ABSTRACT
DURING THE PAST TWENTY SEASONS, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASING CONTROversy regarding the names of professional sports teams like the Atlanta “Braves,” Cleveland “Indians,” Washington “Redskins,” and Kansas City “Chiefs.” The issue extends to the names of college teams like the Florida State University “Seminoles,” University of Illinois “Fighting Illini,” and so on, right on down to high school outfights like the Lamar (Colorado) “Savages.” Also involved have been team adoptions of “mascots,” replete with feathers, buckskins, beads, spears, and “warpaint” (some fans have opted to adorn themselves in the same fashion), and nifty little “pep” gestures like the “Indian Chant” and “Tomahawk Chop.”
