- Ever wonder what's wrong with Native American mascots?
Pretty much everything.
(electronic music)
So there are a ton of major league sports teams
with Native American mascots, but they're not the only ones.
Across the U.S. and Canada, there are actually
2,128 high school, college, and professional teams
with Native American names and nicknames.
Braves, Chiefs, Indians, Orangemen, Redmen,
Reds, Redskins, Savages, Warriors,
Apaches, Aztecs, Cherokees, Chickasaws,
Chippewas, Mohawks, Mohicans, Seminoles, and Sioux,
and that is not even close to all of the names.
And no matter how you slice it,
these mascots are super racist, and they should be banned.
But football is important.
We are honoring Native Americans.
Honor?
Redskins is not a compliment.
It's a textbook racial slur.
The U.S. patent office even cancelled
the Washington Redskins' trademark
because we don't trademark racial slurs.
And it's not just the Redskins.
Most of these team names do nothing
to honor actual Native American heritage or traditions.
Think about it this way.
If someone broke into your grandma's nursing home
and then killed her,
I don't think putting her grinning face on a hockey jersey
would be such an honor.
And these mascots are a textbook example
of cultural appropriation.
Many of these teams have been around since the 20s and 30s.
Meanwhile, Native Americans didn't earn the right
to legally practice their religions in the U.S. until 1978.
So for a long time, dressing up as a Native person was okay,
but actually being a Native person
and practicing your own religion wasn't okay.
In fact, many activists and councils have frequently
vocalized their frustration with these names and mascots.
Still don't believe me?
Why don't we ask a Native American?
(flute music)
- Oh, hello.
I'm not your stereotypical Indian.
This is the 21st century,
and nowadays, see, the problem with America is
that we're looked at as people of the past,
and we're not people of the past.
We live here with you.
We're doctors, we're lawyers, we're rappers,
we're people that are living in the here and now.
And mascots keep us in the past.
It reminds us that they were there.
They were there. That was America's time then.
But in reality, we're all around.
America, we are not your mascots.
But sports are about fun,
and all that other stuff is in the past.
It's so depressing.
Actually, Native American communities today are
still dealing with the consequences of our nation's past.
These mascots shape how people perceive Native Americans,
especially for people with little or no exposure
to real indigenous people.
Let's look at the ever popular warrior stereotype.
Now, throughout history, this idea that Native Americans
were violent and warlike were used to justify
"civilizing the savages" by forcing Native Americans
to assimilate to whiteness.
Research also shows that these mascots
contribute to low self-esteem in Native American children
and young adults.
Representation matters, folks.
We took your land,
forced you out of your home, killed off your family,
and tried to strip you of your culture,
but here's a hat.
Go team!
We have packed and repackaged the idea of Native Amerians
to the point that they're basically folklore.
From Peter Pan to dancing with wolves
in sexy Native American costumes,
today the average American knows more about
pretend Native people than the real ones.
So what's the solution?
Well, it's pretty obvious and actually not that hard.
Listen to members of the Native American community.
Hundreds of tribes and organizations,
including the National Congress of American Indians,
are demanding that these names and mascots be changed.
And schools like Dartmouth, Stanford, Seattle University,
and Arkansas State prove that a name change
isn't the end of the world.
Oh, mom! They changed the mascot.
Does that mean I get a new hat and bed sheets
and a lunchbox?
I love memorabilia.
And just this year, the Oregon State Board of Education
banned all Native American names
for all student athletic teams and clubs.
Ooh, progressivism looks sexy on you, Oregon.
So what do you think of sports teams
using Native Americans for mascots?
And have you ever gone to a school with one of these teams?
Tell us in the comments.
And we will not see you next week
because this is the end of season one of Decoded,
so tell us how much you love us and want us to come back,
and maybe we will.
♫ Definitely not racist ♫
- Are you congratulating yourself
for not saying the N-word right now?
- Yeah.
(electronic music)