Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

It is interesting that Jeff Jacoby finds it "intolerable" to stereotype African-Americans through grotesque caricatures such as Sambo, but perfectly acceptable to do the same thing to American Indians via Chief Wahoo or Chief Illiniwek.

Mr. Jacoby, then in the height of paternalism, decides for Indian people that Chief Wahoo, and presumably all Indian mascots are not offensive. It appears Mr. Jacoby believes the only stereotype of Indian people that exists is as alcoholics. He claims that if Indians were depicted as "savages" he would understand. Huh? Has he looked at the mascots at FSU, Illinois, Washington's NFL team? Why does he think they are considered, "stronger, braver and better." Because they are depicted as savage caricatures of Indigenous peoples.

In reality sports American Indian sports team mascots are disgraceful, shameful and racist. Imagine the Washington Negros in which their Sambo mascot munches on watermelon and runs around picking up cotton and casually named Kunte Kinte. How about the Cleveland Jews in which the mascot Rabbi runs around the field with a Torah tossing coins around the field. Or the Florida State Catholics where the mascot Jesus does the lambada with a cheerleading "Nun" and tosses communion wafers on the field while the fans do the Crucifix Chop. Nothing degrading here. Remember we are honoring them, no matter how loudly the African-Americans, Jews and Catholic cry foul.

The reality is the cartoon figures maybe "cheerful" but they do demean, and certainly no honor is intended. American Indian students have been greeted at the University of North Dakota by fliers calling them "prairie ni**gers" and worse for calling for the end to the use of the Sioux people as a sports mascot. You think they really were intending to honor Indian people? The reality is no other group of people is similarly demeaned with these pervasive mascots. No one cared about the incredible number of hate crime murders of Lakota people in White Clay, NE; Rapid City, SD; Mobridge, SD; Winslow, AZ and elsewhere. Why? Because Indian people aren't seen as a living, breathing, culture by the dominant society-but rather as some cartoonish figure whose culture is ridiculed and trivialized every weekend in a circus like atmosphere.

While Americans, rightly, reeled in shock from the murder of Mr. Byrd in Texas and the young man in Wyoming-did anyone catch the name of Hunkpapa Lakota Candace Rough Surface whose racially motivated murderers and rapists got lenient sentences in South Dakota? Nope. But everyone knows Wahoo is grinning. There is something desperately wrong with that picture, and that's what Elsie Meeks, a Lakota woman on the United States Civil Rights Commission is attempting to fix. That Mr. Jacoby would belittle her efforts is beyond repugnant and distasteful.

Perhaps next week Mr. Jacoby can enlighten us as to his knowledge of Indigenous peoples and culture and how he came to the conclusion, based on his vast knowledge and experience, that he knows more than the National Congress of American Indians, American Indian Movement, National Indian Youth Council, Concerned Indian Parents, National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, and virtually every other Indigenous organization in the United States which have long opposed the use of American Indian people as a sports team mascot. Or perhaps he will simply take the easy out and write another column pandering to the hype against whatever "politically correctness" is. Wonder which way he will go. I have a good idea, don't you?

Sincerely,

Sheridan Murphy
State Executive Director
American Indian Movement of Florida
Two Elk/Goyette Memorial State Office
136 4th Street North Saint Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone: 727-826-6960 ~ FAX: 727-550-2207
E-mail AIMFL@aol.com
URL: http://members.aol.com/AIMFL