Julianne Jennings: Indian people reduced to ornaments on lawn

My senses were being flooded with ideas while walking along, from barrel, prickly pear and hedgehog cacti to flowering trees, tropical plants, colored gravel, water fountains, and a variety of lawn decorations: birdhouse, flamingos, flags, and even a weather beaten concrete Indian statue — made up of a mixture of water, paste and aggregate — the “brave” took its place of honor as a cherished garden perch for song birds and dogs needing to relieve themselves. To me, it represented hegemonic subjugation and cultural degradation of Native people. I decided to talk to the home owners, who had also placed an Atlanta Braves banner next to it. The banner was mounted a pole that included a wooden plaque with the words “My Tribe” inscribed on it.

After grilling my new neighbors they said, “The Indian mascot was not being used in a negative way. Really? The owner simply said, “He liked the team.” I explained, mascots based on Native American tribes (or Early depictions of African American men and women usually confined to demeaning stereotypical images of people of color—such as loyal servants, mammies, and butlers) are particularly contentious, as many argue that they constitute offensive exploitations of an oppressed culture.

From 1912 to 1989 the Braves logo consisted of the head of a Native American. From 1912 to 1956 it was a Native American with a headdress, and thereafter a laughing Native American with a mohawk and one feather in his hair. In 1990 the logo was changed to just the word “Braves” in cursive with a tomahawk below it.

In addition, several Indian tribes have actually come out in support of keeping the names. For example, the Utah Utes and the Central Michigan Chippewas are sanctioned by local tribes. Similarly, the Florida State Seminoles are supported by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in their use of Osceola and Renegade as symbols. FSU chooses not to refer to them as mascots because of the offensive connotation. This has not, however, prevented fans from engaging in “Redface”–dressing up in stereotypical, Plains Indian outfits during games or creating offensive banners saying “Scalp ‘em” as was seen at the 2014 Rose Bowl.