
AMERICAN INDIANS
AND
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.