Why don Native Americans like sports teams with Indian mascots?
Some Native Americans find the concept of using humans as mascots spiritually offensive, but most native people who object to sports teams are doing it because of specifically racist aspects of the teams. For example, “Redskins” and “Squaws” are such crude words I really hesitated to use them on this page at all, but major professional and college sports teams use them as their names. Other teams with non-offensive names, like “Indians” or “Warriors,” still use offensive pictures (like the Cleveland Indian mascot) or have white dancers mimicking Native American religious rituals. These things are hurtful and make Indians feel angry, just as mocking pictures and names making fun of you would. Most Native Americans do not have a problem with sports teams that have non-offensive names and do not include rude pictures or religious insults. Some Native American tribes have welcomed local sports teams named in their honor when those teams treat them respectfully.
