatly, that they would make their victims suffer to a truly horrifying degree, until finally they were killed. Scalps were valued in some tribes. Slavery was almost ubiquitous. Some tribes were accused of cannibalism. The Aztecs practiced prolific human sacrifice of men, women, and children, creating vast towers from hundreds of thousands of corpses, and using human bone dust as an ingredient in mortar. Perhaps if the Spanish had not checked them, the Aztecs would have taken over North America. What a wonderland of the noble indigenous tradition that would have been.
Tribes did not put down claiming stakes into plots of land, duly assessed and recorded. And when herds moved on or they ran out of resources, then they fought with each other.
The European settlers were a stronger tribe, and therefore held the land. Rather than completely wiping out existing tribes, they incorporated them and adopted them into the tribe of “Americans.” Nations war with each other in modern times, too.
The idea that indigenous tribes lived in one spot, never once taking land from each other, is ludicrous. In fact, the sacred hills of South Dakota changed hands from numerous tribes, who were driven out of the area. Should it be returned to them? And what about the Clovis? They were the true First Nation. What we call “First Nation” tribes are really “Second Nation”, while non-indigenous Americans are “Third Nation.” And before the First Nation Clovis, there was the discovery that Neanderthals lived in North America. So, wait, Neanderthals were First, Clovis Second, Current tribes are Third, and non-indigenous are Fourth. However, to really put a twist into things, Europeans have Neanderthal in their ancestry. Therefore, Third Nation tribes of America should really cede all land to Fourth Nation, who have the blood of First Nation, if we use the theory that whomever set foot on the land owns that land in perpetuity for all time. Boom. Mike drop.
As Judge Kavanaugh and the rest of the world are quickly learning, anyone can and will be aggrieved about anything…or nothing at all.
How ironic it is that the Great Seal of the State of California has a gold rush miner on it and the Roman goddess Minerva representing Wisdom and War. They chose Minerva because she was born an adult and California was born a state; never a territory.
OLLY – finding gold right after being conquered by Fremont didn’t hurt any. 😉
It certainly didn’t hurt him.
My paternal ancestor participated in the Alaska gold rush. Came back to PA, built a house, raised a family, sent them all (women included) to college. He’s the kind of person who made America strong. These people are whiners.
They really are Stinky Pete, with this move.
http://2.media.dorkly.cvcdn.com/38/28/32c96ec0f5876961710051a246de1476-stinky-pete-the-prospector.jpg
Dangit! Why didn’t the picture of Stinky Pete show up?!
Catholicism should be outlawed because of the inquisition. Islam because of the Taliban. Perhaps we need a complete memory scrubbing. Little house on the Prairie should be banned because they were part of the ethnic group that wiped out so many indigenous peoples. John Wayne, now where do we start?
issac – if we outlaw Catholicism because of the Inquisition and Islam because of the Taliban, we would have to outlaw the Democratic Party because of slavery, the Civil War and Jim Crow laws. See how that works?
And Republicans, well the misery of choice: McCarthy, Nixon, Trump, Inhofe, etc, etc, etc,..
And Democrats, well the misery of choice: Woodrow Wilson, Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, etc. etc. etc.
If you go back far enough anything that is now can be seen to have been different if not the opposite; so your response is, typically, moot. Get out of the sun.
issac – you went back further than I did with the Inquisition. Speak for yourself.
French because of The Terror, the French Revolution. In fact, speaking French in Canada should be banned, since the sins of the past appear to be a permanent sin on all future descendants…
What do you think?
I think our intelligentsia and their dependents and hangers-on are in the business of pretending and promoting the idea that everyone outside the intelligentsia is contemptible (bar their mascot groups). I think we should wreak revenge on them and take away from them things they value, BAMN.
I think they should choose “G Man”. Many of you on the blog do not know what that refers to. Some use the term to refer to Government Man like an FBI Agent. But there is another version or role model. I will only go so far as to say that a G Man knows where the G Spot is and how to work it. The women on the blog may be more likely to know what I am talking about.
I don’t understand why this is too hard to understand. The 49:era dugged for gold frantically and when they took breaks they practiced target shootings in the inhabitants of native Indian villages. That is why native Indians were almost extincted in California. They treated them as non humans and some towns, i.e., Marysville, CA, provided $50 in bounty for every Indian cut-off Head they turned into the city hall. Do we want to celebrate this? Really?
Trying to apply 21st century morality to 19th century seems pretty insane. The past was a violent chaotic time. Trying to erase reminders of it dos not erase the act. Better to have it as a reminder.
As an Alum, I am very sad to see this happen. I will no longer be donating to the University.
Anonymous – when I stopped donating to my university, I called my Alumni office and told them exactly why. They have yet to make the necessary changes, so it is their loss. They just picked up $30 million for an SJW program. They do not need my money.
Obviously the SC Gamecocks name should offend someone, somewhere.
No one has the right to not be offended.
Sticks and bones can break my bones, but words can never harm me.
ghsteele – I am personally offended by the “Fighting Irish” it is a stereotype. Actually, it is the bloody truth, but that’s just between the two of us. Shhhhh.
Irish don’t fight – or drink beer. Do they?
Jay S – no, the Irish do not drink, fight or make great ale. Those are all vicious lies told by the British. Remember the British are so stupid they had to import their rulers from Germany.
i like beer. Do you like beer?
The Gold Rush (1849) period is rather late to have had a significant impact upon California Indians. In 1549 and 1542 Spanish explorers Coranado and Cabrillo explored the area, and the Jesuits began their missionary outreach. El Camino Real, a highway which spans the length of Calif from the Mexican to the Oregon borders, was developed by Fr. Juniper Serra in the 16th Century, and the Jesuits turned over the building of the Calif missions to the Franciscans around 1760. I remember visiting one of the missions near San Luis Obispo, and seeing gravestones of persons born in Spain and Portugal in the 1600s. The mission system had a profound impact, both good and bad, on the Indians. By the time of the Gold Rush, however, it was just ordinary people and adventurers seeking their fortunes, who had no interest in civilizing or educating Indians. In addition to prospectors, thousands of Chinese and Irish immigrants fleeing poverty and starvation in their home countries sought opportunities in the new state. I can understand how the present day Indians would not like a school mascot by the name of the Conquistadors, but complaining about Prospector Pete is just looking for something to be offended about.
Unfortunately the left does not tolerate facts as it dilutes their political narrative of denigration American history
How about “The Slime Moulds”
Spineless, parasitic and in a kingdom all of their own.
“Amoebic Dysentary”. Their slogan could be, “We may be spineless, but we’ll defeat you from the inside!” (From fecal contaminated water)
The “Cupcakes”.
I am completely incapable of giving any credence by discussing the antics of the adolescent silly fools. The word pity comes to mind Nothing else is needed.
Going to a school whose mascot has been under attack a couple of times, I know what they are going through. The only people that stop this are the alumni. They just start phoning in and say I am stopping my donations if you change the mascot. It usually works.
Long Beach was known for it’s oil wells; maybe still is.
Keep the same image and change the name to Roughnecks.
Roughnecks is part of the white supremacist patriarchy, cis gendered, plus it’s clearly a rural stereotype, and everyone knows they are stupid KKK deplorables.
No, no, if you don’t like my mascot of “Amoebic Dysentary”, then how about the “Snowflakes” – we may be delicate but we can wipe out rational thought with an avalanche. No, no, too white.
I can see the new mascot, “The Community Organizers”!
If it was Prospector Pauline I guess it would be O’k!
Long Beach is in America.
There are no longer Americans in Long Beach.
Soon there will no longer be Americans in California.
If the invasion is not repulsed,
there will no longer be Americans in America.
So who is an “American” in your dictionary?
I don’t know George’s definition of “American,” but a common sense definition is someone who is a citizen of the United States, either by birth or Naturalization. The definition of American would exclude anyone who is in the U.S. in violation or the law, or here legally, but subject of temporary status, such as someone on a tourist visa.
Stop posting stupid questions.
American
________
Cambodian-American
Syrian-American
Peruvian-American
Indonesian-American
Zimbabwean-American
Pakistani-American
Chilean-American
Iranian-American
Vietnamese-American
et al.