Cultural Performance and Sport Mrscots

Abstract

Various arguments against Native American mascots have used assumptions based on similar critiques such as those connected to discourse about colonialism, racism and white hegemony (e.g., Hewitt, 1991; Schultz, 1991; Monaghan, 1992). While these criticisms are very justified, in this essay, the cultural roots, symbolism and performance of sport mascots will be considered as they have been articulated to the symbolic production of cultural narratives such as "good luck"; "authenticity"; and "nostalgia." First, classicist David Sansone's (1988) ideas concerning the origin of sport will be discussed as they may be connected to present-day sport mascot rituals. The essay then uses the symbolic anthropological construct of "cultural performance" to explore the ideologies of sport mascots in today's culture.

Routledge Handbook of Sport and the Environment

“…Specifically, the materials provided by the dead bodies of animals make up things like baseball gloves, golf bags, saddles, and so on (Wade, 1996). Animals are also depicted as representations of teams at various levels, and their presumed characteristics are used to promote toughness and primality, as well as create sport fandom and sport identity (Callais, 2010;Dalakas & Rose, 2013;Slowikowski, 1993).…”

“…Another way in which animals serve humans in the sport context is by representing sport teams as mascots. The selection of an animal for a mascot is based upon the characteristics of the animal and the belief that the representation of the animal will bring luck (Slowikowski, 1993). Animals chosen to represent a sport team are selected on the basis of presumed aggressive and vicious tendencies or because they represent honor at a larger level (Slovenko, 1994).…”

Where’s the Honor? Attitudes Toward the “Fighting Sioux” Nickname and Logo

“…The common representations of Native people by sports teams-performances and imagery-are merely tokens of a still-existing people who are not permitted to speak for themselves and are consequentially fetishized (Slowikowski, 1993). Thus, the "mascotting" of Native Americans perpetuates White hegemony over Natives and forces false "unity" between Native Americans and Whites (Black 2002).…”

The Nonsense of Native American Sport Imagery

“…Recognizing the falsity of these images is an acknowledgement that they are simulations of a history that never existed or, in other words, simulacra, 'the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal' (Baudrillard, 1983: 2). Slowikowski (1993) makes this clear: 'the things like Native American sport mascots that are nostalgically framed are simulacra, or hyperreal images, which Umberto Eco calls copies of things for which there are no originals' (p. 28). But Slowikowski's analysis also falls short in that she simply reiterates the point that the images are slanderous, and a misrepresentation of Native Americans.…”