Background Information
Though Native American mascots have historically represented many U.S. college sports teams, the number of such mascots has slowly declined since the 1970s due to controversy surrounding the use of imagery, branding, or team cheers that negatively depict certain groups, or reinforce stereotypes. Use the following sources to learn more about the cultural, racial, and sociological aspects of this topic.
- Encyclopedia of Race and RacismUseful entries on history of American Indian Movement and the idea of “Playing Indian.”
- Encyclopedia of Racism in the United StatesA brief summary of the issue under “Sports Mascots," “Sports and Racism,” and “Native Americans, Prejudice and Discrimination Against.”
- Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America 2014The entry on "Seminoles" has a section that provides an interesting counterpoint on the use of Native American mascots in college sports.
- St. James Encyclopedia of Popular CultureEntry on “The Indian” provides context for the issue by discussing other representations of Native Americans in popular culture.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowProvides topic overview, background, current issues, and bibliographies for further research.