This is an issue near and dear to my heart, and a lot of my writing, especially when discussing Native representation in media, Native youth, and everyday racism, will focus on sports mascots and logos that feature Native references. Make no mistake people: These images are dangerous.
Exhibit A:
- #NotHonored
I have pulled together all of my writing on this subject. While I strive to offer a well-rounded view of the issue in each post I write about mascots, there are times I skip the history and link to other blogs I’ve written*, because it’s no fun to be redundant. Those blogs are listed for you below.
How To Argue Against Racist Indian Mascots: In *Honor* of the #SuperBowl – 1/31/15
Jaylen Fryberg Is Not Your Indian Savage – 10/25/14
Major Shade Thrown At Washington DC NFL Team – 9/25/14
The Mascot Files: You Have An Indian Before You – 5/23/14
Are They or Aren’t They: The Quiet (BS) Exit of Chief Wahoo – 1/12/14
Dear ND Voters: Thank You. Love, Me – 6/13/12
Righting Red 
Hi there!
I’m new to your blog (and loving reading what you’ve written so far, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING IT) and have a question related to this post. I read all 5 links. And yes, while the baseball and football team are big ones that I’ve heard (as well as various schools doing away with the mascots and names), what is your opinion on the NHL having the Chicago Blackhawks?
I have a feeling, that the backlash the MLB and NFL teams got/are getting would be the same for the NHL team (which honestly, since everyone shortens their names to the hawks I think they should just change to the hawks and make their mascot a hawk and take the caricature off their jerseys as well as the tomahawks). But generally, I haven’t seen a whole lot of people even acknowledging Chicago’s NHL team. And that may be in part because supposedly the team is honorifically named after Black Hawk of the Saux nation (and also a military team). As well as the team existing for 9 decades. But their current mascot (‘Tommy Hawk’) and the tomahawks on their jerseys makes me really uncomfortable.
I want to make it very clear that IF you do choose to engage on this topic with me, I appreciate it very much. If not and you decide to delete this, I am 100% ok with that. This is YOUR blog and you have every right to do so. And you don’t owe me (a white person with not enough native in me to even count since all the white ancestors I have really just cancel out that small percentage native) a discussion or any interaction at all (and will also respect your wishes if you decide to delete this and not address it because as stated, YOUR blog. As well as your safety and mental health should be more important to you than my feelings and any hurt feelings I may feel over it).
I look forward to reading more excellent posts on your blog on the variety of topics you talk about. And getting more things to actually look up that you talk about when I don’t know what they are (because learning new things is definitely a thing I enjoy doing).