While the history of colonization and marginalization is not unique to the Americas, the practice of deriving sports team names, imagery, and mascots from indigenous peoples of North America is a significant phenomena in the United States and Canada. The rise of indigenous rights movements in these counties has also led to controversy regarding the continuation of practices rooted in colonialism. Such practices maintain the power relationship between the dominant culture and the indigenous culture, and can be seen as a form of cultural imperialism. Such practices are seen as particularly harmful in schools and universities, which have the a stated purpose of promoting ethnic diversity and inclusion. In recognition of the responsibility of higher education to eliminate behaviors that creates a hostile environment for education, in 2005 the NCAA initiated a policy against "hostile and abusive" names and mascots that led to the change of many derived from Native American culture, with the exception of those that established an agreement with particular tribes for the use of their specific names. Other schools retain their names because they were founded for the education of Native Americans, and continue to have a significant number of indigenous students. In other former colonies in Asia, Africa and South America, the adoption of indigenous names for majority indigenous teams is also found. However, there are also a number of teams outside the Americas with team names derived from Native Americans.
The trend towards the elimination of indigenous names and mascots in local schools has been steady, with two thirds having been eliminated over the past 50 years according to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). In a few states with significant Native American populations, change has been mandated by law, such in Wisconsin, Oregon, and Washington.
While there are team names derived from immigrant/settler groups, such as the Boston Celtics, the University of Notre Dame "Fighting Irish" and the Minnesota Vikings (the latter name was selected in reference to the Scandinavian settlers of that region), none of which are indigenous. The Irish and other ethnic groups in America were sometimes subject to marginalization, but not colonization. Colonization of the Celtic peoples in their native lands by the English did occur, but lies outside of the scope of this article.
Professional/Adult teams
Current usage
American football
- Bristol Aztecs (British American Football League) - Bristol, England
- Bürstadt Redskins, an American Football club in Bürstadt, Germany
- Eberswalder Warriors, an American Football club in Eberswalde, Germany
- Garland Aztecs, Garland, Texas - Semi-Pro
- Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) - While adopting Native American imagery, the team was named in honor of Kansas City mayor Harold Roe Bartle who was instrumental in bringing the AFL Dallas Texans to Kansas City, MO in 1963 (becoming the last professional team to adopt an indigenous-derived name). Bartle earned his nickname as founder of a regional Boy Scouts honor camping society, the Tribe of Mic-O-Say, in which he was "Chief" Lone Bear. In 1989 the Chiefs switched from Warpaint, a Pinto horse ridden by a man in a feathered headdress, to their current mascot K. C. Wolf. Warpaint returned in 2009, but is ridden by a cheerleader.
- Southern California Apaches - (Semi-Pro, United Football Alliance League)
- Washington Redskins (NFL) See also: Washington Redskins name controversy
Association football
Brazil
- Guarani Esporte Clube (CE), Juazeiro do Norte
- Guarani Esporte Clube (MG), Divinópolis
- Guarani Futebol Clube, Campinas
- Guarany Futebol Clube, Bagé
- Guarany Futebol Clube (Camaquã)
- Guarany Sporting Club, Sobral
- Associação Atlética Guarany, Porto da Folha
- Esporte Clube Guarani, Venâncio Aires
- Sociedade Esportiva, Recreativa e Cultural Guarani, Palhoça
- Sport Club Guarany, Cruz Alta
- Tupi Football Club, Juiz de Fora
- Tupynambás Futebol Clube, Juiz de Fora
Chile
- Colo-Colo, Santiago de Chile. Name relates to the Mapuche
- Lautaro, Buin. Also called Guerreros de BuÃn (Warriors BuÃn)
Mexico
- Indios de Ciudad Juárez â€" Mexican football team
Paraguay
- Club GuaranÃ, Asunción
South Africa
- Kaizer Chiefs F.C., Johannesburg
Australian rules football
All of these teams are composed of Indigenous Australians
- Flying Boomerangs (Australia), in reference to the boomerang, an indigenous Australian hunting tool and instrument.
- Indigenous All Stars (Australia), formerly known Aboriginal All-Stars
Baseball
- Gauting Indians, a baseball and softball club from Gauting, a suburb of Munich, Germany. The women's team is the "Squaws".
Major league
- Atlanta Braves (Atlanta, Georgia) - originally Boston Braves, then Milwaukee Braves. The mascot Chief Noc-A-Homa existed until 1983 season, Princess Win-A-Lotta was introduced late 1970s, dropped at same time as Noc-A-Homa. In 1991 the Braves adopted the Tomahawk Chop from Florida State University when Deion Sanders joined the team.
- Caribes de Anzoátegui (Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela) - While Caribe is another name for the Kalina people, it is also a local term for piranhas, particularly in Venezuela. The team has no apparent use of indigenous imagery.
- Cleveland Indians (Cleveland, Ohio) - Receives the most attention due to its mascot, Chief Wahoo. While the origin of the name is sometimes attributed to Louis Sockalexis from the Penobscot tribe having played for the team, documentary evidence indicates otherwise.
- Criollos de Caguas- the word meaning creole in Spanish.
- Indios de Mayagüez - (Indians of Mayaguez) Puerto Rican Baseball team from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
- Mayos de Navojoa (Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico) - The Mayo people are indigenous to Sonora
- Yaquis de Obregón (Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico) - The Yaqui are indigenous to Sonora
Minor league
A Minor league team in Innisfail, Alberta, the "Indians", has made a decision to become the "Trappers".
Affiliates of the Atlanta Braves:
- Danville Braves (Danville, Virginia)
- Gulf Coast League Braves (Lake Buena Vista, Florida) - The team plays at the Walt Disney World Resort.
- Gwinnett Braves (Gwinnett County, Georgia) - formerly the Richmond Braves
- Mississippi Braves (Pearl, Mississippi)
- Rome Braves (Rome, Georgia)
Affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates:
- Indianapolis Indians (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Affiliate of the Texas Rangers:
- Spokane Indians (Spokane, Washington)
Basketball
All three existing NBA teams that previously used indigenous imagery have stopped doing so. (See Prior usage list below).
- Bendigo Braves (Bendigo, Victoria) play in the South East Australian Basketball League
- GuaiquerÃes de Margarita, (LPB) - named after an indigenous people of Northern Venezuela also known as the WaikerÃ
- Portland Chinooks, Portland, Oregon, (International Basketball League)
Canadian football
- Edmonton Eskimos (CFL)
Ice hockey
- Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) â€" Named for a World War I Infantry Division that in turn was named for Sauk leader, Black Hawk, a prominent figure in the history of Illinois.
- Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)
- Johnstown Chiefs (ECHL) â€" Named after the Charlestown Chiefs, the fictional team in the movie Slap Shot (partially shot in the real team's home city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania). Team moved and became Greenville Road Warriors in 2010.
- Macklin Mohawks, Macklin, Saskatchewan
- Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
- Morden Redskins, (SEMHL)
- Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
- Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
- Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
- Swedish Hockey League
- Frölunda Indians
- Malmö Redhawks
- Whitley Warriors (NIHL), Whitley Bay, United Kingdom. The women's team is the "Squaws".
Lacrosse
- International
- Iroquois Nationals (International Lacrosse Federation), Iroquois Confederacy
- Ontario Lacrosse Association
- Major Series Lacrosse:
- Brooklin Redmen, Whitby, Ontario - Logo incorporates the Indian head used by the NHL Blackhawks
- Six Nations Chiefs, Six Nations of the Grand River
- St. Regis Indians, St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, New York
- Senior B Lacrosse:
- Six Nations Rivermen - Logo is an Indian paddling a canoe
- Junior A Lacrosse
- Burlington Chiefs, Burlington, Ontario
- Mississauga Tomahawks
- Junior B Lacrosse
- Elora Mohawks, Elora, Ontario
- Major Series Lacrosse:
- Quebec Senior Lacrosse
- Kahnawake Mohawks - Cartoon Indian head logo
- Kahnawake Tomahawks - Indian head logo
- West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association (WSCLA), British Columbia - The Association logo features an "Indian Head"
- Coquitlam Adanacs - Although "adanac" is Canada spelled backward, their logo features a First Nations woman.
- Langley Warriors
- North Shore Indians
Rugby union
- The Chiefs, formerly the Waikato Chiefs (North Island of New Zealand) - a rugby union side in the Super Rugby competition. Their logo is a male figure holding a MÄori club.
- Griquas, South African team named after the Griqua people, however their symbol is an oryx.
- MÄori All Blacks, previously the New Zealand MÄori, a rugby union side whose members must be at least 1/16 MÄori
- The New Zealand Warriors, (Auckland, New Zealand) - plays in the Australian NRL competition. The team logo indicates the "Warrior" is an indigenous reference.
- Northland Taniwha, a rugby team in the Mitre 10 Cup named after a being from MÄori mythology
- Exeter Chiefs (Exeter, Devon, England) - a rugby union side in the English Aviva Premiership, also uses the FSU war chant and an American Indian logo.
Rugby league
- Indigenous All Stars a.k.a. Indigenous All Stars or Indigenous Dreamtime Dreamtime is an indigenous Australian religious/mythological term.
- New Zealand MÄori rugby league team
Other
- Indianerna (the Indians) are a Swedish motorcycle speedway team based in Kumla, Sweden at (Elitserien)
Prior pro usage
Many professional teams changed because they moved to another city, or went out of business ("Defunct" in table below).
Colleges and universities
Secondary schools
Non-scholastic youth teams
Baseball
- American Indian Little League, Palmdale, California
- Dornbirn Indians, Redskins, and "Little Indians", a youth baseball club in Austria.
- Skokie Indians, Skokie, Illinois
Association football
- Raynes Park Little League, Kensington, England - Redskins
American football
Pop Warner Little Scholars
- Albemarle Redskins, Albemarle County, Virginia
- Antioch Redskins, Plant City, Florida
- Bennetts Creek Warriors, Suffolk, Virginia
- Derby Red Raiders, Derby, Connecticut
- East Bay Warriors, Oakland, California
- Fort Braden Chiefs, Fort Braden, Florida
- FW Redskins, Goodyear, Arizona
- Immokalee Seminoles, Immokalee, Florida
- Lower Sussex Indians, Sussex County, Delaware
- Nonnewaug Chiefs, Woodbury, Connecticut
- Oak Cliff Redskins, Dallas, Texas
- Pomperaug Warriors, Southbury, Connecticut
- Reynolds Corner Redskins, Toledo, Ohio
- Southeast Apaches, San Antonio, Texas
- Southland Comanches, Colorado
- Stratford Redskin, Stratford, Connecticut
- Water Oak Indians, Watertown, Connecticut
- Western Albemarle Chiefs, Crozet, Virginia
- Willamette Redskins, Eugene, Oregon
Youth/Junior football
- Antioch Redskins, Plant City, Florida
- CLCF Football, Cranston, Rhode Island (Chiefs)
- Donaldsonville Redskins, Donaldsonville, Louisiana
- Fauquier Youth Football, Fauquier County, Virginia
- Grayling Redskins Youth Football, Grayling, Michigan
- Kanawha Youth Football Redskins, Richmond, Virginia
- Lancaster Junior Redskins, Lancaster, New York
- Loudon Redskins Youth Football, Loudon, Tennessee
- Patterson Redskins Youth Football & Cheer, Patterson, California
- Rochester Redskins Youth Football & Cheer, Rochester, Michigan
- Sarasota Ringling Redskins, Sarasota, Florida
- South Cherokee Football and Cheer "Redskins", Woodstock, Georgia
- Southwest Redskins, Houston, Texas
- Sterling Heights Redskins, Sterling Heights, Michigan
- Vienna Youth Inc. Football Chiefs, Vienna, Virginia
- Washington Redskins Midget Football, Washington, New Jersey
- Whittier Redskins, Whittier, California
- Woonsocket Redskins Youth Football and Cheerleading, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Ice Hockey
- Copper Cliff Redmen, Copper Cliff, Ontario
- Onion Lake Border Chiefs, Onion Lake Cree Nation
- Saddle Lake Warriors, Saddle Lake, Alberta
Lacrosse
- Akwesasne Indians, Akwesasne, a Mohawk Nation that intersects the United States and Canada
- Elora Mohawks, Elora, Ontario
- Kitchener-Waterloo Braves, Kitchener, Ontario
- Kahnawake Hunters, Kahnawake, Quebec
- Mississauga Tomahawks, Mississauga, Ontario
- Six Nations Arrows, Hagersville, Ontario
- Six Nations Rebels, Hagersville, Ontario
- Six Nations Warriors, Hagersville, Ontario
- Tomahawks, Palo Alto, California
- Whitby Warriors, Whitby, Ontario
Wrestling
- Little Redskins, Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation (IKWF) sanctioned club (K-8th grade) in Morris, Illinois â€" Uses a version of the DC team logo
See also
- Native American mascot controversy
- Native American mascot laws and regulations
- List of company and product names derived from indigenous peoples
External links
Sources of data on teams/mascots
- MaxPreps is a site for U.S. High School sports information, and can be searched by mascot name as well as school name, but the data is not kept up to date so it is only a starting place.
- MascotDB is a searchable database of mascots from Pro to High School.
- List of Semi-Pro Football Teams
References
