Choose one thing to read, watch, listen to, do, or engage with today. Try to mix it up each day between the categories!

READ

The Skinning Tree America’s Redface Problem onstage A revealing of how “the Indian problem” lives on today. by Jennifer Percy Harpers Magazine (2020)

Unpacking The Mascot Debate Explainer In December 2019, researchers from the University of Michigan and University of California, Berkeley completed a large scale, national empirical study of over 1,000 Native Americans on their Attitudes towards Native American mascots. This PDF shares the results. IllumiNative (2019)

More than Mascots: It’s Time to End Cultural Appropriation of Native Americans in Sports A survey by Nielson in collaboration with IllumiNative finds fans applaud the shift away from the appropriation of Native American culture as mascots. Read more about what they found here. Nielsen (2021)

Native American imagery is all around us, while the people are often forgotten Native American imagery is all around us, while the people are often forgotten. by Mark Trahant National Geographic (2018)

WATCH

Why Native Mascots Are Offensive Amidst high profile name changes such as "Redskins" to "Commanders", there are hundreds of sports teams around the country that maintain offensive imagery and branding. Some like to say that such images "honor" Native people and that the effort to rid teams of Native branding is just part of woke culture. This video responds to that notion. UNFTR Media (2023) 5 minutes T

Indigenous Peoples in Maine are Not Mascots A call for shared humanity via an explanation of the harm done when portrayals are misrepresentations, a reminder that Indigenous people are STILL HERE, and insight to the exhausting process of fighting for Indigenous rights. by Maulian Dana (Penobscot Nation) (2019) TEDx Talks 13 minutes T

6 Misconceptions About Native American People 7 Native American girls debunk the common misconceptions about their culture Teen Vogue (2016) 3 minutes T

Should ALL Native American Mascots be BANNED? Franchesca Ramsey and Nataanii Means (Lakota, Omaha, Diné) unpack why the answer is yes, yes, yes! Decoded (2015) 4 minutes T CC

In Whose Honor: American Indian Mascots in Sports Follows the story of Native American mother Charlene Teters and her transformation into the leader, which some call the “Rosa Parks of American Indians,” as she struggles to protect her cultural symbols and identity. New Day Films via Kanopy Free with library card or college/university login (1997) 48 minutes CC

More Than a Word A documentary about the movement to end Native American mascots. Media Education Foundation (2017) 70 minutes T

LISTEN

Listen to Indigenous Voices The importance of listening to Indigenous voices and building a shared memory of the history of this country on a special Indigenous People’s Day episode Jilted Indians Podcast (2019) 60 minutes

Native Mascots: Really, Still? Amanda Blackhorse (Dine) social worker activist and lead plaintiff in the 2012 Blackhorse v. Pro-Football Inc. and Dr. Stephanie Fryberg (Tulalip) expert on the psychological and educational effects of social representations of race, class and culture join hosts Matika and Adrienne. All My Relations Podcast (2019) 73 minutes T

BRING IT HOME

Watch this video with your child(ren) or class and discuss stereotypes they may have noticed. Indigenous People React to Indigenous Representation in Film And TV Conversation with a Diverse Range of Indigenous Peoples by FBE about media depictions of Indigenous people, Columbus Day, and Indigenous identity. REACT (2020) 15 minutes T

Flag and mascot protest at Boston City Hall

DO

Write a letter to the MA Senate Ways & Means Committee: Amend the Native American Mascots Bill.

Create a PSA [Public Service Announcement] poster or video:

Describe stereotypes in your environment [grocery stores, party/ costume shops, books, movies/ cartoons/ television, etc.]
Explain the stereotype
Correct misinformation
Offer a challenge to dismantle stereotypes [i.e., stop buying a product]

Can also be used as a Bring It Home

EXPLORE & REFLECT

Which books are appropriate? Visit Debbie Reese [Nambé Pueblo] to see her analysis of American Indians in Children’s Literature.

Watch this video. It is not about Indigenous Peoples specifically, however, it provides the research behind the problem with stereotypes in general Stereotype Threat: A Conversation with Claude Steele Not In Our School (2013) 8 minutes *T*

Mascots & Stereotypes

Choose one thing to read, watch, listen to, do, or engage with today. Try to mix it up each day between the categories!