NCAA ban on Native American mascots goes too far

Yesterday, the NCAA ruled that Native American mascots and nicknames will not be allowed to be used or displayed at post-season tournaments. While I applaud cultural sensitivity and respect for the oppressed, this ruling goes too far. The issue is far more complex than the do-gooders at the NCAA understand.

Let me begin by explaining why I feel I have anything to say about this issue. I spent over three years working on a First Nations reserve in Canada, conducting research for my Ph.D. thesis. During that time, I had the opportunity to ask many of my friends and acquaintances in the Odawa (Ottawa) community what they thought of this issue.

The key, they all said, was HOW Natives were portrayed.

Essentially, there are three levels of portrayal:

The first, and worst, is the blatant racial epithet. The prime example—and the team name that began this argument way back in the 1960s—is the Washington Redskins. “Redskin” is a racial slur, pure and simple. How would African Americans feel if a team were called the Atlanta Porch Monkeys, or how would white folks feel about the Green Bay Honkies? This team name needs to be changed immediately.

The second level includes tribe names, such as the Florida State Seminoles and the Illinois Fighting Illini. In Florida, the Seminole Nation has come out in support of the team name and tradition. At the University of Illinois, where I have been on faculty for the past year, there is a raging debate about the use of “The Chief Illiniwek” mascot and the Illini name. Tragically, it appears that there is only one remaining Native nation out of the five nations that once comprised the Illini Confederation. And, frankly, I’m not sure if anyone involved in the debate in Champaign has asked the Peoria Tribe of Indians in Miami, Oklahoma, what they think of The Chief.

The only issue that I see as worth discussing is whether The Chief’s halftime dance, which is not historically accurate and, quite frankly, looks spastic to me, could not be revised to reflect a more accurate portrayal of Illini tradition.

The point is that if a school or team is using a people’s name and imagery, they should ask to make sure it’s OK. The Seminoles say, “Cool.” My Native friends say, “Cool,” too, as long as it’s not disrespectful. Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians is a gross caricature. It’s offensive to many. But the team name itself is not (to most). The same goes, by the way, for the “Fighting Irish” mascot. If I were Irish, I might have trouble with the short, belligerent, obviously drunk mascot, but the name itself wouldn’t bother me.

Finally, there are the vaguely “native” mascots, like The Warriors and The Chiefs. These are completely benign. There are LOTS of cultures in the world—past and present—that have warrior classes, not just Native Americans.

This brings me to my team, The Minnesota Vikings. I am of Norwegian heritage. My ancestors WERE Vikings. I am extremely proud of my lineage and the use of that name for my team. True, the Vikings and their culture no longer exist (like many Native American tribes whose names are used by teams), but I fail to find it exploitative. If raping and pillaging softer Northern Europeans was still a viable way of life in Norway, I would probably emigrate back and join in the fun.

Sadly (for me and my people, at least) those days are gone. As it is, I will stomp and cheer and drink mead and act like a berserker during Viking games. Thank Thor the NCAA can’t touch THAT name.