Changing Native American Names As Mascots

Racist names and actions should end

The owner of the NFL team in Washington, D.C., who purchased the franchise in 1999, made an announcement on July 3, 2020, that the mascot name and logo will be retired and changed. After adamantly declaring for years that he would NEVER (put it in caps he said) change the name, he has succumbed to pressure. Money talks so he had to make a decision after sponsors such as FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo were asked by investors and shareholders to terminate their relationship with the team unless they changed the name. They will be known as “The Washington Football Team” for the time being.

When I was living in Washington, D.C., I became friends with Native Americans who were trying to get the name of the Washington team mascot changed. That name was offensive to Native Americans and was considered to be a racial slur. The name is not being changed to appease them, but it is being done to keep the financial support for the team coming. At least, the name IS being changed at long last even if not for reasons of sensitivity and caring for Native American people. It was an injustice to keep disregarding the feelings of Native Americans.

There are some people who still oppose changing the name, including fans who have said they will stop going to games. Although they may not admit that they are racist, these people are definitely showing racist tendencies by not being sympathetic to the concerns of Native Americans. The proponents of keeping the old name will argue that some Native Americans think using the name is an honor. Indeed, some Indian names are not offensive, but that particular one is considered by most to be derogatory.

Sometimes the names themselves may be honorable names while the actions of the fans make the use of the Indian names offensive. Acting out as so called “savages” such as has been portrayed in the past in Western movies where Indians were stereotyped negatively is not acceptable. Using actions that make a mockery of items and events which are sacred to Native Americans is considered racist. That should not be tolerated and allowed.

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Bountiful High School is located just north of Salt Lake City, Utah, where I now live. My wife and her siblings attended Bountiful High School. Their school mascot is and always has been, since the school was built in the 1950’s, The Braves.

Recently a young woman who graduated some years ago from Bountiful High School brought up the issue that the name and the behavior of the students was racist and offensive. She is not a Native American, and she was severely criticized for making the suggestion that the name be changed.

Her comments regarding a name change were: “Some of the common practices of the student body are wearing face paint and headdresses while screaming ‘war cries’ at sporting events and assemblies, and it’s unacceptable. Homecoming parties are called Pow-wows, insensitive chants are used at school events, and tomahawk chops were common practice. These are only a few of the things embedded into the Bountiful High School culture that are inherently racist and unethical.”

The League of Native Voters in Utah said in a statement that it is “pleased to hear of recent efforts by some in the white community to educate other whites about the misuse of Native mascots and imagery in Utah schools.” They further said that Native mascots are harmful and antiquated and have no place in society. “Decades of research show there is psychological harm done to Native students attending white majority schools with Native mascots.”

Most of the graduates of Bountiful High School who voiced their opinions on the matter were strongly opposed, even violently, to changing the name. They insisted that it is an honor for the Indians to have the school mascot as The Braves. While that may be true in part, the behavior of the students in relation to the mascot name has been offensive.

Darren Parry is a Native American who is currently running for Congress in the State of Utah. He weighed in on the matter by stating on the radio: “Indians are not mascots.” He continued to say that the issue at Bountiful High School is not so much that the name of The Braves is offensive, but the behavior of the students during athletic events is offensive. The use of the Indian headdress and face painting are sacred to Native Americans. The students appear to be making a mockery of something that is sacred to Native Americans.

The Black Lives Matter protests to fight against racism after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer caused the young woman and her friend from bountiful High School to reflect on their school mascot. They realized that the behavior of students at Bountiful High School should not be considered acceptable.

She emailed the high school, school district, and city officials to start a discussion and to inquire about the process to possibly change the name of the school mascot. The City Mayor responded with an email which the young woman found to be insensitive. He indicated that because she was not Native American, she should not be offended because he did not believe they were. He also criticized the Black Lives Matter Movement, which had motivated the young woman and her friend to take some action.

Bountiful High School, like most or all Utah high schools, has a predominantly white student body. They very likely do not understand racism. The students might not realize that their actions are disrespectful and offensive. They may just need to be educated on the issues.

Adults act similarly at various pro and college games where Indian names are used as mascots. Everyone needs to be more sensitive and show concern for Native Americans in the matter of Indian mascot names.

While talks about changing the name of The Braves at Bountiful High School are ongoing, the school and district administrators have announced that they will discontinue the use of Indian costumes and offensive behavior related to the name. That is a start and may remedy the problems.

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Since I have spent much of my life working for nonprofits which are concerned with civil and human rights, both as a staff member and a volunteer board member, I have been interested in the concerns of Native Americans. Having personal friends who are leaders in the Native American communities in various places, I have learned of and empathize with their feelings. Being a minority myself, I am keenly sensitive to what is happening in other minority communities. If Native Americans indicate that the names of mascots should be changed, we should listen and be willing to consider their feelings.

It is imperative for us to consider the feelings of other people who may be different than us or from the white majority population. We can each look inward and think about the feelings of others around us just as the young woman from Bountiful High School did. More of us can and should join in the fight against racism to make this a better world.

[Information was taken from stories on the Internet from the Associated Press and the Deseret News as well as KSL Radio.]