Congresswoman Betty McCollum has released a letter to the major parties involved in the movement to ban the Washington Football Team name and mascot from the Metrodome November 7.
McCollum Letter to Minnesota Sports Facilities(1)
In addition, the American Indian Movement and the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media have sent out a press release on the same topic.
This is a copy of the Manifesto referred to in the press release.
Here. With accompanying comic:
Representatives Bob Genetski and Dan Lauers introduced a bill yesterday that would cut the Michigan Department of Civil Rights budget and use the money to pay schools that are “forced” to change their mascot.
Coverage from the Freep and Michigan Radio.
The legislation, introduced by state Reps. Bob Genetski, R-Saugatuck, and Dan Lauwers, R-Brockway Township, would create a $3-million Mascot Reimbursement Fund. The fund would cover the expenses of schools that have to change mascots. The money to create the fund would come from the budget of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).
From the Holland Sentinel:
By CHRISTINE HOMAN
Capital News Service
The Civil Rights Commission will soon be examining its stance on Native American mascots.
At its May 24 meeting, the commission is scheduled to discuss the issue and decide whether to take action.
In 2002, it passed a resolution condemning the use of Native American mascots, but at the upcoming meeting, the commission will consider whether to issue a declaratory ruling that indicates how it would deal with the question in the future.
“As we grow more sensitive and understanding, there are certain practices we’ll have to examine,” said Harold Core, director of public relations for the Department of Civil Rights.
Opponents of using Native American mascots and nicknames for schools and colleges say they’re offensive and in some cases racist.
This is an older article from the Tecumseh Herald (I attended Tecumseh Elementary and Junior High–Tecumseh’s sports teams were called the Indians, and still are.):
By MICKEY ALVARADO
A petition to change Clinton High School’s Redskins mascot has been issued to the school superintendent, Dave Pray, by Elspeth and Kylista Geiger. In a letter to the editor in the Clinton Local last week, the two Clinton residents claimed that,“The use of the mascot produces derogatory images of people that arede-humanizing to entire nations of people within this country. The redskins as a mascot is a kin to celebrating the marginalization of American Indians and promoting the belief that they are not real people but characters for our amusement.”
Both the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (2002) and the Michigan State Board of Education (2003) passed resolutions to eliminate the use of a person’s race or culture as a school’s mascot, logo and nickname. Michigan’s State Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution “strongly recommending the elimination of American Indian nicknames, mascots or logos, fight songs, insignias, antics and team descriptors by Michigan public schools.”
Turtle Talk 