Oregon Bans Native American Mascots: Should More States Do the Same?
SodaHead News
2012/05/19 21:55:01
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The Oregon Board of Education has spoken. Public schools in the state must discontinue the use of Native American mascots by July 2017—or risk the loss of state funding.
The new regulation, which bans the use of Native American names, symbols, or images as school mascots, is being described as the toughest and most far-reaching of its kind. According to Oregon officials, Wisconsin is the only other state with a similar ban, though their policy is far less stringent. In Wisconsin, if complaints are made, schools must prove that their mascots do not promote discrimination, harassment, or stereotyping.
Fifteen Oregon high schools, and an unknown number of elementary and middle schools, are impacted by the new policy. Names specifically prohibited include “Redskins,” “Savages,” “Indians,” and “Braves.” Schools that use the name “Warriors” will be allowed to continue doing so, as long as they abandon any graphics associated with Native American tribes, customs, or traditions.
The new regulation, which bans the use of Native American names, symbols, or images as school mascots, is being described as the toughest and most far-reaching of its kind. According to Oregon officials, Wisconsin is the only other state with a similar ban, though their policy is far less stringent. In Wisconsin, if complaints are made, schools must prove that their mascots do not promote discrimination, harassment, or stereotyping.
Fifteen Oregon high schools, and an unknown number of elementary and middle schools, are impacted by the new policy. Names specifically prohibited include “Redskins,” “Savages,” “Indians,” and “Braves.” Schools that use the name “Warriors” will be allowed to continue doing so, as long as they abandon any graphics associated with Native American tribes, customs, or traditions.
The state school board considered eight hours of public testimony and 700 written comments (400 in favor and 300 against) before voting 5-1 to accept the new policy. Individuals against the regulation argued in favor of maintaining longstanding community traditions and avoiding expensive changes in a time of tight public budgets. They also claimed that in some cases the mascots were intended as respectful tributes.
However, the state schools superintendent, Susan Castillo, argued that “intent is not enough.” She added, “We need to focus on what the impact is on our kids.”
And according to Se-ah-dom Edmo, an educator at Lewis and Clark College who testified in favor of the ban on behalf of the Oregon Indian Education Association, the impact is definitely not positive on Native American students.
“If you were like me and grew up here in Oregon and played opposing these schools that had Indian mascots, there was harm that was done there,” she said. “I think they were intending to honor native folks, but any time that you objectify a person or stereotype a group of people, which is really what the mascots did, it ceases to become a truth about them. The broader psychological impacts show lower self-esteem for native students and poor race relations.”
So SodaHeads, what do you think about Oregon’s ban on Native American mascots? Should more states do the same?
Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na...
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Interchange the name of any race with the Indians and it immediately becomes clear that we can not have teams called The Nevada Negroes, The Atlanta Asians or The New York Jews.
http://www.racismagainstindia...
http://thesocietypages.org/so...
We showed respect for other people from the first time they stumbled onto our continent. Their favorite response was: "The only good indian is a dead indian."
http://www.racismagainstindia...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why...
Interchange the name of any race with the Indians and it immediately becomes clear that we can not have teams called The Nevada Negroes, The Atlanta Asians or The New York Jews.
http://www.racismagainstindia...
http://thesocietypages.org/so...
First of all, Native Americans should be shown some level of respect in this country. After all, this land was theirs and it was taken from them by genocide, massacre, broken treaties, etc., etc.
Secondly, Vikings, patriots, and cowboys are all roles that people chose to assume. Therefore, patriots and cowboys are the same as steelers and packers.
A bronco is a horse, so that can be compared to a bear or a lion. I may be wrong but I don't recall any members of the animal kingdom complaining.
Now, if we want to make an accurate comparison, how about a team called the Negros, or the Polaks? Maybe the Frogs? The Yids? The Mics? The Dagos? These are names that different ethnic groups find offensive - the same way Native Americans find names like "Indians" offense.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
From the get go on Plymouth Rock, it only took a few years before the first settlers began claiming Indian lands & killing them to remove them if need be. Flash forward to the end of the 19th century and all that remained of millions of Indians who had once lived on American land where forced to live on reservations, generally located on some of the worst lands, not afforded many of the rights most citizens, horrible schooling & healthcare, and many became alcoholic as there was not must to do on the reservations, so their self-esteem and pride in their cultures began slipping away.
So while I might find it a ridiculous request, if you look at if their perspective, perhaps it is not too much to ask.
If the Spanish had not been lost and confused when they landed here we would never have been called Indian. They did not respect us enough to even ask our names. Many nations died off so quickly from their diseases, we will never know their names.
Interchange the name of any race with the Indians and it immediately becomes clear that we can not have teams called The Nevada Negroes, The Atlanta Asians or The New York Jews.
http://www.racismagainstindia...
http://thesocietypages.org/so...
I noticed many Americans embrace Native culture, but don't know what it's about. I didn't know they weren't allowed to practice their own religion until 1978, but yet, it doesn't surprise me. Perhaps there are more positive ways to keep the heritage and cultural symbols in public life, but not for mascots, especially since it seems to encourage racism, a thought I had not considered before.
http://www.racismagainstindia...