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SPORTS TEAM MASCOTS

A TIMELINE OF CHANGE

1968

• The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) beings campaign to address stereotypes found in print and other media.

1969

• American Indian activists at Dartmouth College successfully change the school's "Indians" nickname to "Big Green".
   
• Oklahoma State retires its "Little Red" mascot.

1970

• Protests against the Cleveland "Indians" professional baseball team's use of the "Chief Wahoo" mascot occur in Cleveland, Ohio.

1971

• Marquette University changes its "Indian" related nicknames and mascots.
   

1972

• A petition filed by American Indian students at Standford University results in the school dropping its "Indian" sports team nickname and logos.

1979

• Syracuse University ends the use of its "Saltine Warrior" mascot.
   

1988
 

• The Michigan State Civil Rights Commission issues a report on nicknames, logos and mascots depicting American Indian people in Michigan education institutions.
   
• The Minnesota State Board of Education issues a resolution stating that "the use of mascots, emblems, or symbols depicting American Indian culture or race is unacceptable" and encourages all districts to immediately begin the removal of such mascots, etc.
   

1989
 

• Charlene Teters, an American Indian graduate student attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, initiates efforts to eliminate that school's "Chief Illiniwek" mascot.

1991
 

• The Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs requests 27 public schools in that state to end their use of American Indian mascots and nicknames.
   

1992
 

• The Portland Oregonian announces it will no longer use the terms "Redskins" and other American Indian related terms in print. Radio stations WASH and WTOP in Washington, DC also adopt similar policies.
   

1993
 

• During its Executive Council Winter Session, the National Congress of American Indians issues its support for the cancellation petition against the Washington Redskins trademark.
   
• During its Mid-Year Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the National Congress of American Indians denounces the use of any American Indian name or artifice associated with team mascots.
   
• Arvada High School, near Denver, Colorado, drops its "Redskins" sports team nickname.
   

1994
 

• The State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issues a directive "strongly urging" all Wisconsin schools using American Indian related mascots to discontinue such uses.

1995
 

• St. John's, the largest Catholic university in the United States, changes its "Redmen" nickname to "Redstorm".
   

1996

• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ends the use of its "Chief Moccanooga" mascot.
   
• Miami University of Ohio drops its "Redskins" nickname.
   
• The Toronto Bluejays triple-A farm team in Syracuse, NY, acknowledges concerns express by the community and changes its nickname from "Chiefs" to "Skychiefs".
   
• Hull Western Christian school in Hull, Iowa, is honored by the Sioux City Human Rights Commission for retiring the school's "Indians" mascot and logo.

• Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado changes its mascot from an "Indian" to a Grizzly.
   

1997
 

• During its Mid-Year Conference in Juneau, Alaska, the National Congress of American Indians reaffirms its support for the cancellation petition filed before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board calling for an end to the register service marks of the Washington Redskins.

• The Board of Education for the Los Angeles, California consolidated school district moves to eliminate "Indian" related mascots from four schools in its jurisdiction.

• During its Annual Convention in Sante Fe, New Mexico, the National Congress of American Indians commends the L.A. Board of Education for leading the way for other school districts to respect native culture and promote positive images of American Indian people.
   
• The minor league Canton-Akron Indians rename themselves the Akron Aeros and boost their merchandise sales from $60,000 to $1.2 million, the largest merchandise income of any minor league team.

1998
 

• Yakima College in Washington State honors the concerns expressed by the American Indian community and elects to retire the schools race-related mascot.

• The first national Conference on the Elimination of Racist Mascots is held at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

• A federal judge upholds the L.A. Board of Education's 1997 decision to eliminate several "Indian" related mascots and nicknames from its district.

• The New York State Education Department launches an investigation of the use of American Indian mascots by New York's schools to determine if their use is offensive and should be stopped.
• 
   
• Southern Nazarene University, a small Christian school in Bethany, Oklahoma, retires its "Redskins" nickname in favor of "Crimson Storm".

Sources:

Robert Eurich, www.geocities.com/~earnestman/1indexpage.htm , Wisconsin Commission on Indian Affairs, and
Indian Country Today.