ABSTRACT
While there were worse quotes in studies and reports by Native activists like Amanda Blackhorse and Indian artists like Charlene Teters, much of the outright racist commentary we identify are basic American perspectives of “Whites” and some non-Indian people of color, who appear to believe that these race-based team names and mascot imagery are not linked to racism (even as they make racist statements). We also must observe how the dominant society uses social science methods, including surveys, to reinforce hegemonic claims and attitudes of denial. Like the Goddard article, this has gone to the extreme of claiming a majority of Native people support these mascots that supposedly honor them as
traditions, which anyone involved with Indigenous Peoples can see is grossly exaggerated at best. We make the observations by referring to two surveys I have conducted: the Cleveland Indians, a careful study that identied American Indians and other Clevelanders on Wahoo mascots; and the Washington Redskins, a quick study to demonstrate Native responses to the complexity of racism in a team name.
