In both Canada and US, the decency of using mascots that refer to Native Americans or images that refer to them for a sports institution has been a controversial topic (Legislative Efforts, 2010). Different individuals have varying views of the issue, which they base on the civil rights of Native Americans and other reasons. NCAA has sided with those who support the elimination and discontinuation of mascots that have any reference to Native Americans. In 2015, a policy was adopted that imposed prohibition of mascots’ use by all the collegiate teams. However, even if the NCAA has its reasons for imposing such prohibitions and consequences for failing to comply with it, my opinion on the issue is not in its favor.
The issue of the use of various mascots for sports institutions is mostly discussed y individuals and organizations only in terms of how such mascots can be offensive. NCAA and other regulatory institutions respond to public outcry in case an organization has used imagery that depicts the Native American without a thorough consideration of the intended purpose of the adoption of the mascot. Some institutions use different mascots to because of the social and psychological impacts they have on the capacities of their teams to feel as winners (Berry and Glenn, 1986). However, some individuals with ill intentions may interpret the mascots to make different meaning that causes misunderstanding and accelerate racial prejudice and ethnic stereotyping. Furthermore, the prohibition of the use of some mascots constitutes the violation of intellectual property rights of individuals and may lead to unhealthy business competition when some institutions are allowed to use names that are not subjected to the new policy, yet they may have some reference to the Native Americans. Since a particular name does not have just one meaning, individuals and institutions should not be denied the right to use them as long as the intended purpose is to promote the achievements of their teams. Viewing the use of various mascots as offensive or basing the implementation of regulatory policies on feelings of few individuals without considering the full history or the context in which a name is used may increase problems rather than reducing them.
References
Berry, R. and Glenn, M. W (1986). Law and business of the sport industries: Common Issues in Amateur of Professional Sports. Dover, MA:Auburn House Publishing Company.
Legislative Efforts to Eliminate Native-Themed Mascots, Nicknames, and Logos: Slow but Steady Progress Post APA Resolution (2010). American Psychological Association. Retrieved Aughust 6, 2016.
