"We've all heard the pleas for sports teams to leave behind the derisive nicknames of another era. And perhaps we can agree that there's little defense for some names. Take, for example, the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Savages. (Women's teams: the Lady Savages. I kid you not.)

But, wait: Turns out that the chief of the Choctaw Nation defends the Savages. Instead of ripping the college for insensitivity, tribal officials are proud of the name and emphasize the school's support for the quarter of its students who are Indians.

Sometimes when you look beyond the easy slogans of activists, you find something more interesting: Most people simultaneously cherish history and want to do the right thing.

Two major studies show that while activists are busy suing teams, many Indians take no offense. A survey of Indians conducted in 2002 for Sports Illustrated found that 81 percent don't think high school or college teams should drop Indian nicknames. Asked about the Redskins, 75 percent said the name doesn't offend them. Last year, the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Election Survey found that 90 percent of Indians did not consider "Redskins" offensive."

Get the Story:
Marc Fisher: Block That Mascot? Bite Your Tongue (The Washington Post 11/16)
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