But my Grandpa was 1/16th Cherokee!

Happy Friday everyone! Thanks to my friend (and amazing internet browser) Scott for finding this one--perfectly sums it up, I think.

Are we finally witnessing the death of the hipster headdress?

Cartoon can be found on http://adverbemonade.tumblr.com, and check out how many people have re-blogged it!

Earlier: But Why Can't I Wear a Hipster Headdress?

(Thanks Scott!)

You too can own your very own Tommy Tomahawk!

 For the low price of $699.99 (It's on sale!). The description:

This Indian Brave Mascot Costume gives a boost to your school spirit.  Shindigz is your place to find the fiercest and most affordable mascot costumes.

Fierce AND affordable. 

http://www.shindigz.com/party/Indian-Mascot.cfm

(Thanks Scott!)

Tommy Tomahawk Update: School Board votes 3-2 to keep mascot

Stilwell Public Schools’ board votes to keep Tommy Tomahawk

Looks like Stilwell High School will keep it's new mascot, after the school board hosted a special meeting in the school gym to hear "both sides" of the argument. The board heard from speakers from each side of the issue, and ultimately voted 3-2 in favor of the mascot.

A disheartening and upsetting decision, to say the least. But I think Cherokee Nation representative Dr. Morton put an interesting spin on it, advocating for more lessons about Cherokee culture and life ways to let the students come to their own conclusions:

Morton, a longtime Stilwell resident, said he appreciated the opinion of everyone in attendance, especially the students, but the school might need to teach more Cherokee concepts to the children.

“Naturally, it is a student project and students are very protective of their projects, as well as they should be,” he said. “Perhaps a more in-depth understanding of Cherokee culture, Cherokee life ways and Cherokee history would cause a person not to want Tommy Tomahawk to represent them as a people.”

Many of the attendees who were against the mascot were not happy with the vote, and will likely keep fighting for its removal or a "compromise" that would allow the students to keep the mascot, if it were a less stereotypical and offensive image.

As board president Eli Pumpkin (who voted against Tommy) said, they could have a least picked a better representation:

“I’m from this community, and I’ve got a lot of calls from Native Americans in this district and they’ve certainly been offended,” he said. “I think we could’ve done a better job with what we picked. I think we made him look awful ugly.”

The problem with a "better" representation is that research has shown even "positive" or "neutral" images (think Disney's Pocahontas) of American Indians cause reductions in self esteem and self worth for Native students--even if they report "positive associations" with the mascots.

Meaning, if you show a Native student a picture of Chief Wahoo, Pocahontas, or Tommy Tomahawk, they may say that it doesn't bother them, but then when they are given a survey on self esteem or self worth, their scores significantly drop. I mean significantly.

Stephanie Fryberg, a professor at the University of Arizona, has done most of her work in the field of images of Native Americans in relation to self esteem, self worth, and possible selves for Indian students. The abstract from one of her papers sums up her findings:

Four studies examined the consequences of American Indian mascots and other
prevalent representations of American Indians on aspects of the self-concept for American Indian students. When exposed to Chief Wahoo, Chief Illinwek, Pocahontas, or other common American Indian images, American Indian students generated positive associations, but reported depressed state self-esteem, and community worth, and fewer achievement-related possible selves. We suggest that American Indian mascots are harmful because they remind American Indians of the limited ways others see them and, in this way, constrain how they can see themselves.

The entire article can be read online here, and I highly recommend it.

So, in conclusion, I encourage Stilwell residents and CN citizens to keep fighting against Tommy Tomahawk--letting him stay in any form does more than perpetuate stereotypes, it damages students' self esteem and future possible selves.



See earlier post for background information: http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2010/01/stilwell-high-schools-new-mascot.html

Stilwell Public Schools’ board votes to keep Tommy Tomahawk (I recommend the video as well, on the righthand side)

Of Warrior Chiefs and Indian Princesses: The Psychological Consequences of American Indian Mascots (Fryberg's article)

Stilwell High School's New Mascot

(image via www.cherokeephoenix.org)

I receive the Cherokee Phoenix (the Cherokee Nation newspaper) weekly by email, and today opened my inbox to this article about Stilwell HS (located in Stilwell, OK) and their new mascot, Tommy Tomahawk. Stilwell High School's student population is 70% Native, the vast majority of whom are Cherokee. The Phoenix article is addressing the controversy surrounding Tommy's unveiling, and it seems the school "didn't intend to offend anyone" (duh):

“It was done strictly to create school spirit because they’re proud of their Indian heritage,” Fletcher said. “Primarily, it was something the kids got after and promoted. Even our Indian heritage club was part of (the) promotion of that and donated funds for that.”

That (alarming and maddening) statement from a school official reminded me of this great cartoon that manages to capture so much:

(image via http://www.bluecorncomics.com/stharm.htm)

Though the school (and, apparently some of the students) consider the new mascot honorable, many of us would beg to differ, including some of the Cherokee Nation citizens:

CN citizen and Stilwell alumna Melanie Knight said she was disappointed the school would create a mascot that is a caricature and warped image of American Indians.

“It has been difficult to address long-term mascots that have become part of some schools’ history and legacy,” she said. “This is an opportunity to prevent that from happening. Tommy Tomahawk and his personification clearly says to me that Indians are a joke.”

The mascot follows the pattern of most other Indian mascots--his clothing reflects a "plains" style, though not a correct representation of any tribal dress, he has the stereotypical long braids and face paint, and, of course, he is styled to look menacing.

I won't get into the meat of the mascot issue here, but there are some strong faq, articles and analysis that you can read here:

http://aistm.org/fr.faqs.htm

http://contexts.org/socimages/2008/09/22/some-native-american-sports-mascots/

http://www.bluecorncomics.com/mascots.htm

The bottom line is, how can you look at that mascot and not think it is dehumanizing and racist? Especially if the school was attempting to "honor" the Native students?

Also, for reference, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith in traditional clothing:

(image via http://www.berrybeadwork.com/)

Stilwell High School's Indian Mascot Causes Stir: http://www.cherokeephoenix.org/21050/Article.aspx