Quote:
Originally posted by librasoul22
My point is that I am vehemently against using NA's as team mascots, yet I, too, am affected by the rich tradition behind the way the University uses the mascot.
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Yes, it is. The Munchkin family is connected to the Seminoles, and I went to a HS that used Native American symbols and names. We were the "Big Green Indians," did the Tomahawk Chop, had a totem pole in the front of the school, and a lot of other stuff. Since our relationship with the Choctaw tribe was similar to that Miami supposedly had, it was not that offensive to me as someone with that background. BUT...there were other things. One of my high school teachers who was also of Native American ancestry tried to get the school to change some things, most notably their use of the word "squaw" to describe the head cheerleader
. Her request was met with a lot of rolled eyes and insults from people who didn't care what that word meant--it was tradition for crying out loud!
Since I have little or no contact with my high school now, I have no idea how things are. Being a "Big Green Indian" made me proud at 15, but in my 20s, I'm more than a little ambivalent.