Boston Globe
Thursday, February 15, 2007

Indian mascots degrade entire race

While I am only a small part Indian, I would like to make a couple of observations.

What if a team used an insensitive phrase to describe its Japanese heritage, and instead of the "tomahawk chop" they had a "karate chop?" I could go on with analogies, but people should get the idea.

The main problem is the lack of acknowledgment of the Native American cultures in this country as legitimate. There has been a long and bloody history in this country to dehumanize the original inhabitants of this land to ease the national conscience.

The nation has reduced once proud and thriving human civilizations, and the original inhabitants of this land, to cute little sub human mascots and logos. It is so ingrained into the American psyche that most people don't even see what is wrong with it.

Even the revival of "Native American" traditions is still not a respect for the people, their cultures, or their horrific loss over the centuries.

There were over 500 nations of Indians, each with their own traditions. The reduction of this legacy to slogans and logos for sporting fun is more than an insult. It is the continuation of a policy of dehumanization and degradation of a race of people that continues today.

Mark Woodward
Milton