American Indian Mascots Respectful As Gesture Or Negative Stereotype - Essay Example

The use of a Native American as a mascot can be very offensive and degrading. There are many reasons why portraying an Indian as a team symbol, especially in a school setting, should be strictly prohibited.Although there are mascots based on certain groups of people other than Indians, it is imperative to understand why basing a mascot on Indians is different. While Native Americans constitute an ethnic group that is present in America, mascots such as cowboys or Vikings represent groups of people that are one or more of the following: a thing of the past, not present in America, or a lifestyle choice.

To demonstrate this point more clearly, one must consider the use of other ethnic groups currently present in America as mascots. Certainly, mascots such as the Jacksonville Jew or the Arizona African American would not be tolerated. It is rather silly to consider such ridiculous mascots - but then why is an Indian mascot not looked upon as equally ridiculous Acceptance of such a mascot signifies that people consider Native Americans to be less than human, and this certainly could not be farther from the truth.

Considering the use of Jews and African Americans as mascots sheds light on to another problem with using Native Americans as mascots. . The problem with this is that not all Native Americans look like that. It is bad for schools - places of learning - to endorse such stereotypes. And just imagine how the one Native American kid attending a school with such a mascot must feel!Fred Blue Fox of Sicangu Lakota points out another problem with using stereotypical elements in portraying an Indian mascot.

"Eagle feathers, face paints and war objects such as tomahawks are all sacred to the people and therefore have no place in any sort of public display, let alone mascots." (Alliance Against Racial Mascots, 2008; italics added).