The GIST - Sunday Scroll: Fight’s not finished

A thoughtful Scroll to start the day ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Sunday Scroll
From The GIST Team

Hello!

Welcome to The GIST’s Sunday Scroll, where we dive deep into one timely sports topic.

In honor of November being Native American Heritage Month in the U.S. and with American Thanksgiving later this week, we’re focusing on Native American mascots in sports and the work being done to eliminate these harmful stereotypes.

  • This remains a pervasive issue from high school to the pros, so today, we’re shedding light on it and calling for change.
Quote of The Day
Quote “There’s no way that the use of Natives as mascots is honoring… That’s an illusion.”
Dr. Stephanie A. Fryberg smiles

— Northwestern University professor and member of the Tulalip Tribes Dr. Stephanie Fryberg on the psychological harm Native American mascots have on Indigenous youth.

The Scroll

📖 History and context

A group of protesters demonstrate against the Cleveland Indians mascot prior to the Opening Day game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals
Source: Jason Miller/Getty Images

The beginning of the movement to remove harmful “Indian” mascots can be traced back to the 1968 National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) campaign to address stereotypes found in pop culture and media, including sports mascots.

  • There’s been significant progress since, with hundreds of names and mascots being removed in the last few decades thanks to Indigenous-led activism. But the work is not yet complete.

And while many opposed to removing Indigenous mascots say that they “honor Native Americans” or aren’t inherently harmful, countless studies have shown the real psychological damage these stereotypes cause for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.

  • The widespread use of “Indian” mascots caused Native American participants in one study to report lower self-worth. It also encouraged the use of racial slurs by non-Indigenous people.
  • What’s more, a separate study found that the images led Indigenous youth to believe what they could achieve was limited by their race.

It’s not just a game, or just a chant, or just a character — these mascots cause real-life, lasting damage, and it’s well past time for change.

   

⏳ The fight continues

A fan holds a sign stating "the chop is racist" during the ninth inning in Game One of the World Series during the ninth inning at Minute Maid Park on October 26, 2021 in Houston, Texas
Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images

A high-profile example of these harmful stereotypes was on stark display at the 2021 World Series. When Atlanta’s MLB team (whose stadium is on Cherokee land) plays at home, it’s impossible to watch a game without hearing and seeing fans doing a racist gesture called “The Chop.”

  • “The Chop” mimics the use of a tomahawk and has been widely criticized, with Indigenous people such as St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley (who is a member of the Cherokee Nation) calling for it to be eliminated.

And while you’d think Atlanta competing on the national stage would be an opportunity to enact change, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred instead brushed aside the conversation, claiming that “the Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop.” Umm, what?

  • The NCAI (along with other Indigenous leaders) released a statement explaining how far off-base (no pun intended) Manfred’s comments were, but “The Chop” continues to be broadcast throughout the stadium and on national TV.

As for Atlanta’s racist nickname, which the team adopted in 1912 (and again in 1941), plenty of non-offensive changes have been floated. The “Hammers” in honor of late Atlanta baseball legend Hammerin’ Hank Aaron sounds much better.

  • And Atlanta’s MLB team isn’t the only pro team for which change is long overdue. Indigenous leaders have called for the NFL’s Kansas City squad and the NHL’s Chicago team to change their names, but still, to no avail.
   

🌱 Signs of progress

Protestors rally outside of Lambeau Field prior to the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins
Source: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

While the work continues, we can also celebrate successful moments of progress. The most notable team name change came from the Washington Commanders, but this welcome removal didn’t come without significant conflict.

  • With investigations and lawsuits swirling and increased public pressure to change the name, the team’s former owner Dan Snyder issued an infamous statement in 2013 saying, “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”
  • But the team finally removed the racist moniker in 2020, going by the Washington Football Team until announcing their rebrand as the Commanders in 2022.

Other recent notable changes in the pros include the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, who just wrapped up their third season under their new name, and the CFL’s Edmonton Elks, who dropped their old nickname in 2020 and adopted the Elks the following summer.

   

🚫 Beyond the pros

A child holds a cardboard sign reading "Not Your Mascot" with a feather drawing, looking upward, while an adult stands behind in support.
Source: Star Tribune

The pro teams we discussed earlier have received most of the attention and scrutiny, but harmful and stereotypical mascots are pervasive throughout the sports world, including in the minor leagues and even at the K-12 level.

  • It’s estimated that over 1K K-12 U.S. schools still have racist mascots. In 2020, the NCAI launched a database tracking where progress has been made at this level and where work still needs to be done.

The good news? Bills to ban Indigenous mascots in public schools have been introduced in a handful of states, and the issue is gaining traction.

  • Last year, the New York State Board of Regents unanimously approved new rules banning the use of Native American culture in schools, which led over 60 schools to rebrand their mascots.
  • Following in NY’s footsteps, the state of California signed a new bill a month ago prohibiting public schools from using Native American–themed mascots and requiring change by July 2026.
  • This work (and supporting and listening to Indigenous communities) must continue beyond Native American Heritage Month. It’s truly the bare minimum.
   
The GIST's Picks

Hi. It’s us. We’re the recommenders, it’s us.

💪 Who to know

University of New Mexico swimmer (and licensed pilot) Kaylah Yazzie. Growing up in the Comanche, Navajo, and Sac and Fox Tribes taught Yazzie mental toughness and resilience in the pool and the air, and she has since become an inspiration to everyone she meets.

📚 What to read

This article by Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel, detailing how she uses running to spotlight the issues Indigenous communities face, including the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women epidemic.

📺 What to watch

Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting. This 2022 documentary takes a deep dive into the movement working to end the use of Native American names, logos, and mascots in the world of sports and beyond. A must-watch.

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