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Native American Logos Research Paper

Decent Essays

“The use of the Redskins nickname was conducted among a random sample of 504 Native American adults. Ninety percent of respondents said they are not bothered by the Redskins name, and 73 percent of respondents said they do not find the name disrespectful” (Eitzen and Zinn). Native American logos are a very controversial topic but, what most people do not know is how the Native American population feels about these logos. Sports teams should not get rid of Native American logos because they represent Native Americans, the logos represent freedom of speech, and most Native Americans support the logos. “An agreement with local Native American tribes features a hockey arena, the Ralph Engelstad Arena, and the attached Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, …show more content…

Others say that the logos should be taken down because they are offensive to some Native Americans. “Although school names and other symbols evoke strong emotions of solidarity among followers, there is also a potential dark side to their use. The symbols may dismiss, differentiate, demean, and trivialize marginalized groups such as African-Americans, Native Americans, and women”(Kelly). The names, mascots, logos, and flags chosen may be derogatory to some groups. In reality, the mascots and symbols are a sense of pride and spirit for students and their schools. People are complaining about the logos being offensive but in reality it is only a small percent of Native Americans that are upset with the logos. Of course you can not ignore people's opinions but when it is the minority that is complaining you have to respect the silent majority. "Opinions around the use of Indian-related nicknames are as diverse as the people you ask," says Kerry Steiner, executive director of the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission. "There are some Native Americans opposed to using nicknames but there are many who are in favor of keeping them.”(Kelly). To sum it up the problem is really just a minority of the Native Americans that are upset with the logos. People say that the logos offend Native Americans but as polls show, most are in favor of them and do not want to see teams change their

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