The American Indian Wilderness is a story by Louis Owens that tells of two different viewpoints that a man has and how his viewpoint changed from one to the other. The first viewpoint is that nature and civilization are separate and should stay so. The second viewpoint is that nature and civilization are connected in many ways. The author, a park ranger with the United States Forest Service, is tasked with the removal of an eighty year old shelter high in the White Pass Meadow which is located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. The shelter removal is the key point of the story, as it is a turning point in the viewpoint of the author.
Jay Rosentein took a look at the long time practice of honoring Native American’s as mascots and team names in sports whether professional levels or college teams. He gives us insight that it is not only about using the natives as mascots but the issue at hand of racism, minority representation and stereotypes. This film is more than the practice of utilizing Indians as mascots, it is about culture identity and how we should all change to make a difference. In this documentary we follow Charlene Teters, the leader some have called her the Rosa Parks of Native Americans and her struggles to protect her identity and cultural symbols.
Should Sports Teams Stop Using Native Americans as a Mascot? For decades, sports teams have used Native Americans as mascots. Professional sports teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Redskins seem to be the most controversial when it comes to this topic. However, many Native Americans, myself included, find the use of our people as mascots offensive.
The issue of the Native American mascots used by sports teams such as baseball, football and hockey in the United States were first brought up by Native American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. The movement had protested the use of Native American related references in two teams in particular, the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins. The Cleveland Indians had used Chief Wahoo as their sports logo, whereas the Washington’s use of “Redskins” as their team name is still, to this day, controversial due to the nature of the name as a derogatory slang (King, 2010.) It is unclear how or why such names were picked out as sports teams’ names and mascot or logo, but it is seen that European Americans in the 19th century has started the ‘trend’ of doing so.
Making a person a mascot is rude and takes away their human aspect, they seem just like something that is watched in amusement not a person who cares about what they are called. Using terms like ‘Indians’ and having the mascot in the typical head dress with feathers is extremely stereotypical when most Native Americans today wear normal clothing and are like anybody else. The president of the NCAI (National Congress of American Indians spoke on this topic. “The invisibility of Native peoples and lack of positive images of Native cultures may not register as a problem for many Americans, but it poses a significant challenge for Native youth who want to maintain a foundation in their culture and language. The Washington team’s brand — a name derived from historical terms for hunting native peoples — is a central component to this challenge" (NCAI President Brian Cladoosby).
There has been a great controversy over whether or not schools and teams keep their Mascots that portray images of Native Americans. Articles in newspapers, websites, and magazines discussing the topic are provided to the public. There is even a press release from the supreme court where they have addressed such issue. Schools, teams, and Native Americans have viewed these documents and taken their own stand on the issue. I am going to decide whether or not cities/teams should get rid of their Native American mascots/nicknames.
First off, the definition of a mascot is “An animal, person, or thing adopted by a group as its representative symbol and supposed to bring good luck” (Dictionary). A mascot is something people are proud of and rally behind, it’s an honor to be a mascot. Karl Swanson, vice-president of the Washington Redskins professional football team, declared in the magazine Sports Illustrated that his team's name "symbolizes courage, dignity, and leadership," and that the "Redskins symbolize the greatness and strength of a grand people.” (Wikipedia). In 2002 Sport Illustrated conducted a survey and found that 81% of Native Americans not living on a reservation and 53% of Native Americans living on a reservation didn’t find this discriminatory (Wikipedia).
The Coyote is a renowned trickster among various Native Americans. The Coyote is revered for his cunning, humor and creation of boundaries. He is an interesting character found in Native American cultures across North America.
They exchanged many things, such as physical items and information, and cultural exchanges. These exchanges were everywhere, and there is no specific event or person involved. These contributions include the areas of agriculture, food, language, and also government. In the areas of agriculture, the Natives being skilled farmers, have taught valuable farming techniques to the early newcomers on many crops.
Shaping the Mindset In ancient times nature surrounded everything. The Iroquois Indians only knew nature, it is what they were taught. Their storytellers used myths or traditional stories explaining a phenomenon and fables or stories using animals to convey a moral. In the Iroquois nation’s creation myth “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and the fable “ Coyote and Buffalo” by Mourning Dove, both use cultural beliefs, a series of supernatural events, and colorful archetypes to prove to the origin of the earth.
The Environments shape had a part in forming Native American cultures and civilizations. Native Americans would used the surrounding land around them and the environment to suit their needs, they believed in respecting nature and any changes in it would result in a change for them to. The season determined how crops would grow, they were able to adjust their diets and food gathering skills to survive those changing seasons. Native Americans eventually developed an agriculture system based on: corn, beans, and squash, more commonly known as “three-sister” farming. This diet provided by the clever farming technique resulted in high population densities.
The deer is revered by many cultures. Southwest Native Americans, and a handful of Mesoamerican tribes, in particular, especially sanctify the animal (“Native American”). Assyro-Babylonians described deer as a link between early life and the netherworld, and Norse mythology details their ability to move between the worlds (Thompson)(“Stories, Legends, and Teachings). Throughout the nations, deer are viewed as symbols of kindness, peace, caring love , and fertility . Cervines have long been a symbol of the interconnectedness of humankind and nature, since they are intimately interwoven with the fate of mankind.
Ever since the dawn of art where pigment was applied to rock walls to this day and most likely for many years ahead, animals have been used for translating a meaning and for symbolism such as storytelling, metaphors, representing religious beliefs and so forth. Some of the oldest of cave drawings are subjected around the largest of animals spotted, with exaggerated sizes of body parts such as small thin legs holding up massive bodies. In later times the exaggeration or misunderstanding of certain features was still common, especially in the medieval era. In the early years, Christianity was a big deal and many Christian artworks that projected an image of animals, both real or fantasy based, were believed to possess a religious symbolism.
The Indians respect for nature reflected the long-held customs and beliefs of their culture, whereas the Europeans viewed nature as an obstacle to their desires. The religious beliefs were diverse among several Native American tribes but all had faith in the Great Spirit who provided everything for them. The Europeans demeanor towards nature conflicted with that of the Native Americans. The Europeans seemed determined to eradicate not only the indigenous people but the land they occupied as well. For both societies, the impact of two worlds questioned old concepts and designed new ones.
Symbolism especially with animals played a huge part in the Native American religion party. Native American religion is something hard to define. In order for you to understand the meaning of their religion you have to grow up submersed in the beliefs,practices, and know the traditions of any tribe. It’s something really different, it isn’t the same as becoming a born-again Christian or converting to judaism. Each tribute and peoples had their own unique beliefs,legends, and rituals, but they all believed the world was filled with spirits.
