Wednesday August 10, 2005
The Seminoles and the Seminoles
As our society has changed over the last one or two hundred years, we have changed our understanding of what counts as an unacceptable prejudice. Overt racism has gradually become unacceptable in mainstream society, and even homophobia is gradually on the decline. We even have sports fans coming to the realization that teams names referring to Native Americans are offensive, and some teams are getting renamed.
Now the NCAA is laying down the law for college football on this:
“The NCAA objects to institutions using racial/ethnic/national origin references in their intercollegiate athletics programs,” said NCAA President Myles Brand . . . effective immediately, institutions with student-athletes wearing uniforms or having paraphernalia with hostile or abusive references must ensure that those uniforms or paraphernalia not be worn or displayed at NCAA championship competitions.
Florida State University, famously home of the Seminoles, is up in arms about this, and they have the Seminole Tribe on their side. In fact, the Seminole Tribal Council unanimously adopted a resolution in support of the team’s name and mascot.
The two questions to consider here are: (1) Is it possible for a team thusly named to be worthy of respect if they do everything they can to stay within the bounds of political correctness? and (2) Does “permission” of the subject of the target of alleged prejudice excuse said prejudice?
Let’s take the second issue first. Why might the Seminole Tribal Council be fine with the team name and mascot when obviously not all Seminoles are fine with it? Perhaps a trip to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino can shed some light on this. Now, we support gambling on Native American reservations as a viable—if ultimately futile—attempt to right the wrongs of history. But let’s be serious: this is big business; huge sums of extremely fickle disposable income are trading hands here. The Tribal Council is in effect operating not just as a government, but as the board of a massive corporation (here’s some quick research: revenue in 1997 was about half a billion dollars annually; the huge Hard Rock complex was opened in 2004; it’s safe to assume that the Seminoles today control the biggest chunk of the $16-billion annual income of Native American casinos).
Nothing wrong with that either. But when you’re running a huge corporation, public relations and politics come into play. What better then getting behind an all-American football team to get in the good graces of idiot slot-machine junkies who visit the Hard Rock by the millions (and who could just as easily stay home and drink beer)? And, why piss off the politicians in Tallahassee, a great many of whom are FSU graduates? Doesn’t their support come in handy from time to time?
But none of this would be an issue if the school simply decided to change the name. It’s their decision, and any arguments should be directed at them. And the arguments (as laid out by Native American activists) remain persuasive. The use of these team names and costumed mascots ultimately serve to perpetuate a Hollywood version of Indians as fierce perpetual warriors in war paint and feathers. They distance us from our brutal historical dealings with them, and they distance us from their present day reality, which often includes struggles with poverty, alcoholism, and suicide.
Sports nicknames may seem like a trivial matter, but their prominence in our society helps keep Native Americans trapped in history, cartoon figures frozen on the war-path. Even when they purport to celebrate positive characteristics, these names are perpetuating stereotypes (is there such a thing as a positive stereotype?). We are a country that was grew by slaughtering Native Americans, and naming sports teams after them is nothing more or less then adding insult to injury.
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People, this is important.
It’s not just Native Americans—the word “Indian” is soooo un-P.C.—who need our loving protection from racism, cruelty, and bigotry—but any group incapable of caring for itself. Case in point: animals, who can’t care or speak for themselves, and need our enlightened protection.
Why is it okay to name sports teams after animals? What does it say about our species-centric kind that we stereotype (Chicago) bulls, (Florida) marlins, (Toronto) bluejays, (Detroit) lions AND tigers, (Chicago) bears AND cubs, etc.? People this is just mean and wrong. And what about the poor Toledo Mudhens? And Atlantic City seagulls? Or Pittsburgh Penguins? Why do we stereotype them?
The argument against using names like Redskins and Seminoles applies equally well to all of God’s innocent animal creatures as well. Seated atop the food chain, we have a moral responsibility not to reinforce stereotypes, not to disparage creatures in the minority, and not to cause offense to any sentient being.
I agree that we can’t allow the Seminoles to make their own decisions about their own lives. Like it says above, “Even when they purport to celebrate positive characteristics, these names are perpetuating stereotypes.” This is just too important, and greater than individual choice and responsibility.
Talk about Just Plain Wrong (JPW).
If the racism implied by the NCAA position
were just a bit thicker and more dense,
NASA could spray it on the space shuttle
to replace the cracking foam.
Here’s a bunch of drooling goober white men
—the not-quite-over-adolescent white college sports adults—
issuing an order, telling the Florida Seminole Tribe
that it’s wrong and the Indians morally ill because they
cut a shrewd and profitable legal sponsorship deal
with a local university.
As Tribal President Max Osceola put it perfectly,
“another case of non-Indians telling Indians what to do.”
This episode is a textbook case of why Americans
despise “the liberals.”
Here’s a pack of well-meaning but misguided influential fellows
coming up with a one-size-fits-all solution to a problem
that could only be resolved
on an individual, one-on-one, based-on-the-merits basis.
Outsiders and ideologues devising a system
independent of experience,
insensitive to individuals who might get affected.
People who know they’re right
(and We have the studies to prove it!)
they’re better
(if only EVERYbody were as enlightened as We are!)
and they’re smarter
(even if you think it’s OK, We know better—it’s not!).
Just exactly who on the NCAA
is morally entitled to tell Max Osceola any thing,
any fucking thing at all,
let alone how he should conduct himself as a Native American,
the duly elected representative of his statewide tribe,
(not to mention president of a gigantic corporation)?
Somebody needs to throw a burning spear at a bull’s-eye
painted on NCAA arse.
The entire Seminole tribe is now supporting an appeal from FSU. Guess the NCAA didn’t do their homework when they created this umbrella policy. What jackass missed the fact that the Seminole Tribe of Florida designed the School logo AND mascot?
Too bad St. John’s University couldn’t elicit this type of support when they were forced to change their name from the Redmen to the Red Storm.
I’m kind of hoping this doesn’t get resolved by the first game of the year. With the Dave Chappelle Show officially over I’m finding myself in need of more comical drama. This just might be exactly what I need.
FSU is so offended by this ruling, if it stands, it’s almost certain they would defy the ban. Watching the school’s mascot lead the team onto the field could easily top any episode of “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong”. Seeing Chief Osceola being lead away by NCAA officials would be about the only thing funnier than another Wide Right.
Hey Biscayne Bystander; didn’t i see another blog (or online publication) awhile back that you were a regular contributor to?
I can’t seem to be able to find it now; could you give us the address? I seem to remember it being good stuff . . .