Native American athletes and fans face ongoing racism

[SummerMadness]

Native American athletes and fans face ongoing racism

Some of the students were crying as they got back on to the bus. In early 2015, Justin Poor Bear, now 39, chaperoned dozens of Native students to see a Rapid City Rush ice hockey game in South Dakota. The trip was part of an after-school program at American Horse School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. "It's not your fault," Poor Bear told the bus full of kids as he drove home. During the third period, the chaperones alleged a white man poured beer on two of the students and called them racist slurs, a claim that could not be proven in court. Poor Bear was angry: He remembered experiencing the same kind of treatment during his high school basketball games in the '90s.

"When you first hear the words, ‘Go back to the rez, prairie N-word,' or name calling, it's a shock moment," said Poor Bear. "Then you realize they're referring to us." His basketball coach would tell the team: Don't engage.

Rural towns are often highly supportive of their high school sports teams, and reservation athletics are no different. But racism has been rising in U.S. sports for the past four years, according to the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, and Native American athletes and fans are often subjected to racist bullying at sport events. In fact, for Native Americans, this treatment has been the rule, not the exception, for many years.

Reported acts of racism in U.S. sports reached a high in 2018.
Source: Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports​

 

[Shiloh Raven]

I'm sad to say that this kind of news has been a recurring issue in this country. I've been confronting racial issues like this for the last 28 years of my life as an NDN activist. There is a long history of Native Americans, including native youth, being the ongoing target of racism in American sports. It's either stories like the one in the OP or it's the ongoing issue dealing with Indian mascots.

First article excerpt: From 2008 to 2018, there have been at least 52 reported incidents across the U.S. of racial harassment directed at Native American athletes, coaches and fans, according to data compiled from news articles, federal reports and court documents by High Country News. Reported incidents ranged from racist vandalism and tweets, to banners that read, “Hey Indians, get ready for a Trail of Tears Part 2,” a reference to the 19th century death march endured by tribal citizens who were illegally and forcibly relocated to Oklahoma by the U.S. government. Other instances include players being called names like “prairie...,” “wagon burners” and “dirty Indians.” Nearly all 52 reported incidents involved high school sports, but there were also four university game cases and even a fast food restaurant sign that read, “‘KC Chiefs’ Will Scalp the Redskins Feed Them Whiskey Send – 2 – Reservation.” Nineteen incidents occurred at basketball games; 20 incidents were at football games.

Second excerpt from the article: According to psychology studies, race-based mascots evoke associations with negative stereotypes, and establish unwelcoming and even hostile school environments for Native students. A 2008 study found that when Native youth were presented with Native American mascots, they were more likely to express lower self-esteem. Yet white youth “feel better about their own group” when presented with a Native mascot, said researcher Stephanie Fryberg, professor of psychology and American Indian studies at the University of Washington.

I'm including the following articles in my response because this is a close to home issue for me that I'm very passionate about. I've been outspoken about this issue for many years. I've included several other articles on the psychological effects of Indian mascots in an older post. This is the link here.

Not Your Mascots.

Ending the Era of Harmful “Indian” Mascots

#DearNonNatives: What Native Americans Want Non-Natives To Know

 

[SkyWriting]

I'm sad to say that this kind of news has been a recurring issue in this country. I've been confronting racial issues like this for the last 28 years of my life as an NDN activist. There is a long history of Native Americans, including native youth, being the ongoing target of racism in American sports. It's either stories like the one in the OP or it's the ongoing issue dealing with Indian mascots.

First article excerpt: From 2008 to 2018, there have been at least 52 reported incidents across the U.S. of racial harassment directed at Native American athletes, coaches and fans, according to data compiled from news articles, federal reports and court documents by High Country News. Reported incidents ranged from racist vandalism and tweets, to banners that read, “Hey Indians, get ready for a Trail of Tears Part 2,” a reference to the 19th century death march endured by tribal citizens who were illegally and forcibly relocated to Oklahoma by the U.S. government. Other instances include players being called names like “prairie...,” “wagon burners” and “dirty Indians.” Nearly all 52 reported incidents involved high school sports, but there were also four university game cases and even a fast food restaurant sign that read, “‘KC Chiefs’ Will Scalp the Redskins Feed Them Whiskey Send – 2 – Reservation.” Nineteen incidents occurred at basketball games; 20 incidents were at football games.

Second excerpt from the article: According to psychology studies, race-based mascots evoke associations with negative stereotypes, and establish unwelcoming and even hostile school environments for Native students. A 2008 study found that when Native youth were presented with Native American mascots, they were more likely to express lower self-esteem. Yet white youth “feel better about their own group” when presented with a Native mascot, said researcher Stephanie Fryberg, professor of psychology and American Indian studies at the University of Washington.

I'm including the following articles in my response because this is a close to home issue for me that I'm very passionate about. I've been outspoken about this issue for many years. I've included several other articles on the psychological effects of Indian mascots in an older post. This is the link here.

Not Your Mascots.

Ending the Era of Harmful “Indian” Mascots

#DearNonNatives: What Native Americans Want Non-Natives To Know

Special thanks to the Internet and it's supporters.
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[Sabertooth]

Off-topic: @Shiloh Raven , is your avatar a scene from a movie?

 

[Shiloh Raven]

Off-topic: @Shiloh Raven , is your avatar a scene from a movie?

Yes. It's Fred and George Weasley from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Native American athletes and fans face ongoing racism

Reported acts of racism in U.S. sports reached a high in 2018.
Source: Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports​

Reported?

Basically...accusations of racism have increased.

 

[rjs330]

Just another report that racism still exists. It's no surprise to me. I don't think it will ever get solved due to the wicked heart of man. It makes me sick.

 

[keith99]

For things like this an increase in REPORTING often occurs because things are improving and where before people were afraid or unwilling to report because at best nothing would happen start reporting because now positive action will be taken. Still with teh current administration it would not surprise me if the actual number and severity of such incidents has increased.

Native American athletes and fans face ongoing racism

Reported acts of racism in U.S. sports reached a high in 2018.
Source: Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports​