Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
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MIAMI, FL - The American Indian Movement of Florida (AIM Florida) will hold a protest of Florida State University (FSU)'s use of Indigenous peoples as a sports mascot beginning at 6:30 PM January 3, 2001 at the NW 199th Street entrance to Gate 4 of Pro Player Stadium in Miami, FL for the 2001 Orange Bowl Game.

As we move into the 21st century it is time America began to respect Indigenous peoples. No other group of human beings suffers the indignity of both racial and spiritual stereotypes trivializing and degrading their culture in a circus like atmosphere.

Florida State University has never officially asked for, let alone recieved, permission from the traditional Seminole peoples in Florida or Oklahoma or the Indian Reorganization Act Tribal Councils in Florida and Oklahoma.

Moreover the mascot uses images that have nothing to do with Seminole peoples or culture. The mascot looks more like a Hollywood actor trying to look like an Lakota but got lost in a Lakota dressing room riding a Nez Perce horse. No other group of human beings is racially trivialized into a mascot. There is no Florida State University Sambos, no Florida State University Chicanos, no Florida State University Crackers where the mascot acts in a disgraceful, shameful, and racist stereotypical manner. There is no FSU Catholics where the mascot Pope does the lambada with mascot Nuns while tossing communion wafers on the field as the fans woop it up in a gregorian chant while doing the crucifix chop.

As we enter the 509th year of interaction between the dominant society and Indigenous peoples basic human respect should not be too much to expect. The US Civil Rights Commission noted this year that killing a dog or Moose out of season is more of a crime than killing an Indian. It seems America only wants to watch sports teams degrade, trivialize, dehumanize Indian people on weekends and turns a blind eye to the reality of Indigenous peoples in the America's.

It is time for this practice to stop. We ask all human being to recognize that American Indians are Human Beings not sports team mascots for America's fun and games. And join or support us on January 3rd in Miami at the Orange Bowl.