What's Wrong with Using Indians for Mascots Anyway?
Issue of whether to keep Mascots in schools or not, started in late 1970's and from then this debate is going on. Most of the schools have Indian Mascots in place for half a century and suddenly it become problem to use Indian Mascots. Over 500 Native American organizations also announced their support for the removal of those mascots and over 1200 schools across the United States have changed the name of their sports teams and some school refused to play with those schools using Indian mascots. But some school still think that using mascots are just paying homage to the Native peoples and it's just another group claiming to be offended. Sports teams used those mascots to promote their team's athletic powers, like wolf, lion and eagle etc. How portrait of an Indain wearing hat with feather or headdress can be offensive or racist? One thing which never be done up to now that is to view our history from Native eyes. First of all, learn about their culture and their living style from their new perspective not the one which is given in our history books. From last hundred years we taught our generations that this is our country and we had a very long war with Indians which won. We also tell different kind of stories like burning of Fort Pequot Indians because they had trade relationship with British company. Can stories like this possibly be related to mascot issue? Using mascots are really a problem or just a political incorrectness.
I don't think so that there is any need of apologizing or giving reparations to Indian peoples what had happened centuries ago. It's not going to make any difference anyway.
All over the world people use mascots to represent something. I think using Indian mascots is not a big issue. Those mascots have been used to represent their power and strength. I couldn't see a single element in using mascot can be disgraceful to somebody's culture. Actually in my view it's the best way of paying homage to somebody. It's really a surprising that