Comments on: The Director of the Indian Museum Says It’s Time to Retire the Indian Motif in Sports http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/the-director-of-the-indian-museum-says-its-time-to-retire-the-indian-motif-in-sports/ A new Smithsonian blog covering scenes and sightings from the Smithsonian museums and beyond. Tue, 21 May 2013 19:14:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Anthony http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/the-director-of-the-indian-museum-says-its-time-to-retire-the-indian-motif-in-sports/comment-page-1/#comment-10093 Anthony Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:34:31 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/?p=31425#comment-10093 Little Bear, claiming that redskins referred to scalps is just not true. In fact, the earliest recorded usage of the term was BY Natives to refer to themselves. I'm not saying the way Natives are portrayed by sports and other media isn't horrible, but perpetuating historical untruths doesn't help anyone. http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/opinion/redskins-not-so-black-and-white-145172 Little Bear, claiming that redskins referred to scalps is just not true. In fact, the earliest recorded usage of the term was BY Natives to refer to themselves.

I’m not saying the way Natives are portrayed by sports and other media isn’t horrible, but perpetuating historical untruths doesn’t help anyone.

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/opinion/redskins-not-so-black-and-white-145172

]]> By: KJS http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/the-director-of-the-indian-museum-says-its-time-to-retire-the-indian-motif-in-sports/comment-page-1/#comment-10092 KJS Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:20:30 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/?p=31425#comment-10092 The term "redskin" is a racial descriptor. There is no evidence to connect the term in any direct manner with the practice of scalping. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=redskin&searchmode=none http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/opinion/redskins-not-so-black-and-white-145172 The term “redskin” is a racial descriptor. There is no evidence to connect the term in any direct manner with the practice of scalping.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=redskin&searchmode=none

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/opinion/redskins-not-so-black-and-white-145172

]]> By: Little Bear http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/the-director-of-the-indian-museum-says-its-time-to-retire-the-indian-motif-in-sports/comment-page-1/#comment-10079 Little Bear Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:02:41 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/?p=31425#comment-10079 "I see no harm" Easy for you to say as (I'm hoping) a non-Native person. Some of these terms are so totally offensive. "Redskins" were literally the scalps taken from natives by the white travelers who killed them and the "redskins" were sold in shops as souvenirs. You bet there's harm in continuing to use these terms. And these caricatures are as equally offensive - the red skin, big nose, feathers, etc - as illustrations of black people with pitch-black skin, huge lips, etc. And in every instance that I've seen these Trojan and Spartan caricatures, none of them were illustrated in such exaggerated ways. Perpetuating offensive stereotypes against natives is racist. End of story. “I see no harm”

Easy for you to say as (I’m hoping) a non-Native person. Some of these terms are so totally offensive. “Redskins” were literally the scalps taken from natives by the white travelers who killed them and the “redskins” were sold in shops as souvenirs. You bet there’s harm in continuing to use these terms. And these caricatures are as equally offensive – the red skin, big nose, feathers, etc – as illustrations of black people with pitch-black skin, huge lips, etc. And in every instance that I’ve seen these Trojan and Spartan caricatures, none of them were illustrated in such exaggerated ways. Perpetuating offensive stereotypes against natives is racist. End of story.

]]> By: Jeb Raitt http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2013/02/the-director-of-the-indian-museum-says-its-time-to-retire-the-indian-motif-in-sports/comment-page-1/#comment-10078 Jeb Raitt Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:38:50 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/?p=31425#comment-10078 Not so much in professional athletics, but in academic teams, various warrior imagery (such as Spartans, Trojans, and simply Warriors) figures in the naming of teams. I believe names like Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, and yes, Indians, are part of that tradition and I see no harm in the use of such team names. As for mascots, many mascots take an exaggerated form of the team name or namesake. Again, I see no harm in it. Not so much in professional athletics, but in academic teams, various warrior imagery (such as Spartans, Trojans, and simply Warriors) figures in the naming of teams. I believe names like Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, and yes, Indians, are part of that tradition and I see no harm in the use of such team names. As for mascots, many mascots take an exaggerated form of the team name or namesake. Again, I see no harm in it.

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