Opinion: Get rid of Indian mascots in sports

Monday, April 28, 2008  

"My husband greets each new major league baseball season with hope and anticipation that his favorite boyhood team, the Cleveland Indians, will make it to the post-season, and perhaps even the World Series. This year they might have a good chance.

We had a bit of a spat about his team during the winter. You see, I threw away his sweatshirt. I finally realized that I could no longer stand looking at the face of “Chief Wahoo” one second longer, so I dumped it. I told him he could get one with a “C” on it, but not that grinning, red face.

That disgusting caricature is, in my opinion, the worst of the racist Native-American sports team mascots. Wahoo is said to be a part of the team’s history and an honor to a former Native-American player. I’m betting if that player saw this logo he would, in no way, consider it an “honor.”

Cleveland now has a pitcher named Masahide Kobayashi. Should they honor him by changing their name to the Cleveland Asians? That cartoon face could be bright yellow, not red; just put a kung-fu headband in place of the feather. Or, move the team to Atlanta, and instead of tomahawks, the crowd could wave chopsticks and yell “banzai.” Imagine this ethnic stereotype for any other group: Hispanic, African-American, Italian, etc. Would any of them stand for this rude “honor” for one minute?"

Get the Story:
Ann Lewis: Time to shelve Native-American sports mascots (The Asheville Citizen-Times 4/28)