NCAA: Native American mascots are taboo

[Monica]

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=6944

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA banned the use of Native American mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit them otherwise.

The NCAA's executive committee decided this week the organization did not have the authority to bar Indian mascots by individual schools, committee chairman Walter Harrison said Friday.

Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive" would not be allowed on team uniforms or other clothing beginning with any NCAA tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of Hartford's president.

"What each institution decides to do is really its own business" outside NCAA championship events, Harrison said.

"What we are trying to say is that we find these mascots to be unacceptable for NCAA championship competition," he added.

At least 18 schools have mascots the NCAA deem "hostile or abusive," including Florida State's Seminole and Illinois' Fighting Illini. The full list of schools was not immediately released.

Not all schools with Indian-related nicknames are on that list. NCAA officials said some schools using the Warriors nickname do not use Indian symbols and would not be affected.

North Carolina-Pembroke, which uses the nickname Braves, will not face sanctions. NCAA president Myles Brand said the school's student body has historically admitted a high percentage of Native Americans and more than 20 percent of the students are indigenous Americans.

Schools on the list could still appeal.

"I suspect that some of those would like to having a ruling on that," Brand said. "But unless there is a change before Feb. 1, they will have to abide by it."

Major football teams also would not be subjected to the new rules because there is no NCAA tournament or playoff on the Division I-A level.

Vernon Bellecourt, president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, was pleased with the postseason ban but had hoped for even stronger action.

"We would have hoped the NCAA would have provided the moral leadership on this issue, but obviously they've chosen to only go halfway," said Bellecourt, a member of the Anishinabe-Ojibwe Nation in Minnesota.

The NCAA two years ago recommended that schools determine for themselves whether the Indian depictions were offensive.

Florida State, for example, has received permission from the Seminole tribe in Florida to use the nickname. That, however, will not suffice.

"Other Seminole tribes are not supportive," said Charlotte Westerhaus, the NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion.

Among the schools to change nicknames in recent years over such concerns were St. John's (from Redmen to Red Storm) and Marquette (from Warriors to Golden Eagles).

The NCAA plans to ban schools using Indian nicknames from serving as host for postseason events. Harrison said schools with such mascots that have already been selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any offensive logos.

Such logos also would be prohibited at postseason games on cheerleader and band uniforms starting in 2008.

Other measures approved this week include stronger penalties for schools that repeatedly fall below the NCAA's new academic cut line. Harrison said schools would receive a warning letter the first year; restrictions on scholarships, recruiting and playing time the second year; and a postseason ban the third year. If a school fails to meet the standard four consecutive years, all teams at that school would be ineligible for postseason play.

"I'd fully expect that we never get to the fourth year," Harrison said. "A school should take stronger action before that. But I think this should send a message that there will be real, serious consequences if you don't."

Schools also would receive a bonus point if a player returns to school to complete his or her degree.

The board also approved a two-year contract extension for Brand. His deal was to run through Dec. 31, 2007 and now includes an indefinite two-year rollover.

Wow, that's interesting. My grandmother is at least half Cherokee with a darkish complexion and everything, and my dad has Indian somewhere in his family too and I've never heard anything about those teams being offensive, they were just always...there. I guess offending real tribes is all that matters though, but it's kind of overboard, yes? The only name I could think of that might be worth fighting is Savages...hmmm, thoughts?

[Starkist]

I bet most tribal members don't mind teams using the names, it is just a small minority who cry "offensive!" at the subject. The Seminoles for example, have a great relationship with Florida State University. The NCAA actually decided today to allow FSU to continue using the name. I think it is silly... Should the NHL force Montreal to stop calling themselves the Canadians? Should the NFL ban San Francisco from calling themselves the 49ers? Sheesh. If I were an Indian tribal member I would find it neat to have a school proudly bearing my name.

[ZomfgIts0rzlolo]

Yeah East Oklahoma Savages might be crossing the line, but naming a team after a tribe to represent their fighting spirit and courage doesn't sound particularly offensive, especially if the tribe approved (I'm referring to the Florida Seminoles). Also, the Fighting Illini get a lot of heat about their name, but there have been like zero complaints from actual indians.

Oh, Redskins is kind of inappropriate, that's like naming a team the niggers or something.

[Beldaran]

I think it would be funny to start a professional football team called The Whale Killing Chink Drunk Indian Nigger Fag Honkey Tonk Wetback Rednecks.

I'm in favor of anything that pisses off the political correctness crowd.

[Starkist]

A couple of years ago some Indian rights group at a tiny college named their intramural sports team the "Fighting Whities". The requests for t-shirts were enormous. :)

EDIT: Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports weighs in ("http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=dw-ncaamascots081105&prov=yhoo&type=lgns) on the controversy:



Here is the simple solution for the University of North Dakota or any other school with a Native American mascot the busybodies at the NCAA have deemed "hostile and abusive."

Just tell the politically correct set one thing about that Fighting Sioux in your logo:

He's gay.

Watch the NCAA try to eliminate him then.

That is a perfectly absurd solution to a perfectly absurd bit of perfectly absurd social engineering by an organization that continues to perfectly define absurdity.


The NCAA recently said it would prohibit teams from using mascots the NCAA has deemed "hostile and abusive" in its postseason tournaments.

The NCAA says the nickname "Seminole" is "hostile and abusive" when used by Florida State even though the actual Seminole tribe's leadership says it isn't. And the tribe both supports and financially benefits from the school's use of the name.

But bureaucrats know best, right?

Now, when it comes to offensive nicknames I am firmly on the fence. I see some of the logos and phrases and I cringe. But some of the logos, phrases and rituals seem quite appropriate and respectful. In some places these are partnerships, not exploitations. And many Native Americans must feel a sense of pride to have their heritage so visible and celebrated.

But that is just me. Mostly I understand that my personal feelings on the subject should not be the law of the land. It is up to the parties involved. If the Sioux and North Dakota or the Seminoles and Florida State think things are fine, who are you, me or some central office in Indianapolis to tell them they are all wrong?

Finding one single voice of protest shouldn't be enough to silence reasonable discussion on the subject either. Everything offends someone. When I was a student at the University of Massachusetts in the 1990s, a guy went on a hunger strike protesting the school's Minuteman mascot because the Minuteman was white.

Obviously he wasn't a history major. He finally ate and the Minuteman mascot survived, even if the school's basketball program didn't.

But this is the kind of foolishness the NCAA has decided to wade into. Can anyone reasonably explain why the NCAA believes the Fighting Sioux of one UND (North Dakota) is bad, but the Fighting Irish of another UND (Notre Dame) is good?

Perhaps, because when it comes to arrogance the NCAA knows no limits.

The NCAA has a mountain of its own pressing issues to deal with – widespread rule breaking, corruption, inadequate graduation rates, rampant commercialization, misplaced priorities, Title IX violations, weak minority hiring records, drug abuse, gambling and a history as one of the most sexist, racist, elitist organizations in American history.

So you can see why it had enough free time to stick its nose in a classic meaningless ivory tower debate.

Next up: If college football indeed is a religion, can we place the Ten Commandments outside the stadium?

Perhaps the NCAA is using this as a PC smokescreen, figuring it provides cover from questions about what it will take for its member institutions to actually believe African-Americans are intelligent enough to coach football, or for schools to actually obey a federal statute that demands equality for women athletes.

Or gee, maybe why there isn't a system that assures more student-athletes receive actual educations.

Then there is the incredulity that comes anytime the NCAA tries to legislate so-called morality.

This particular decision was handed down by the NCAA Executive Committee, which includes eight representatives from Division I-A schools. Of those eight schools, six have been found guilty of major NCAA infractions since 1989. Not the little stuff – we are talking about big-time cheating. We repeat, six of the eight.

This is the NCAA leadership?

The group even includes John D. Welty, president of Fresno State, whose men's basketball program is on probation and under investigation for more recent major infractions and last year had a former player charged with murder.

The Seminole tribal leaders have to listen to this guy? On the subject of supposedly doing what's right?

The NCAA, an organization run overwhelmingly by rich white guys, would be best-served trying to get its yard of squalor in order before trying to tell Native Americans it knows what's best for them.

I think that is how we got in this entire mess in the first place.

[Tygore]

A small school in Oklahoma changed their name from "Redskins" to "Crimson Storm" a few years back. Most of us thought it was pretty rediculous. My half-aunt by adoption was half-cherokee, does that give me any voice in the matter?

[Daarkseid]

My half-aunt by adoption was half-cherokee, does that give me any voice in the matter?

Nope, it doesn't.