Data and research now shows that the use of such racist and derogatory team names (and by association, ‘traditions’ and fan antics) have real and detrimental effects on Native youth today. With fifty percent of the Native population being of 25 years of age or younger, the danger of perpetuating this practice and continuing the cycle of defeatism, hostile learning environments, and poor self-esteem is all too real.
Hey, I get it. I understand why. Team fandom is a complicated, deep, personal thing that involves a lot of emotional investment and history. It’s difficult to hear that your beloved franchise is doing something wrong – simply by using a name (and by extension, mascot and other fan accoutrements).
In case you didn’t know or hadn’t heard, I was downsized on March 4. Yep, no full-time job at the moment. But that’s okay. (Your sentiment is still appreciated, however.) The last two weeks have been quite the flurry of activity. Basically, hit up all my contacts – and surprisingly to me, I have a …