Use of Native American Mascots for Sports – Term Paper

Using Mascots of Native Americans in Sports

Indians, Braves, and Chiefs are just some of the terms that are used to describe Native Americans. Moreover, they are used as mascots for schools, institutions of higher learning and pro sports teams. There is, however, controversy concerning the utilization of these terms. It is because some see them as being disrespectful and undermining to the Native Americans. The debates notwithstanding, some benefits are attributed to the use of these names. First and foremost, these names help in remembering Native Americans and educating the masses about the significance of these people. Secondly, these names are a show of pride. Selecting a Native American mascot helps in promoting cultural diversity. When a sports team chooses an Indian mascot, it is always doing so given that the team emulates the attributes they desire to inculcate in their team. It is always the case even when it is not based on facts. Some have argued that mascots can result in stereotyping of Native Americans. For instance, ‘‘Redskins” points to the fact that all of them had red skin. However, this is not the case. In the same vein, not all Native American tribes were seen as warriors. On the other hand, most of these tribes did everything at their behest to avoid fights.  In most cases, these mascots provide a wrong picture of the Native Americans. It, in turn, makes others believe claims that are not true including the fact that all Native Americans are savages. In summary, it is clear that contrary views have been presented regarding the use of mascots. However, there are benefits which encourage sports organizations to use Native American mascots in the first place.