PC Sports

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the cleveland naps changed their name to indians in the early 1900s to honor former player louis sockalexis, one of the first native americans to play in the major leagues. they had a history of chaning their name to honor players... the name naps came from nap lajoie, a former pitcher for cleveland. after they changed the name to indians, the name stuck. now something that was done to honor a player is considered by many to be racist. perhaps they should change their name to the cleveland native americans, and then everyone will feel better.

 

[U2Bama]

In fact only one small band of Seminoles, the "Seminole Tribe of Florida," agreed to officially approve the FSU mascot--and, not incidentally, that approval came only after FSU president Wetherell offered them an incentive package including 80% off tuition scholarships for "Seminole Scholars" to be recruited directly by FSU from the tribe.

Most of the Seminoles today live in Oklahoma, where their main reservation is. The "Seminole Tribe of Florida" is by far the smallest of the three bands left in Florida.

There is no need to belittle the Seminole Tribe of Florida as some "small band." They are the group that has remained in the state of Florida all this time and that never signed atreaty with the U.S. government. The school that uses the Seminole symbol is Florida State University and that school, oddly, is also in the state of Florida. Check them out at www.seminoletribe.com if you think they are so insignificant and irrelevant.

And the Oklahoma group has also come forward, the link is here and the article is below:

This comes in the wake of news that the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma does not condemn Florida State for its use of the Seminole nickname, a notion one NCAA official had previously cited as a reason FSU was included on the list of banned schools.

"Our official position is that the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma does not condemn the use of Native American mascots and specifically did not condemn the use of Seminoles by Florida State University," said Jennifer McBee, the Tribe's attorney general.

Walter Harrison, the chairman of the NCAA Executive Committee, told The Associated Press late Friday that Florida State can appeal, but that he is reserving judgment until he sees the appeal.

"It's a new and interesting fact that we will look at," Harrison said.

McBee said the NCAA has never spoken to the Tribe on the issue, but had corresponded with David Narcomey, a member of the Tribe's general council.

Narcomey had sponsored legislation asking the Tribe to condemn such mascots, but the Tribe voted 18-2 to strike it down on July 16. Narcomey has a right to his opinion, but he does not speak for the entire Tribe, said McBee.

In a letter addressed to media citing them as condemning FSU's nickname, the Tribe said it has several members who are students at Florida State and the Tribe "is proud of its representation on campus."

Jim Shore, general council for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, says the NCAA should have done more homework on the subject.

"I think the NCAA made a big mistake here in not consulting with us or the Oklahoma Seminoles," Shore said. "And when they claimed the Oklahoma Seminoles were against it, it was only a few that were against it. They didn't get all their facts together.

"We're still waiting to see what happens, but we have told the school that we are still in their corner."

Wetherell said he hopes the NCAA readdresses the issue, but hopes they go farther.

"We believe the NCAA owes a letter of apology to the Seminoles Tribe of Florida as well as the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma," Wetherell said. "For them to be drug into this through no doing of their own has been totally unfair to them."

And from fsu.com:

Moreover, Ken Chambers, principal chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, has said publicly that the name “gives the type of recognition that allows people to identify with the name Seminoles.” He also said, “As far as the mascot itself, it is not degrading to us. It is not humiliating.”

In addition, Kelly Haney, a former Oklahoma state senator who will become the principal chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma in September, also has publicly said that his position is that “if the Seminoles in Florida decide it’s OK with them, I have no problems with it.”[/quote

At the end of the day, I think I agree most with melon's post:

Originally posted by melon:


I think the criteria should be changed to allow American Indian mascots only when the tribes have granted formal permission, as has happened in a few instances.

~U2Alabama