Why is using Native American names for sports teams considered racist?
I'm 1/16th Cherokee. I, love Elizabeth Warren (who is my hero), look more white than the "classic" Native American and am SUPER proud of the fact that both my "white" side "settled" Jamestown, VA and my Native American part were already here.
I get that "Redskins" is offensive. That's very broad brush, but the FSU Seminoles? How is that offensive? Florida was settled, as far as we know, by the Seminoles. I think that's a compliment, myself. There are a lot of teams that use the nickname, "Chiefs," and I don't find that anymore offensive than "Patriots." There are chiefs who are noble and a worthy, strong nickname for a sports team, just like there were worthy patriots for the same reason.
I don't wish to be yelled at or anything. I just don't find it as offensive as most rap songs' attitude against women.
P.S. I also find some hard rock songs regarding women offensive, as well.
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Racially and ethnically I'm an All American Mutt who identifies as black but has a mother who is of all Euro descent and my father had Cherokee and ScotIrish heritage behind his black skin.
I only have native eyes (shape and set) - but I can say - who am I as another minority to tell a minority - how they should or should not feel? Admirable characteristics my ass.
I would think some Indians would find mocking them as mascots to be as offensive as this was and still is to African Americans. Why do you think your sports logo image is less racist?
I didn't know his name was Chief Wahoo. He pretty much looks like an Indian Zip Coon. Mr. Coon Chicken's Indian halfbrother.
I do not understand how white America can be so insensitive about this issue. Maybe they need to read their history. Read about the Indian massacres that occurred in the Northwest Territories in the 18th century. Small pox infected blankets given to natives. An ugly history of being oppression. Tribes decimated, land stolen, traditions outlawed, children separated from their parents. And you wonder why an Indian might not find your co-opting his image in this way to be insulting?
You tell someone who tries to explain why it is demeaning and insulting to "Cut the crap"? Maybe you can follow up with a tomahawk chop and some fake Indian war chants. I hear the Brown campaign in Massachusetts is organizing an All-Injun pow-wow band to make fun of Warren's claims to Native American ancestry.
Sometimes, I am just so disgusted with my fellow Americans.
before they died, each in their nineties.
I've always identified with, and been quite proud of my Irish ancestry and have not a
clue as to why I or any Irish person would be offended by Notre Dame's "Fighting Irish". 
.
Having said that, I understand and completely AGREE with Liberal Historian, that it is up to the GROUP to decide what is offensive,
I have to admit to being confused when people find it patronizing when some find certain cultural qualities "admirable",
because I see a contradiction there, and this is it: The meme that we should "celebrate" our differences is all around us, but
then at times like this, people seem to act as if we should HAVe no cultural differences and mentioning it is "patronizing".
I mean I "get it" when an ethnic group is MINIMIZED and/or DEFINED by only one characteristic, however admired, but
I'm not sure that's always the case, and I at least don't feel that way about the Irish, although I'm certainly aware of
the historic discrimination against the Irish in this country.
i'm sure they appreciate that we honor a proud history that our forefathers nearly ended.
I simply said, originally, that I don't understand it, and the first 'patronizing' comment bugs me. That's all.
I'm actually a middle class American - I'm Irish, English, Scottish, Native American, German, French, etc. and I'm married to a Polish Jewish dude and I was once married to a Palestinian dude. Maybe my outrage meter is a bit off. 
Here's another version ...
surely the loss of millions of people and native lands is offset by THIS honor.
and besides, this team is worth hundreds of millions and all for the Indians...
...wait, I'm getting some information here.
the owners of the Cleveland Indians are telling me that apparently this honor is it's own reward and has intrinsic value.
i'm not a lawyer, but can anyone tell me what percentage ownership that equals?
benefit of the doubt.
Also, I don't think the protests are just about the *names*. It's the whole thing.
However, I'm an animal rescuer. I find most animals MUCH nicer, smarter and happier than most humans. To me, it's an accomplishment to be equated to an animal.
If some jerk-off calls me a bitch, I say, "Damn straight. I'm the pack leader."
LOL.
Still, I really do get your point. My experience is completely anecdotal and isn't indicative of most people.
Now that's a tee shirt logo!
The intramural team, which included players of Native American, white, and Latino ancestry,[3][4] adopted the name "Fighting Whites", with an accompanying logo of a stereotypical "white man" in a suit,[5] styled after advertising art of the 1950s, as their team mascot. The character has been described as a man from the Ozzie Nelson era[6] or a "'Father Knows Best' white American male".[7]
At first, the team's T-shirts used "Fightin' Whites" as the name of the team, but various media reports referred to the team as the "Whities" instead of "Whites".[8] The plan to insult whites in the same way the minority students were meant to perceive Native Americans being insulted backfired on the group when the team's popularity skyrocketed. In response to customer demand, the team eventually began selling shirts under both names. The team added the phrase "Fighting the use of Native American stereotypes" to its merchandise to discourage the shirts from being worn by white supremacists, and arranged for CafePress.com to handle manufacturing and sales of the clothing.[9]
The team sold enough shirts that they were eventually able to endow a sizeable scholarship fund for Native American students at Northern Colorado. In 2003, the team donated $100,000 to the University of Northern Colorado's UNC Foundation, which included $79,000 designated for the "Fightin' Whites Minority Scholarship".[10]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Whites
Notre Dame.................. The Fighting Irish
Pittsburgh.................... Steelers
Green Bay........................ Packers
Boston............................... Celtics
San Francisco......................... 49ers
Mississippi (Ol Miss)............................. Rebels
New England............................ Patriots
New York.................................... Yankees
Here are caricatures of Irish americans, a confederate solider and an American Revolutionary war solider.
And that's just to name a few. The Redskin name is atrocious. That needs to change. The issue regarding the other indian name uses is way overblown. Sports team mascots/nicknames really run the gambit.
People there had a lot of pride with regard to the Celtics. (This was the 1980s). Part of the reason why the team was named the Celtics was to attract city support. Everyone there loved it. I have also never heard any white or irish person voice any objection to the Notre Dame logo. In fact I remember my dad had one friend who once shouted at the TV, "This is suppose to be the fighting irish, why do we have so many blacks on the field?" The Celtics team name is so popular and so historic in NBA history, I don't think most people even associate it with a white tribe of Europe. Or even realize that they are technically mispronouncing the name.
I'm not saying its right or wrong, but to be honest I had never even heard of this issue until I went to College and the whole Native American issue came up. As I said earlier, the name Redskins is offensive to any decent person. But when the "Fighting Irish" are playing the "Seminoles" or the "Celtics" are playing the "Cavilers" or the "Cowboys are playing the Vikings" or the "Yankees are playing the Braves" I don't think most people even think about the logos and I don't find it to be a big deal. As I said earlier, when you really go through sports names, you find lots of ethnic variation.
I think there is an issue if Native Americans voice objection to their tribal names being used. If that is the case, then the name should be changed. But my understanding is that even here, the issue is overblown. Didn't the Seminole tribe give Florida State permission to use their tribal name?
Here are pictures of fans from the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.
I believe at Vikings games they even sell blonde wigs for their fans to wear.
I don't and I was born in Pittsburgh. Both my father and uncle were steel workers in Pittsburgh and never objected to the name. It's far from an insulting term and Pittsburgh is still known as "Steel City". (Other cities also have been called Steel City.
The Steel City is a common nickname for many cities that were once known for their production of large amounts of steel. With industrial production also in developing countries, like those in Eastern Europe and Asia, most of these cities do not produce as much steel as they used to. It is possible there will be new steel cities in those developing countries.
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Pueblo, Colorado, United States; and Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia are the cities most commonly referred to with this name, in their respective countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_City
The Steeler's logo is hardly offensive.
The Steelers logo was introduced in 1962 and is based on the "Steelmark", originally designed by Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel and now owned by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). In fact, it was Cleveland-based Republic Steel that suggested the Steelers adopt the industry logo. It consists of the word "Steelers" surrounded by three astroids (hypocycloids of four cusps). The original meanings behind the astroids were, "Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure, and widens your world." Later, the colors came to represent the ingredients used in the steel-making process: yellow for coal, red for iron ore, and blue for scrap steel.[24] While the formal Steelmark logo contains only the word "Steel," the team was given permission to add "ers" in 1963 after a petition to AISI.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Steelers
It's all too easy to get carried away with political correctness although in some cases it is appropriate.
Steelers-Steel workers in Pittsburgh
Cowboys-Western heritage of Texas
49ers-Gold rush of Northern California
Patriots-American Revolutionary war
Just to name a few.
This is a mascot of the 49ers, who's name comes from immigrants seeking their fortune in gold in Northern California
at Ole Miss.
The University has worked hard at reforming the schools image for over two decades, and since 1993 has eliminated the following:
1) Confederate Battle Flags at games -- the university cannot ban them due to 1st amendment issues, but they have been eliminated from any school produced material, and all flags on a stick have been banned entirely (to eliminate most fans showing it).
2) Dixie by the band
3) From Dixie With Love ("Slow Dixie"
-- an amalgamation song written in the 1970's which incorporated both Dixie and the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The band stopped playing this due to idiotic students.
4) Colonel Reb -- gone, with extreme prejudice. The University has prosecuted trademark cases against people showing images of him. Its now a black bear (Teddy Roosevelt's hunt took place near the campus.)
5) M Flag -- although it exists, take a look at the 1997 version shown in the picture at http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/15/3764319/traditions-define-sec-football.html which has obvious elements of the old confederate battle flag vs the current one which is very generic -- similar to Michigan's with different colors.
6) The nickname "Rebels" is still being discussed, and there have been pushes to change it back to the original "Flood".
The nickname "Ole Miss" itself is a bit tougher, as I don't know of any school in the country which has the dual identity that Ole Miss has -- its much, much more deeply ingrained as a nickname than at most places. It was originally chosen in the 1890's by a student, as a name for the yearbook.
Somehow or other, we terribly racist Aussies manage with team nicknames like: Blues, Demons, Magpies, Bombers, Bulldogs, Lions, Saints, Swans, Roos, Cats, Tigers, Hawks, Suns, Giants, Dockers, Crows, Power, Eagles.
My town has the Bendigo Braves as a basketball team, but you couldn't really call their logo a caricature.
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After one of the largest tribes in the state. In fact, Utah is actually from the Ute tribe meaning 'people of the mountains'.
That's their logo. They also have permission from the Ute tribe to use the name. But the school has been careful to not parody the tribe. They discourage war paint and chanting at games and have changed mascots over the years at the tribe's discretion.
Some might find it offensive. The school has pretty much stated the second the tribe pulls its support, they'll drop the name.
because he thought it marked them as inspired by Satan himself. Little did he know - the ignorant preacher - that Blue Devils are actually named after les diables bleus, the nickname given to an elite French alpine infantry troop which has existed since the late 1800s, and thusly have nothing to do with the devil. Duke at one point was a Methodist institution and the motto was Eruditio et Religio. It is no longer affiliated with the Methodist church. In any event, most Duke students and alumni worship the Church of Krzyzewski anyways
I think the same idiotic preacher raised the same issue with regards to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, though Wake Forest is still a Baptist institution.
might not seem, um, gauche, to put it mildly.
you know what i love about white rationalizations (and I'm white)...they always like to talk about TODAY as if the PAST never happened.
yes, Native Americans were pushed off their land, treaties were forced on them and then broken, then they were forced to assimilate (not that long ago either) and after all this crappy history...
we name our teams and mascots after a civilization that our civilization essentially tried to end.
yeah, that's offensive, if not to Native Americans, it is to me because at least I have some shame.
When the Cleveland Indians are owned by a tribe.
When the Redskins are owned by a tribe 
--well I guarantee you they won't be called the Redskins anymore (unless some other travesty happens).
When you see a logo and it's of "Indians" and tribes or Native Peoples control and benefit from that, then let's talk about it being okay.
Until then, the idea that it "honors" a people without money changing hands or without our nation actually honoring the treaties that were signed --that's hollow.
And hollow is actually insulting.
We've had a huge impact on American culture and have even made male testicles smaller.
How many Native Americans are in decision-making positions at the Washington NFL team, or Cleveland, or Atlanta, etc.? This whole nonsense about "honoring" Native Americans by naming sports teams after them is ludicrous. It is perpetuating lame stereotypes that we are "stoic", "honorable", blah blah blah, but come on. We are PEOPLE. Just like you only maybe a little more "exotic" or something, I don't know. What IS the White fascination with us anyway?
Please, take our word for it. Stop using our names and images. It is insulting. It is demeaning. It diminishes our humanity. Trust us. Just stop it. Please.
My kids' high school mascot. Obviously the name is based on a mistake, and icons are derived from typical 19th-century imagery. But no caricatures like that of the Cleveland Indians.
Should we change the name? It's a current debate topic.
