Page of Shame

Here are a few football and baseball teams that (in my opinion) need to find new team names that are not centered on a race of people. Double shame to Washington for picking such an offensive one.

A Brief Indian Mascot Primer

Imagine how Asian-Americans or African-Americans might feel if a sports team were to be named the Washington Yellowskins or the Washington Blackskins. Consider how they would feel if a team were named the Cleveland Chinese or the Cleveland Negroes and the team used a racist caricature analogous to Cleveland's "chief wahoo."
--Bevan Baas (Navajo)

Quotes taken from the HONOR primer, Milwaukee, WI

Q: What's the point to all of this protesting? It's honoring the Indians...
A: "Would you paint your face black, wear an Afro wig and prance around the football field trying to imitate your perceptions of Black people? Of course not! That would be insulting to Blacks so why is it okay to do it to Indians?"
--Tim Giago (Lakota), Editor-in-chief, The Lakota Times

Q: Shouldn't we protest the California Angels and the New Orleans Saints because they are offensive to Christians?
A: "When you go to one of their games and they are selling toy crucifixes as souvenirs and every time the team scores, the fans wave those crucifixes and a little mascot dressed like the pope runs around and sprinkles holy water on all the drunks, then you should start protesting...And us Indians will be right there beside you..."
--Clyde Bellecourt (Anishinabe), American Indian Movement (AIM)

"I find it difficult to accept your statement that the name "Redskins" is racist, derogatory, and demeaning to the American Indian."
--Jack Kent Cooke, Owner of the Washington Redskins

"redskin, n. (often disparaging and offensive), a North American Indian."
--The Random House Dictionary

"redskin: a No. American Indain - Usu. taken to be offensive"
--Webster's Third New International Dictionary

A Few More Pointers

Last update: May 11, 2007