Nakeya S

Mascots

           

Mascots, why do we always get so offended when we hear this word, or when we see School logos? Why is there such an uproar when it comes to school mascots?  I don’t think there should be an argument. There’s always going to be those kind of people who think mascots are racists or insulting. Then there are people who just don’t care.

I don’t think it’s racist when a school has a mascot named after Indians, because here on the Indian Reservation people know what you mean and they are not offended. My friend brought this up when I ask how she felt about the school mascot. “We have been using the mascots for a long time and I haven’t heard people complain about it, until now.” When your not living on a reservation its different. To you it might sound racists or offensive because you don’t want to go around saying hey look at those Warriors, Chiefs, and Savages.

            Some Indians think that when a school has a mascot named after Indian names its insulting. In 2007 the Ronan Chiefs and Maiden’s had to go through such a problem. Francine Dupuis a concerned member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, thought the school shouldn’t have its sports teams named Chief and Maidens. “A Chief is a revered and respected member of the tribe, not someone who dresses up in feathers and runs around the field.” While the Ronan school board thought that the school should feel nothing but pride to have such mascot names.

            Hot Springs Savage Heat also faced the same thing, because the word “Savage” offended a lot of people. While they were agreeing on a different logo, the school heard that Ronan was already having problems with their mascot. To save people the trouble they changed the dream catcher and Savages, to Savage Heat with the logo of a flaming letter H.  Taylor Wood who was a senior when they changed the mascot said. “…We thought we better change it before we were forced to.”

I’m with the both schools on this one, because I honestly think that a school should be honored and not forced to change their mascots. I personally think that when there are no more Indians alive, at least our mascots will live on. Its’ like giving our mascot names immortality.

            I don’t think we should make a big deal out of this argument about mascots. There is no point in it, why should we make one person who takes it offensive happy when the majority of the people didn’t even think it was offensive until that one person came along. It would also cost a lot more to change a mascot because then you would have to spend thousands on a new gym logo, team uniforms, and new advertising. That is a lot of work for a school, that one person who complained about the mascot name doesn’t see how much work it can be. So when you get offended please think about how much work and money goes into pleasing one person opinion