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Education
Choctaw Nation chief has no problem with 'Savages'



Photo Reznet News.

Choctaw Nation Chief Greg Pyle has no problem with the "Savages" nickname of Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Pyle is a 1972 graduate of SOSU and says the NCAA shouldn't tell the school what to do about the name. "That's for people in this area to decide," he told KTEN Channel 10.

Pyle said the Choctaw Nation has a lot of other problems to worry about. "We have people who need jobs very bad. We need small children getting enrolled in school. We have over five thousand scholarships we give every year. We produce our own money for that. We run our own businesses. Those are priority," he said.

SOSU has distanced itself from "Savages" in recent years, eliminating direct references to Indian culture. But fans still perform a "chant" and "tomahawk chop" at games, according to a recent article [Link] in RezNet News.

A panel has been created to look into the name.

Get the Story:
Nickname Change: Choctaw Nation Chief Speaks Out (KTEN 8/24)

NCAA Announcement:
NCAA Executive Committee Issues Guidelines for Use of Native American Mascots at Championship Events (August 5, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Southeastern Oklahoma State University - http://www.sosu.edu
NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee - http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/
membership/governance/assoc-wide/moic/index.html

National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media - http://www.aimovement.org/ncrsm

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