Stereotyping of Native Americans
[received via email in response to the Rocky Mountain News article 'Whities' mascot about education, not retaliation. Printed with Mr. Maxim's permission]
Heard about this tonight on the radio coming home from work. Howie Carr was commenting that the team has been deluged with t-shirt requests. The team should have patented. At first I laughed, then I paused.
Acceptance of racial stereotypes of "Indians" as they're commonly called is not only more wide-spread than any other race, but actually ingrained so steadfastly into the American culture that most people don't see what all the fuss is about.
It's similar to the Jim Crowe era southerners who flatly professed, "hell I don't mean no disrespect by callin' 'em Niggers, that's just what we always called 'em. I like niggers fine. A lot of 'em are friends of mine. When I call 'em that I ain't bein disrespectful, it's just what we grew up callin' 'em.
It was so ingrained that it was impossible for anyone of that generation to imagine that dark skinned people would, or even should, feel offended. In fact many became downright indignant if some did. After all they didn't mean no harm. The fact is...disrespect...is disrespect in the eyes of the offended, not the offender.
Tribal, and racial stereotypes about "Indians" is so ingrained, that even some people of tribal ancestry, readily accept names like "Redskins", Warriors, Braves, Fighting Skins, Fighting Indians, Red Raiders, etc ad. nausem at every level in sports -- from community, to high school, college, and on up to professional levels, without any offense. But many others, feel great offense.
That fact that it offends so many, seems (so far at least) to have had little impact on the culture. But this is a growing awareness. This latest protest,"The WHITIEES" (oh man), seems amusingly comedic at first glance, but it may have a more significant impact than was first imagined or intended, as others in the "mainstream" begin to take time... to take offense, for the first time.
Here's the test I pose to people when they ask if I'm personally offended by the caracatures and names of "Indians" being used. Take any name and caracature & change the stereotype and tell me if it seems offensive to your own sensibilities.
For example, ask yourself if you would feel offended if they announced they were changing the Washington Redskins to the Washington "Blackskins", and put a flared-nostrilled caracature of Kunta Kinte on the helmets, or a crazed-eyed Zulu Warrior with a bone in his nose weilding a spear. Do you think folks would argue that they were "honoring" black people, and their noble fighting spirit?
How about if they called them the Washington "Yellowskins", a slanty-eyed Asian guy weilding a samurai sword. Would that sound offensive to anyone you may know?
Do you suppose the "Fighting Puerto Ricans" would sell? A switchblade weilding caracature stealing a hub cap and heading toward the end zone.
How about the Fighting Kikes, or Waups, or The Ginnie Radiers, or Fighting Hebes, or a Boston favorite, The Washington Micks? Whitey Bulger could be on the jersey!
Imagine the Washington "Whiteskins", with a caracature of George W. on the helmet, (substitute any of the following Georges; Washington, Wallace, or "Double-yuh"). Now picture Warren Moon, Warren Sapp, Walter Payton, Joe Greene, Jim Brown,or any other black athlete wearing that helmet into the Hall of Fame?
What kind of reaction would that draw from the mainstream press? What would Jim Rome, or Sports Illustrated, or ESPN, or even the NFL have to say about that? And yet many have been mute for years... too many years Jim. Baseball is the same, and so is Hockey. Amazing when you think about it. It's as accepted as minstrel shows were in the fifties.
Only time will tell if this generation of sports reporters have grown the gonads, and the sensibility to recognize that when any American race is diminished by humiliating racial stereotyping, we all are. Remember the reaction to Jimy the Greek's comment? How about Howard Cosell's "look at that little monkey go"? Do you suppose Fuzzy Zoeller would have lost his sponsors if Jim Thorpe had won the Masters and he had said, "I hope he serves up some maize and buffalo"? Honestly, the nation would have laughed. Well, not all the nations.
Where is the outrage over this far more patently offensive and pervasive practice? Not enough in the majority are offended because the practice is still acculturated. It's ingrained! Making fun of "Indians", or portraying them as a bygone race of "Noble Fighting Savages" has enjoyed a long history of acceptance in our culture. Unfortunately many of us are not yet gone, were still in the room.
Today, millions of American "Indians" are offended. But some are just beginning to feel courageous enough to say so. Not unlike those first timid voters, who after years of humilliation which most came to accept under the sting of the lash, followed those loudmouthed "niggers" who had the courage to speak up, to the polls to vote for the first time, when the civil rights legislation and enforcements of our childhoods came to pass.
So will "Massasoit's Day" ever be a national holiday? I wouldn't hold my breath.
But even a small thing, like the people of a great nation standing up to say -- you can't disrespect these people and their heritage in these public ways anymore, would be a big step.
Big enough, to take my held breath away.
Bob
"How long? Not Long!" - Rev.Martin Luther King Jr.
