Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S Essay

Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S - Essay Example But five pro teams and hundreds of high school teams with no connection to Indians continue to portray their teams under Indian imagery. Now the fight has reached the NCAA, the governing body of college sports, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which has, for the first time, called for â€Å"an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-Native schools.† The use of Native American mascots is quite an extensive issue in college sports. There are quite a few examples of this. As of 2001, Florida State University’s mascot was Chief Osceola with his steed Renegade. The image of the mascot was actually painted onto the turf of the playing field. Their pregame ritual actually consisted of the living mascot representative running out with a flaming spear and stabbing it into the image on the playing field. â€Å"Meanwhile, outside the delirious stadium a small group quietly stands with signs protesting the use of Seminole Indian imagery for the school’s sports mascots. They came two hours before the game and they will stay two hours after, holding vigil as fans file in and out, paying little attention to the authentic Seminoles who attend every game, rain or shine† (Teaching Tolerance, 2008, pg. 1). The teams themselves and their fans on one side attribute the use of the Native American mascots as a tribute to Native Americans. Some individuals beg to differ however, taking great offense to the fact that it is allowed on grounds that they consider it to be racist and degrading. Altogether, there are around 100 colleges in the United States that have Native American names or mascots. Some of those have been changed. For instance, Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma held its mascot as the Savages until it was changed to ‘Savage Storm’ just a few years ago after much controversy prompted the decision in an area of the country so filled with individuals of Native American ancestry. This practice is