Treatment of Indian mascots is form of racism

By Rich Eichhorst

When Southeast Missouri State University adopted the Indian mascot for our athletic teams, it was not to offend Native Americans. However, using this mascot, no matter how popular, should end when its use becomes offensive.

The argument that we are honoring the Indians by portraying them as our school mascot is completely failing to listen to the protest of nearly 81 percent of the Native American population. Denying our insensitivity and trying to justify a belief we are honoring Native Americans are simply forms of institutional racism.

Allowing a university, through its students and boosters, to paint themselves red and perform war dances helps to stereotype a culture in a negative way. Giving athletic opponents their opportunity to degrade a culture places a university in an untenable position. The "Injun" jokes -- portraying American Indians as violent, warlike savages -- promotes them as subhuman. Its continued use is simply outdated.

As a 1956 graduate and four-year letterman in basketball at Southeast who enjoyed the full use of Chief Sagamore at our games, I was strongly opposed to any change in mascot. Then I became aware of another community of real people with deep spiritual beliefs and with children struggling for an identity as a minority group. I found a community asking for understanding. They are asking us to understand even though we intended to honor them. They are saying, "Please do not do it in this way anymore." They are saying it hurts in ways we would never ever tolerate.

The use of Indian imagery does not allow for the elimination of stereotypes and for making room for the many rich varieties of American Indian culture. It does not allow for real learning about real people and their issues as American citizens. The use of Indian mascots reduces hundreds of Indian tribes to generic cartoons.

American Indians are virtually invisible to our consciences. Most of us know little about the Indian culture. Most of us have little personal contact with Native Americans. They possess little political clout. The Indians have been institutionalized through relocation on reservations, and removal acts passed by Congress long ago have made it impossible for them to be recognized except through the use of mascots for athletic teams. As the American Indians began to assimilate into the mainstream of the population, especially in non-Indian schools and universities, they began to see the misguided and inaccurate portrayal of their culture.

The conflict about the use of American Indian imagery is not new. This debate began in the 1960s over Indian stereotypes in the print and electronic media. Stanford and Dartmouth stopped using Indian athletic nicknames about this time. Over the years, many universities followed them. Some 1,200 schools and organizations have since dropped their Indian nicknames.

To continue the use of an Indian mascot-nickname places our university in an embarrassing situation with the NCAA, with national educational organizations, with some legislatures and with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Professional teams are also under pressure to discontinue the use of Indian imagery. Some professional minor league teams have also dropped the Indian nicknames. However, there is a huge difference between professional teams and universities. Universities have a pledge and mission to be a diverse environment. Is Southeast failing to meet its stated diversity mission? By continuing to promote Indian caricatures by mimicking Indian ceremonial rites and dances, are we not being insensitive to their culture? Dancing, drumbeats and feathers have an important spiritual meaning for American Indians that we do not appreciate or understand.

We listened to the African Americans concerning respect and diversity. It should be noted there was a time when black Americans were put through the same sort of treatment. When we changed that, we were not caving in. We were just doing what is right. On our campus each January, we have programs honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is as it should be. The Indian mascot is a form of cultural slavery.

Let the Native Americans promote and accurately portray their ancient rituals and give their identity dignity.

Our university's charge is to maximize our students' learning experience. By using a living ethnic group composed of real human beings as a mascot for our athletic entertainment purposes, we are choosing to dishonor a living culture.

To endorse or to continue to use Indian mascots-nicknames, will be viewed far beyond the Cape Girardeau community and our service areas in the eastern part of Missouri. There are vocal people on each side of this debate. Some believe any change is unnecessary, and some believe anything other than completely eliminating the nickname is unacceptable. In the middle are many who understand that the time has come to do something. Our university needs to stop dodging this issue and face it head on.

There seems to be lack of understanding or sensitivity at universities when it involves the school's intercollegiate athletics. Most other departments within the same university would have addressed and acted upon any stereotyped participation. When it comes to championship participation sponsored by the NCAA, individual institutional autonomy and offensive imagery argument will, at some time in the future, no longer be allowed. A decision will be made for Southeast when competing in NCAA sponsored events.

The way Indian mascots are used today is a form of dysconscious racism, a form of racism that accepts dominant white norms and privileges. The Indian mascot, with it's negative behaviors, is portrayed over and over until it becomes completely acceptable. To continue the use of the Indian imagery at Southeast is to be a part of the continued shaming of an American culture.

Our students, for almost two decades, have been without a rallying mascot with which they can identify, something they can carry with them at school and when they leave. Our alumni cannot purchase any item displaying the school mascot. We may be the only Division I school in the nation to have a marketing nightmare and be so deprived.

Rich Eichhorst of St. Louis is a retired educator and chamber of commerce executive. He serves on the board of the Southeast Missouri State University Booster Club.