the American Psychological Association called for the removal of Native mascots nationwide. Today, the National Congress of American Indians reports 1,927 schools maintain the use of these racist monikers. The APA cites the following psychological and sociological byproducts of these mascots:
In doing so, non-Native children and adults alike are more likely to internalize and engage with the culturally abusive behavior these mascots normalize.
Dr. Stephanie Fryberg of the University of Arizona notes that the caricature these mascots represent harm the mental health of Native students: "American Indian mascots are harmful not only because they are often negative, but because they remind American Indians of the limited ways in which others see them. This in turn restricts the number of ways American Indians can see themselves"
History is not kind to the colonizers who wreaked havoc on Native homelands. Despite this, people Indigenous to the United States are still treated poorly by American systems. Native mascots reinforce stereotypes and culturally offensive imagery, thereby reinforcing systemic racism towards their numerous ethic groups.
Read the entire APA Resolution here.
It is our mission to dismantle the use of Native mascots in the US. These offensive caricatures expose Native children to racist stereotypes that have been proven to distance them from their own culture and lower self-esteem. In order to cultivate Native excellence and achievement, we need to eradicate these harmful mascots.
