Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but if it happens to be "hostile" and "abusive" it has to stop, according to a new regulation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Beginning Feb. 1, colleges and universities governed by the NCAA will be prohibited from using offensive racial, ethnic and national origin nicknames, mascots and imagery during NCAA national championship events.
"The NCAA is not telling any college or university that it has to change its mascot - we are merely saying that as it relates to our championships that we don't feel that they are appropriate," said Bob Williams, NCAA managing director of public and media relations, in reference to mascots categorized as "offensive."
According to Williams, the ban has only been extended to national championship events because the NCAA does not control regular or preseason games, which are governed by conferences within the NCAA.
The decision was made in the summer by the NCAA Executive Committee, a group of chancellors and presidents from NCAA divisions I, II and III.
Initially, the NCAA deemed the nicknames of 18 colleges and universities offensive, but three American Indian tribes have since expressed their approval of the specific schools that use their name, Williams said. The NCAA has subsequently removed Florida State University (Seminoles), University of Utah (Utes) and Central Michigan University (Chippewas).
Teams challenge new rule
Over the past several months, FSU has been under scrutiny as a result of the NCAA's initial decision.
"It is our position that much of this could have been avoided had the NCAA initially done its own homework and determined that there was no substantial opposition by the Seminole Tribe of Florida or the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma," said Barry Ray of FSU's Media Relations Office.
"For the past 30 years, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has been in regular consultation with Florida State University about our various symbols and the way that they are portrayed, and they have constant input in terms of how the symbols are used," he said.
According to Ray, the Seminole Tribe of Florida created the outfit that is worn by Osceola - an early 19th century Seminole leader who opposed Indian emigration - the mascot that opens all FSU football games.
FSU is currently considering building a museum or a center dedicated to Seminole history on its campus, Ray said.
Currently there are outstanding appeals to the new NCAA policy by the University of Illinois (Fighting Illini), Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indians) and Newberry College in South Carolina (Indians).
Illinois' Division I-A men's basketball team lost in the championship game of the NCAA basketball tournament this year. Under the policy, in future tournaments Illinois will have to conceal all imagery that reveals its mascot, Chief Illiniwek.
According to Thomas Hardy, the school's executive director of university relations, Illinois officially appealed the NCAA decision Oct. 14.
Illinois cited four points in its objection. The school has a right of self-determination, they argued, and as used by the university, the name Illini has nothing to do with American Indian imagery. Third, it said the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights went through an exhaustive inquiry a decade ago and found that there is not a hostile or discriminatory environment at Illinois because of the Chief Illiniwek tradition. It also argued the NCAA process that resulted in the policy was flawed.
"This is a statutorily established university that has a governing board of trustees," Hardy said. "We have an autonomous structure of self-governance, and this appeal asserts the university's right to self-determination on these kinds of policy matters and asks that the university be exempted from this new NCAA policy."
Chief Illiniwek represents "the complete human being - the strong, agile human body; the unfettered human intellect; the indomitable human spirit," according to the Web site of The Honor the Chief Society, which was founded to support the mascot.
The site states, "The Chief is racist only to the extent that a Native American is perceived as a higher quality of human than others. Thus, it is argued that Native Americans should be proud that the University seeks to honor those perceived traits."
'Ban the mascots entirely'
"I am tired of being characterized as a mascot, stereotype and a cartoon caricature," said Norbert Hill, a member of the Oneida Tribe in Wisconsin and executive director of the American Indian Graduate Center.
"If we get treated as mascots and stereotypes, it's one step away from being a human being, and we can't level the playing field until we are respected as human beings," Hill said. "None of these schools would get away with having a black or white sample as a mascot, but in terms of Indians, somehow folks think they have permission to offend people."
For over 20 years Hill has been part of a movement that supports the ban of all mascots that degrade American Indians, and he is currently one of the plaintiffs fighting the Washington Redskins logo.
"There have been a cross section of groups, tribes and concerned individuals across the United States who have expressed support," said Williams, of the NCAA.
"I think they should ban the mascots entirely. In my view, I don't think they went far enough, and I don't know why they lost their courage, but it's half a step in the right direction," Hill said.
Home teams
Rhode Island has a deep-seated bond with American Indians. The Narragansett Indians' occupancy in the Ocean State predates King Philip's War in the late 17th century.
"If people would commission the use of the Narragansett Indian tribe's name by acknowledging and supporting the great culture that we have (would be) one thing," said John Brown, the Medicine Man in Training of the Narragansett Tribe and its tribal historic reservation officer. "But the places and the position we are in as a result of what they have done - and having to defend ourselves and our position - I don't think that's right ... whether it be the Narragansetts, the Seminoles or anyone else," he said.
"People, through being ignorant, not understanding or as a joke, can inadvertently harm other people," Brown said. "As such, from time to time we have to go back and look at our policy and look at our position when we have done things that may end up being offensive to someone. For the NCAA to make this statement, it seems very clear to me that there were some people of conscience that came to these same conclusions."
"I'm not sure if it's the NCAA's business, but I certainly think it's important to look at names that people could find offensive and try to eliminate them," said Michael Goldberger, Brown's director of athletics.
The Brown Bear has been uncontroversial since it made its way onto campus in 1904. In that year, Theodore Francis Green 1887 put the head of a brown bear upon the arch in the trophy room during the inauguration of a new student union.
According to Encyclopedia Brunoniana, Green said of the bear: "While it may be somewhat unsociable and uncouth, it is good natured and clean. While courageous and ready to fight, it does not look for trouble for its own sake, nor is it bloodthirsty. It is not one of a herd, but acts independently. It is intelligent and capable of being educated (if caught young enough!). It is a good swimmer and a good digger, like an athlete who makes Phi Beta Kappa. Furthermore its color is brown; and its name is Brown."
