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| Protesting the Misappropriation of Native American Terms and Images by the Cleveland Baseball Team |
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| Protesting the Misappropriation of Native American Terms and Images by the Cleveland Baseball Team |
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Information on the Vigil
- Information on the Vigil
- Resolution passed at 2000 UUA General Assembly in Nashville
- Motion passed by UUA Board of Trustees, April 2001
- Relevant Workshops at 2001 UUA General Assembly
- Questions and Answers
- Other Information
- Links on Misappropriation of Native American Terms and Images
Resolution passed at 2000 GA
- Orientation on Vigil: Thursday 5:15pm -6:30pm Room 212 of Convention Center - Come and listen to Unitarian Universalist and Native American community leaders discuss misappropriation of Native American terms and images as it relates to the Cleveland baseball team and local efforts. Speakers will include John Millspaugh (Public Witness Assistant to the President), The Rev. Danielle Dibona (UUA Anti-Racism Program Coordinator), The Rev. Wayne Arnason (local Cleveland Unitarian Universalist minister), and Dr. Charlene Teters (national expert on racism and mascot issues). .
- Opening Ceremony and Plenary I: Thursday 7:00pm to 9:00pm Cleveland Convention Center Public Auditorium- - As part of the program, we will hear from UU leaders in response to the resolution on racial stereotyping in the use of Native American symbols passed at the 2000 General Assembly. At the closing of Plenary I, instructions will be given for both the Vigil outside the Cleveland Convention Center and the walk to and vigil at the Cleveland baseball stadium (Jacobs Field).
- Vigil at Convention Center: Thursday - immediately after the Close of Plenary One (approximately 9:00pm) - at "Mall B," across St. Clair Ave from the Convention Center. For those who want to learn more about Native American experiences of Chief Wahoo and other "Indian" mascots. We will hear from Dr. Charlene Teters (Spokane), who has served as a lightning rod for change provoked by racial and social injustices endured by American Indians. Her work has led to progress in the United States, Canada, and now her words and thoughts are being repeated in Central America. Charlene Teters is a founding Board Member of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media, an artist, activist, and lecturer. She challenges the inappropriate use of American Indian images, culture and spiritual life ways by schools, scholars, museums, corporations, and media. Her history of public challenges is the subject of a nationally aired award winning documentary "In Whose Honor?" by Jay Rosenstein. Dr. Teters will also be speaking at workshops throughout General Assembly.
- Vigil at Cleveland Baseball Stadium - Thursday, approximately 9:00pm - For those interested in taking a stand against the racism implicit in the use of demeaning stereotypes, we invite you to march to Jacobs Field with UUA leadership, Unitarian Universalist clergy, local Cleveland Native Americans, and interfaith Cleveland clergy. At the stadium, we will stand in witness to UU values and demonstrate our solidarity with the Native Americans and allies who are working to change the name and logo of the Cleveland professional baseball team. Following the vigil, the marchers will return to the Convention Center area.
Board Motion (passed by UUA Board of Trustees - April 2001)RESOLUTION ON SUPPORT FOR THE CLEVELAND, OHIO NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY 2000 General Assembly
Resolved that this General Assembly urge the Planning Committee and the Board of Trustees to consult and cooperate with the United Church of Christ's ongoing efforts to support the Cleveland Native American community in their struggle against the Cleveland Indians baseball team and the racism implicit in the use of symbols, names and mascots which Native American people find offensive.
Relevant Workshops at 2001 General AssemblyMoved:
WHEREAS the Board, staff, and Planning Committee of the UUA consulted with the United Church of Christ and Native American leaders in Cleveland, Ohio, regarding our support of their witness against racist symbols in sports, as requested by the 39th General Assembly in Nashville, and
WHEREAS UCC and Native American allies have requested our support through joining them in a personal public witness at Jacobs Field in protest of the use of the Chief Wahoo symbol, and
WHEREAS Cleveland area Unitarian Universalists have been consulted with and expressed some concern about safety and the impact of this witness on local members and congregations, therefore be it resolved that:
- the Board respond to the letter from the Cleveland area ministers and lay people, and
- that the attendees at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Cleveland be encouraged to stand in solidarity and public witness with the Native American communities in Cleveland either by participating in a vigil in Mall B, and/or by joining with Unitarian Universalist leaders and members of other faith communities in a vigil at Jacobs Field following the Opening Ceremonies on Thursday evening, June 21, 2001.
For planning purposes, our hope is that half of the people who participate in the vigil will participate at Mall B and half at Jacobs Field. Questions about policy related to the cost of GA-mandated events held at General Assemblies will be referred to the Finance Committee.
Questions and Answers
- Workshop #3062 "In Whose Honor: Indian Mascots in Sports and Advertising" -Saturday 4:00pm CC 203
Planning Committee Sponsored
Indian mascots in sports and advertising have a negative and devastating effect on Native Americans. These images depict Native Americans as caricatures and demean and dehumanize them and their rituals. Activist and artist Charlene Teters is a nationally recognized leader in protesting the use of Native American images for sport and commerce.
Dr. Charlene Teters- Workshop #3102 "Overcoming Racism Toward Native Americans/First Nations" - Saturday 8:45pm CC 230B
UU Network on Indigenous Affairs
Native Nations encourage their peoples to walk in "two worlds" with competence and grace. Yet they are 1% of the population, at the worst end of every social index! How is racism toward Indians expressed in local communities? How does the organization HONOR assist people to dismantle it?
James P. DeNomie- Workshop #4012 "Overcoming Racism Toward Native Americans/First Nations (Repeat)" - Sunday 12:30pm CC 230B
- #5004 "American Indian Cultural Survival: Critical Issues, Outstanding Leaders" - Monday 8:00am CC 212A
UU Network on Indigenous Affairs
Who are the leaders today who guide native nations on issues of: sovereignty; land and resources; protection of sacred sites; preservation of languages, spiritual perspectives, and practices? How may we serve as allies?
Gerald T. HillOther InformationQ. Aren't there more important issues for Indian people to worry about?
A. "This is a human rights issue, we are being denied the most basic respect. As long as our people are perceived as cartoon characters or static beings locked in the past, our socio-economic problems will never be seriously addressed. Also, this issue of imagery has a direct correlation with violence against Indian people and the high suicide rate of our youth." Michael S. Haney (Seminole)
Links on Misappropriation of Native American Terms and Images
- Dr. Robert Bane, who teaches multi-cultural education at John Carroll University, said, "The feather on Chief Wahoo's head is a sacred symbol. The hook nose and the grinning buck teeth are caricatures of real people. As for the red skin, no Native Americans have red skin. The more realistic this cartoon character looks to me, the more I dislike it. Cartoons are so demeaning when they pose a stereotype. I am a big Indians fan but I won't wear any clothing with Chief Wahoo on it... The U.S. has a history of changing things that appear to be demeaning to a group of people. For example, the Aunt Jemima logo used to be demeaning and it was changed."
- Michael Haney, executive director of the National Coalition on Racism and Sport in the Media, told the group that Wahoo and other symbols serve to make Indians "invisible people," relegated to cartoon status. "They need to know that we are not invisible, that we have the same rights as everyone else," Haney said. "If the [Wahoo] mascot was a caricature of an African-American or a Jew, we would not be having this conversation. It would be gone. But they can insult us because we are not important." (MICHAEL SANGIACOMO, PLAIN DEALER REPORTER, Friday, November 05, 1999)
- Logos such as Chief Wahoo persist because Native Americans do not have much political power in the country.
- When Cleveland Mayor Michael White considered a referendum on keeping the Wahoo mascot, [Juan Reyna, chairperson of the Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance] said, White missed the point. "There will never be a majority in favor of getting rid of it," he said. "There are more people at a single Indians game than all the Indians in the whole tri-state area. It needs to be done because it's the right thing to do…" (MICHAEL SANGIACOMO, PLAIN DEALER REPORTER, Friday, November 05, 1999)
- "I had been a baseball fan for many years," [Pat Compton, of Concord Township] said. "Like my protest sign says, "Love the game, hate the name.' But I have since lost interest in the game. How can I contribute money to an organization that ignores the wishes of Native Americans? I have talked to Indian children who were insulted and called Wahoos by other children in school because of that symbol. For that reason alone, the team should get rid of it." (“Wahoo-less items can be hard to find, fans complain,” Wednesday, April 21, 1999, MICHAEL SANGIACOMO, PLAIN DEALER REPORTER)
- In 1914, when the name was chosen, The Leader said, "We'll have the Indians on the warpath all the time, eager for scalps to dangle at their belts."
- On Jan. 18, 1914, the Press said, "We hope they will become very Indian-like and wake up. Indian war dances are what the fans want."
- “Presently, there are about 5,000 American Indian people living in Cleveland, Ohio. Ohio now has the highest number of public schools with racist images, names, and symbols of American Indians for their sport teams. Ohio leads the nation with more than 200 schools using offensive, negative, and even sacrilegious images in their school activities.
- But this issue is by no means limited to Ohio. Over 3,500 schools in America use Savages, Braves, Chief, Indian, Redskin, or similar names for their team mascot or logo.
- Chief Wahoo appears on public buildings and is integrated in the public school curriculum from elementary through high school. Indian schoolchildren have been forced to participate in school activities using the logo.
- “Yes, the Minnesota Vikings, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the Boston Celtics are human mascots and they are stereotypes. However, they were adopted by populations who were from the culture represented; by the race and culture with the power to choose that image of themselves.” Lawrence R. Baca, President, Native American Bar Association
- “These images affect our daily lives, from the decision of a maitre de as to whether to seat us in a restaurant, to the banker who may or may not grant us a loan and how our children are viewed and view themselves in school.” Lawrence R. Baca, President, Native American Bar Association
- This site is an excellent site for teaching resources about Indigenous people in N. America......it also includes an extremely valuable section on what NOT to use!
http://www.oyate.org/aboutus.html- A state-by-state list of schools that use racial mascots.....something that can be used by people who are interested in follow-up in their community.
http://ishgooda.nativeweb.org/ishgooda/racial/index2.htm- An About Site that explores race issues, including interracial families, stereotypes, race relations and racial crimes.
http://racerelations.about.com/newsissues/racerelations/cs/mascotissue/index.htmThis webpage developed by:
- Bob Martin, Chair of the General Assembly Planning Committee (bmartin@uua.org)
- John Millspaugh, Assistant for Public Witness to UUA President John Buehrens (jmillspaugh@uua.org)
- Danielle DiBona, Program Associate, UUA Department of Faith in Action (ddibona@uua.org)
Last updated: June 1, 2001
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