Posted on 05/19/2012 8:55:47 AM PDT by MovementConservative
Under a new rule that may be the toughest in the nation, at least 15 Oregon schools must get rid of their Native American-themed mascots by 2017 or risk losing state funding.
The State Board of Education passed the new policy in a 5-1 vote Thursday afternoon.
"I'm overwhelmed, but I'm holding back on my emotions -- I have a meeting to finish," said board Chairwoman Brenda Frank, a member of the Klamath Tribes. "It's been a long time coming."
The decision, in the works for six years, requires schools to eliminate names like "Indians," "Chiefs" and "Braves." "Warriors" may stay, but the logos may not reference tribal customs or traditions.
Supporters of mascot bans have long held that the names are racist and encourage students to develop stereotypes. Opponents say a ban will destroy traditions and waste money on purging the mascots from schools in times of tight budgets.
Nationally, there have been various pushes to do away with using race-based mascots for decades. The debate in Oregon schools picked up in earnest in 2006, when Che Butler, a former Taft High School student, brought the issue before the state board.
Butler told The Oregonian at the time that he decided to go to the board after his school played the Molalla High Indians. During the game he saw a student dressed in buckskin and fake feathers performing stereotypical Native American dance moves.
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
Any Indian that shows up at a Braves baseball game to protest the tomahawk chop rally motion of the audience seriously needs to get a life or a job.
Can a person scalp tickets at a Beaver game?
#2 There once was a cross-eyed indian that could not tell heads from tails.
You should have seen some of the crazy scalps he had!
Ba-da-boom!
You racist! I'm Irish I can assure you that we only get pugnacious after a dozen or so shots.
For the past few years, the Oakland (sometimes LA) Raiders is an effront to real “Raiders.”
Someone has way too much time on his(her, his or her, his and her, soon to be her, soon to be him, soon to be it) hands.
The first rule of Political Correctness:
1) It must be utterly illogical.
The appropriate response to this is to declare the State Board of Education to be racist and anti-Indian, as they “reject scholastic honors to the noble culture and traditions of Native Americans.”
When they blubber that they aren’t racists, then demand they present statements by Indian tribes to the effect that they are offended by such logos and statements. Which they can’t do.
The real zinger would be, as proof of this, how the Board of Education has never created any classes about Indian history or culture, so that non-Indian students can learn about them.
The earliest known use of the name "Oregon" was in a 1765 petition by Major Robert Rogers to the Kingdom of Great Britain, seeking money to finance an expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. The petition read "the rout . . . is from the Great Lakes towards the Head of the Mississippi, and from thence to the River called by the Indians Ouragon. . . .”[2] Thus the early Oregon Country and now the present day state of Oregon took their names from the river now known as the Columbia River.[3]July 20 1860 Connecticut Pidgin Algonquian wauregan "Beautiful".[82][83] First named by Major Robert Rogers in a petition to King George III.[84] See also: Oregon (toponym)
Looks like they'll have to change the state's name first.
Rotflol!
“Butler told The Oregonian at the time that he decided to go to the board after his school played the Molalla High Indians. During the game he saw a student dressed in buckskin and fake feathers performing stereotypical Native American dance moves.”
Here there was an Indian Pageant for scores of years in which the Mohawks taught all the hunting dances, etc to the white kids, who got all rubbed in brown color for skin, compleat with feathers and loincloths under the aegis of the Mohawks. Even the white girls dressed in buskin to dance. Times have changed.
Living on the reservation for a good length of time now, I can say this has a great deal of support from Native Americans.
In Oklahoma (Choctaw word, of course) there is still strong support for Indian mascots among Indians and non-Indians alike. There is some resistance to “The Savages” and wild caricatures. Some towns have changed, many have no intention.
Of course, there are 77 counties in Oklahoma. In 2008, Ubama carried -0-! Oregon? They have problems.
Oldplayer
BTW, if you don't call me a Choctaw, you can call me American Indian. Please do NOT call “Native American.” Lot's of non-Indians (and Freepers) are now native born. I hope our next president is one.
Shouldn’t you be changing your screen name?
In NYS the names would have to be:
The Tobacco Merchants.
The Gas Pumpers.
The Casino Operators.
The Tax Slayers.
Yeah their ancestors were screwed big time a few hundred years ago but there are not one of them alive today. Get with the program before Mubumbo Odumbo kills off all the opportunities this country has to offer.
If you go far enough back in time almost all of our ancestors suffered some sort of hardships at the hands of others but even a blind person can see what damage the constant victim-hood mentality has done to a significant minority in the USA. Stay on the plantation so you can bitch or get with the program and prosper.
It’s always a “cracker” that uses the work “injun”. Ironic.
It’s always a “cracker” that uses the word “injun”. Ironic.
Mighty Whiteys?
I don't know if Indians are really behind this -- it's probably guilty or bossy White liberals -- but if they are it may be their way of reminding us that they still exist.
This is excessive though. I suppose teams called the Braves will drop the "s" for a funny-sounding, but non-ethnic name. Teams called the Warriors ought to be able to play up the ancient Greek or Roman theme, but may just change their names to Spartans or Trojans and avoid the whole controversy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.