Human Beings Are Not Mascots

Human Beings are not Mascots
Teach Respect Not Racism

Imagine a high school choosing to name its sports mascot an “Old White Guy” or a “Crazy Christian.” The surrounding community would rise up as one to say how inappropriate and demeaning to the elderly Caucasian or the practicing Christian. We would not tolerate such an insult, even us old white guys who might find it mildly amusing to be so honored.

It amazes me that surrounding community members still find it appropriate to continue to use Native American figures as mascots and school symbols and name their sports teams after them when it is clear that many indigenous peoples are offended by these portrayals and object to their continued use.

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards, the organization that represents and serves public school boards across Wisconsin, is circulating a resolution requesting those few public-school districts still using Native American names and mascot imagery to change their names and mascots to create more inclusive and welcoming learning environments for their students. So far, 17 districts have signed on and others have voluntarily changed their practices. Some districts have learned from the past and made the change. But 31 districts across the State still use their Indian or Chief names and mascots, including Menomonee Falls High School and the Kewaskum school district.

The Menomonee Falls district has taken up the challenge and is holding community listening sessions to gauge public support. The district’s superintendent has come out in favor of changing their mascot and name. Community members have spoken in favor of the change while other have voiced support for continued use. Community groups have urged the board to change the mascot and imagery, including the American Civil Liberties Union. The school board will vote on the issue in December.

My community, Kewaskum, has ducked the issue so far. Here the problem is larger as the village is named after Chief Kewaskum, a Potawatomi chief. The school mascot is an Indian as are those who play sports for the school. Kewaskum shares an even bigger issue because both the village president and a member of the school board who is also a Republican member of the state Assembly have been vocal adherents of the “let’s stop with the political correctness” defense of continuing use of the name and imagery. Rep. Tim Ranthum, the school board member, even wants to put larger Indian chief logos on school sports field fences, claiming the name as a matter of community pride. He recalls proudly when prominent community members used to attend sporting events in full native regalia. He claims to be honoring the past chief, even though his descendants see no honor in the practice.

There have been been published studies showing that Native American students enrolled in schools that use people like them as mascots and terms like Indian for members of the school’s sports teams do not feel welcomed or included in their learning environments and do not do as well academically as similar students in schools with mascots and sports team names that do not appropriate their likeness or heritage.

Wisconsin law used to make it relatively easy for marginalized students to challenge the use of their heritage or racial identity. They did not have to show actual harm in order to prevail. In 2013, Wisconsin changed the law shifting the burden to the student aggrieved to show harm and also added a requirement for a community petition signed by 10 percent of the district population to force a change. This change did not end the controversy as Wisconsin tribes continue to lobby for teaching respect, not racism. So far, the Republican Legislature has not listened or acted with respect toward those who find the mascots, names and images offensive and insulting.

This is also a national problem, especially when you consider the NFL’s Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs. Not to mention the Atlanta Braves baseball team and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. Pressure has been mounting on these franchises to change their identities and demeaning use of native names, images and heritage.

Those who lived on these lands long before the invasion of the Anglo-Europeans deserve more respect than they are given. We need more robust curriculums on Native American customs, history and environmental stewardship in our schools. With a deeper understanding and appreciation of indigenous people and how we might benefit from many of their ways of living in harmony with their environment, perhaps we can find better and less offensive mascots and sports team names.