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My high school was the Braves. We had the stereotypical headshot. We did “tomahawk chops” and fake native cheers.
Our mascot and themes were basically a hodge podge of stereotypes. Why would you want your culture reduced to a mishmash of stereotypes.
While this metaphor won’t go the distance, let’s go with it. Let’s pretend there was a team called the Euros. The team wears kilts, sings Russian folk songs, drinks black tea and busicuts during the game breaks, and does cheers in Italian.
Imagine a world where the primary exposure and recognition about “Europe” is via sports teams. And when you say you are “European,” people start asking you about your kilt, sing to you in Russian and so on. And you are really from Portugul and none if this stuff reflects your culture or identity. But everyone else is an “expert” because they have seen how the Euro team is represented in sports.
Maybe it is too hard for you to imagine being basically invisible in society other than skme stereotypes so it is hard to relate.
Those of the First Nation are not the only ones who've had their names and caricatures of their images co-opted for use as mascot names by sports teams. In my own region, there are the Vikings, Axemen (another term for Vikings), Vandals, Scots, Irish, Highlanders, Saxons, Spartans and Samurai, just to name a few. Is there no objection by people descended from those groups, to the parodies of their ancestors that this involves? Is selective political-correctness legitimate?
Yeah, I'm sure most Redskins fans would know that.
(And just so ya know...I lived in the D.C. burbs most of my life, so I know better).
Hey, you never know. Like I said, there are so many areas in Maryland with Native American names (either tribe names or other words from native american languages) that there may be quite a few Redskin's fans that might have a slight inkling of some of the major tribes that inhabited the area. But they probably don't know it because they did their homework before deciding to root for the home team. More from just exposure to the use of the names in geographical areas. However, I don't think not knowing the tribes of the DMV area makes Redskins fans hypocrites. I'm sure most of the population of the area don't know the tribes.
(And just so ya know...I have lived in Maryland ALL of my life, but I don't assume to know better than anyone.)
My high school was the Braves. We had the stereotypical headshot. We did “tomahawk chops” and fake native cheers.
Our mascot and themes were basically a hodge podge of stereotypes. Why would you want your culture reduced to a mishmash of stereotypes.
While this metaphor won’t go the distance, let’s go with it. Let’s pretend there was a team called the Euros. The team wears kilts, sings Russian folk songs, drinks black tea and busicuts during the game breaks, and does cheers in Italian.
Imagine a world where the primary exposure and recognition about “Europe” is via sports teams. And when you say you are “European,” people start asking you about your kilt, sing to you in Russian and so on. And you are really from Portugul and none if this stuff reflects your culture or identity. But everyone else is an “expert” because they have seen how the Euro team is represented in sports.
Maybe it is too hard for you to imagine being basically invisible in society other than skme stereotypes so it is hard to relate.
That was a good way to look at it. I've never been bothered by team names (and from what I've read, the majority of Native Americans aren't bothered either), but your post did help me view the issue in a new light. Thanks for your perspective.
I believe that place names are based on tradition. Native Americans should not have dictatorial power over the use of place names. Worse, it reduces awareness of Native American heritage. In short, bad idea to find offense over that.
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