Team picks white man mascot to make point

Greeley Tribune ^ | Posted on Sunday, March 10 @ 04:11:47 EST | Story By Julio Ochoa

[ThreePantherEightyDuce]

An intramural basketball team at the University of Northern Colorado called “The Fighting Whities” is turning the tables on the Eaton mascot issue. Led by Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at UNC, the team chose a white man as its mascot to raise awareness and understanding of stereotypes that some cultures endure.

“The message is, let’s do something that will let people see the other side of what it’s like to be a mascot,” Little Owl said. “I am really offended by this mascot issue, and I hope the people that support the Eaton mascot will get offended by this.”

The players, made up of a mixture of American Indian, Hispanic and caucasian students, wear white jerseys with the picture of a white man in a suit on the front and the slogan “Every thang’s gonna be all white!” printed beneath.

“It’s not meant to be vicious, it is meant to be humorous,” said Ray White, a Mohawk American Indian on the team. “It puts people in our shoes, and then we can say, ‘Now you know how it is, and now you can make a judgement.’ ”

Judging right or wrong is hard when you don’t understand how it feels to be stereotyped, White said.

“We are looking for understanding,” he said. “We want change, but you can’t force change.”

American Indians could go through the general assembly or town meetings to try to change mascots, but the same message might not get through, White said.

“We all live in the same community and want the same things, so it is good to be standing in each other’s shoes for a while,” he said.

Charles Cuny, an Ogalala Lakota and member of the team, said he went to an American Indian Catholic high school with a mascot called the Red Cloud Crusaders, after a famous chief of the Lakota Indians.

The problem with Eaton’s mascot is a matter of respect, he said.

“There are certain words that are accepted and certain words that are unacceptable,” Cuny said. “Really a mascot is something that you look up to, and on one hand that is nice, but maybe we could go about it another way.”

Having a white mascot is a way to make people more aware of American Indian issues, he said.

“We live in a politically correct society, and sometimes indians get overlooked,” he said. “There are so few indians who have clout that there are a lot of things that go unsettled

[jlogajan]

Pick me! Pick me!

[The Turbanator]

I think that's a great mascot name. I'd be proud to be on a team called “The Fighting Whities”.What's wrong with that?

[waterman]

Doesn't do it for me. I'm caucasian and DO NOT find this offensive.

[skeeter]

Looks like Ronald Reagan's their mascot.

[ThreePantherEightyDuce]

I always thought "I am white and outta sight" would be a good slogan for a team like this. ;-)

[The Turbanator]

“The Fighting Whities” If a white guy picked this name they would be in court already.

[coug97]

Before they complain, they ought to ask the tribes who team mascots are named after. I know the Utes of Utah have the tribal blessing to use that name as a mascot.

[Rogle]

I think that this is great. I have thought that Caucasians have been too docile far to long.

[SoDak]

I can't really say I'm offended. More power to 'em.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Team picks white man mascot to make point

[Nonstatist]

How absolutely White of them! My hat's off to these prescient youngsters!

[Billy_bob_bob]

The motto should be "Everything is going to be all white", rather than "Every thang is gonna be all white". Remember, it wasn't white people who came up with Ebonics. We came up with all of that English grammer and stuff that isn't cool anymore.

[ThreePantherEightyDuce]

Yep! I just noticed that. Oh well, instead of searching for the story in the originating newspaper, I should have done a better search. Oh well, I guess it was worth it just to see what their official logo is.

Thanks for the link.

[ThreePantherEightyDuce]

Oh the burn for losing teams... To be laid to waste by a pasty face. ;-)

[LadyDoc]

WHite mascots? Like the Canuks? or the Vikings? Or the Celtics? Or the Fighting Irish? Or the Trojans? Or the Gladiators?

[glory]

I hear you..doesn't offend this caucasian either. Actually think it's humurous. Sounds like it's minorities who have lost thier humor. BTW, what's wrong with the way they have stereotyped whites? If this is the equivalent say to the Cleveland Indians that I have no idea what the h*ll they are offended by now that the shoe is on the other foot. It's only gone to reassure me that I'm on the right side of this issue;-)

[FastCoyote]

"We can't jump, But we can fight!"

---

Lean to the left, lean to the right, stand up, sit down, white white white!

[narby]

Funny stuff.

It took me awhile to figure out that I'm supposed to feel insulted by this. What's wrong with me!?!?

[FastCoyote]

There may be another way to solve the hurt feelings mascot problem for Indians, just apply political correctness. Example: The Atlanta Braves becomes The Atlanta Native American Sensitive Feelings Guys! I'm sure they will go for that!