NCAA given 'Muzzle' for Indian mascot policy

Tuesday, April 10, 2007  

The NCAA's Indian mascot policy has earned the organization a "Muzzle" award for allegedly violating the First Amendment.

The policy bans the use of Indian imagery during post-season college tournaments. Exceptions are allowed if the namesake tribe approves.

The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression says the policy is "politically correct and arbitrary policy." "What's problematic is that it differentiates based on acquiescence that can be obtained from some tribes and penalizes those that don't have identifiable tribes," the center's director told the Associated Press.

The policy has resulted in several colleges and universities to drop or change their Indian mascots.

Get the Story:
Bush, Defense Dept. Get 'Muzzle' Awards (AP 4/10)
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NCAA Update:
Status of Indian Mascot Policy (April 28, 2006)

NCAA Executive Committee Decision:
Native American Mascot Appeals Decisions (April 28, 2006)

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

$rl NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee - http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/
membership/governance/assoc-wide/moic/index.html

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