University law school students are gaining support to keep the Athletic Department from scheduling games and events with schools using American Indian images or names as team mascots.
Within the next two weeks, the law school plans to formally propose a resolution, sponsored by the school’s Sports and Entertainment Law Forum, to the administration and the Athletic Department. In order to submit the complete resolution, supporters must gather signatures from at least 50 percent of the law school student body.
As of Monday, approximately 220 law students, out of about 500 in the school, had signed the petition in favor of the resolution.
Laura Baxter, a third year law student, is a Pitt River Indian and has encouraged her fellow law students to sign the petition. In a mass e-mail sent to the law school student body, she expressed the importance the resolution has for American Indians and for the whole community.
“It’s really hard for me to see my community and our honored regalia displayed and distorted as inanimate objects, painted red and stuck with feathers,” Baxter said. “This is not honoring and respecting Native Americans. The use of Indian mascots is harmful and disrespectful.”
The resolution would not directly affect the University’s regular season schedule because no team in the Pacific-10 Conference uses American Indian symbols for team mascots. However, proponents of the resolution said that by adopting it, the University will be taking a public stance on the issue.
“Supporting the resolution is good for the entire school community and is in the name of social justice,” Sports and Entertainment Law Forum Co-Director Frank Silva said. “It is a basic civil rights issue.”
There are five professional sports teams — the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins — whose team mascots use American Indian images and names. Similarly, the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, the University of Ilinois Fighting Illini and the University of Utah Utes use American Indian images as team mascots.
The University’s law school is part of a national effort to combat the use of American Indian names and images. Pending appeal, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has revoked trademark protection of the Redskin name and logo, and the state of Utah has banned the use of the name and logo on vanity plates.
Rennard Strickland is dean of the law school and author of “Tonto’s Revenge,” a nonfiction work that addresses the portrayal of American Indians in the mass media.
The use of American Indian symbolism by collegiate and professional athletic teams is based on ingrained social stereotypes, Strickland said. When athletic franchises continually use these images, they are further perpetuating these stereotypes, he added.
“When people make decisions about Native Americans, they make those decisions based on outdated, erroneous stereotypes,” Strickland said. “Mascots of sports teams are one of the key creators of these false images.”