FREE ESSAY ON TIME TO CHANGE WITH TIME

TIME TO CHANGE WITH TIME

Time To Change With Time
Change starts when someone sees the next step.
~William Drayton
Native Americans are trying to take that next step. For the past 100 years Americans have
stolen their sacred names and used them for mascots of high school, college, and
professional sports teams. The National Education Association is one of the first to step
to the plate by passing, Article I-41, which advises use of Prejudicial Terms and Symbols
The National Education Association deplores prejudice based on race, ethnicity, religion,
sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, size, marital status, or economic status and
rejects the use of names, symbols, caricatures, emblems, logos, and mascots that promote
such prejudice. (92,94) By having these practices they believe the rights of Native
Americans are protected. Native American Mascots in sports need to change to protect and
uphold the rights that are granted to them from the constitution. 
If we started all over before any names were made and altered these names towards other
races how would people react? Lets take the Cleveland Indians for example. What would
happen if we had used the Jews, Blacks or Chinese as this political cartoon suggests.
Every race involved would have been in an uproar when the caricature came out. They would
feel that their constitutional rights were being ignored. But, when Chief Wahoo of the
Cleveland Indians, runs about drunkenly at baseball games1 they feel that it is ok to
disregards the Indian name, heritage, and ritual. Taking in the psychological
considerations for the Native Americans dehumanization, as the word implies, is a
psychological process that reduces a person or group to a sub-human level. One way in
which this process is deployed is by suggesting the subject of the dehumanization is like
an animal. Because animals of various types and Indians related mascots are those most
frequently used, it can be observed that this practice places Native Peoples on a par
with wild beasts.2 The people or person who decided to use the name the Indians was not
thinking of the long-term controversy it was going to cause. As a group of professional
mental health providers, we are in agreement that using images of American Indians as
mascots...is damaging to the self-identity, self-concept and self-esteem of our people.
These names might seem powerful and forceful but in the long run they have put a culture
down and made the fell less of a person. Not only using the name of Indian is wrong but
using Redskin is also degrading.
The Washington Redskins have used the name redskins for the last 67 years, and maybe the
sports fans have just been accustom to the word. Maybe they should just learn what the
word means. Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines the word redskins in the
following manner: American Indian, usually taken to be offensive. The word originated in
the 1600's when bounty hunters exchanged the dead bodies of Native women, children and
men for money. Since the bodies were too much trouble to transport, the bounty hunters
started skinning their victims and exchanging the skins for money. Thus the term redskins
were invented. The unified voice of American Indians has been effective. Most recently, a
federal trademark panel ruled to revoke the Washington Redskins' federal trademark
protection, because the trademark was considered disparaging to the American Indian
people...3 When the Redskins have to change their name maybe they will think about the
Yellowskins. Since most of the population is Caucasian why couldn't we have the name
changed. If we have been using the Redskins, which degrade the American Indians, while we
don't think so, why shouldn't we use the Washington Yellowskins? This change would not
only cause uproar in society, but may even cause a major boycott. But why should this
change of name cause a boycott? Because Americans only care about one person and that is
themselves. Americans believe in protecting their own constitutional and or civil rights,
not to help smaller minorities. Lame Deer hits the nail on the head when he states Desire
killed that man, as desire has killed many before and after him. If this earth should
ever be destroyed, it will be by desire, by lust of pleasure and self-gratification, by
greed. The earth that is going to be destroyed is the Indian culture while Americans sit
on the side watching the slow and painful death. The desire will be the deaf ears the
complaints are falling upon. And the lust of pleasure and self-gratification will be the
not allowing the mascot to change, because the new mascot might not bring as much power
or fear to the opponent. And the greed finishes it off with the demise of one culture to
benefit with money and not thinking about another's beliefs. Native people are saying
that they don't feel honored by this symbolism. We experience it as no less than mockery
of our cultures. We see objects sacred to us- such as the drum, eagle feathers, face
painting and traditional dress - being used, not in sacred ceremony, or in any culture
setting, but in another's game. The Atlanta Braves are also causing controversy within
the Native American community.
Hank Aaron, a hall of fame, ex-professional baseball player, states if the name Braves
that he wore on his chest for decades was hurtful to many Native Americans, then it
should be changed. After that statement Aaron became one of the first show a clear
position on the issue at hand. The Braves a team that uses the tomahawk chop to rally
their team have made one change that may put some angry native Americans at rest. A few
years ago Atlanta changed their jersey from saying Braves to Atlanta. IT is not an honor
to see white and black sports fans, faces painted in hideous fashion, swilling beer,
making chants they learned from Grade B movies, chopping the air in a sign known as the
tomahawk chop, a sign that means kill and maim, thinking that it is a good thing. It is
not an honor. Tim Giago clearly expresses his view on the Atlanta Braves tomahawk chop.
Americans many not understand what message they are relaying while doing this chop, but
that still gives them no right to use the name of a Native American Indian name. 
Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves -- Indian mascots and nicknames
have historically been first draft picks in American sports. But for Charlene Teters, a
Spokane Indian, transplanting cultural rituals onto the court is a symbol of disrespect.
Jay Rosenstein follows Teters' evolution from mother and student into a leading voice
against the merchandising of Native American sacred symbols -- and shows the lengths to
which fans will go to preserve their mascots. In keeping all the Native American Mascots
in schools, colleges, and professional sports teams we are showing a lack of respect. The
Native Americans have voiced the lack of honor these names are bringing to them. The fact
that history has ignored the incredible pain we have inflicted on Native Americans does
not now give us the right to ignore their largely muted call. Americans need to take a
step back think about how they would feel if there ritual and or sacred tradition was
misused. We feel that we are being put in a position of sacrificing our dignity and pride
and will never be treated as equals in white society as long as the use of Indian symbols
continues.