The Roles of Native American Mascots in Sports and Entertainment

Native American mascots and what they represent have been considered by many to be a white societal creation that destroys the tribe’s tradition and seeks to commercialize their spiritual beliefs. Like many controversial aspects involving a minority group being subjected to the harshness of the dominant society, people aware of the issues involved with using Native American mascots in sports and entertainment are forced to choose a side. The popular belief is that Native American-themed mascots, such as the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Florida State Seminoles, and the University of Illinois Illini, are mostly a tradition of the organization, created decades ago when the issue of Native American mascots and what they represented was largely uncontested. Within the past few decades, this previously unchallenged viewpoint has come under fire from both Native American groups and by concerned non-native individuals.

In Charlene Teters’ film “In Whose Honor,” the effects of the dominant white society corrupting the meaning of Native American symbols for commercialization and entertainment are clearly shown. Teters was a graduate student at the University of Illinois in Champagne. The mascot of the University was at the time (1989) called Chief Illiniwek, named in regards to a fictional chief from the Native American tribe the Illini. The mascot, created in the 1920’s as a way to excite crowds at sporting events and increase school spirit, is a student dressed as a stereotypical Native American chief. The student wears a complete costume made of buckskin with a large headdress made of fake eagle feathers. The student dances around during halftime, performing a fake dance that is falsely believed by many to be an actual spiritual dance. Many supporters of the University of Illinois don’t consider Chief Illiniwek to be a mascot, but instead see him as part of the University’s heritage and tradition. Teter vehemently disagrees, and sees Chief Illiniwek as something that mimicked and trivialized what Native Americans have been taught to appreciate. In the film she was invited to attend a basketball game and brought her two young children. After watching the student portraying Chief Illiniwek perform a halftime dance, she said she sees the mascot as a symbolic display of control, that the dominant white race is showing her that they control the Native American race.

Many Native Americans feel like Teters did after seeing a mockery of their race, and they even say it is more of an insult because it is made to seem real and not a cartoon figure. They point out that black face and black caricatures have disappeared from the main stream, while Indian images have not. Brand names such as Crazy Horse Malt Liquor, Monitor Sugar Company and Sue Bee Honey use stereotypical images of Native Americans to market their products. These companies use these images on their labels because society has come to associate certain ideas and thoughts with certain images of Native Americans. Although most Native American groups condone the improper use of Native American-based mascots because they are usually represented in an inaccurate light, some Native American groups believe they have a place in sports and entertainment if they represent themselves. An example of this is the Oneida Indian Tribe of Green Bay, Wisconsin performing pow-wows at Green Bay Packer games. The tribe performs a tribal dance at half time of a game each year, showing individuals in attendance an accurate picture of Native American culture. However, the tribe’s intention may be more than just promoting Native American culture. The Oneida tribe owns and operates a large casino in the Green Bay area and is a large sponsor and maintains a strong presence at Green Bay Packer home games. Some may argue the performance is more of a promotional event to draw customers than an event to educate the dominant society about a little known group. Either way, the fact that the Oneida tribe represents itself is a step in the right direction for all Native American groups.