Images of Native Americans Common Stereotypes Common Stereotypes are images important? Why are images important? Negative Stereotypes Negative Stereotypes Romanticized Notions How do stereotypes impact people?

Early Images of Indians Images from literature

Edward Curtis

Images of Native Americans “Indian” Mascots for sports teams Are they okay?

Native American Mascots in Montana K-12 Schools Braves - 1 Chiefs - 2 Indians - 13 Warriors - 11 Black Hawks - 1 Savages - 2 Scarlets - 1 Others?

Common Indian Mascot Names  Indians  Savages  Warriors  Braves  SQUAWS  Chiefs ~Marauders ~Red Raiders ~Raiders ~Reds ~Big Red ~Red Hordes ~Redskins ~Totem Poles ~Black Hawks ~Comanches ~Apaches ~Mohawks

“Redskins” Redskin-history of the term: Used by US government-hired bounty hunters who were paid to kill Indian people. They were usually paid $ 1.00 per Indian, and they used the scalps of the Indians they killed to provide a record of their number of kills. They called these scalps “red skins.”

Proclamation issued in 1755 (Given at the Council Chamber in Boston this third day of November 1755 in the twenty-ninth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Iceland, King Defender of the Faith.) By His Honour's command, J. Willard, Secry. ~God Save the King Whereas the tribe of Penobscot Indians have repeatedly in a perfidious manner acted contrary to their solemn submission unto his Majesty long since made and frequently renewed. I have therefore, at the desire of the House of Representatives... thought fit to issue this Proclamation and to declare the Penobscot Tribe of Indians to be enimies, rebels, and traitors to his Majesty. And I do hereby require his Majesty's subjects of the Province to embrace all opportunities of pursuing, captivating, killing, and destroy all and every one of the aforesaid Indians.

Proclamation issued in 1755… And wereas the General Court of this Province have voted that a bounty.... be granted and allowed to be paid out of the Province Treasury.... The premiums of bounty following viz: For every scalp of a male Indian brought in as evidence of their being killed as aforesaid, forty pounds. For every scalp of such female Indian or male Indian under the age of twelve years that shall be killed and brought in as evidence of their being killed as aforesaid, twenty pounds.

Florida Seminoles Mascot The Seminole Tribe approved the use of this mascot.

Detail from Milwaukee Braves pennant, 1957

School Mascot, “Willie Wampum” 1971

Wausau Wausettes cheerleaders in Indian headdress costumes1987

Mascot used in 1999 by the South Vigo Public High School in Terre Haute, Indiana When do you think this image was taken?

Indian Mascot Costumes Currently Available for Sale Online

Demonstration at the 1992 Super bowl in Minneapolis

Should they keep their mascots? Some see it an honor or tribute to Indian people Sentimental Value Part of the team/school’s History Financial reasons Some Indian nations don’t object to the mascots

On the other hand… Many Native Americans find these mascots offensive.Many Native Americans find these mascots offensive. Some see them as putting Native people in the same category as animals, which are the most common type of mascot.Some see them as putting Native people in the same category as animals, which are the most common type of mascot. Many people believe that these images are racist and they intensify harmful racist stereotypes of Indian people.Many people believe that these images are racist and they intensify harmful racist stereotypes of Indian people.

US Commission on Civil Rights “…calls for an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-Native schools.” “…these mascots violate anti-discrimination laws.” “…[these mascots] are disrespectful and offensive to American Indians and others who are offended by such stereotyping.” “They are particularly inappropriate and insensitive in light of the long history of forced assimilation that American Indian people have endured…”

Is this any different?

What if?

The End