In recent years sports teams with certain mascots have been in the focus of some media channels. Specifically, those teams with mascots that represent Native American/Indigenous peoples. These teams are usually located near the locations where these figures are most prominent. For example, the Florida State University Seminoles; Seminoles’ reservation is in Florida.
Some of these teams have been part of the modern Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion discourse and have been forced by either organizations or government entities to change the mascots as it may lead to issues with DEI.
I agree with what most of these Native American nations have done. In cases such as the Seminoles, they accept and refuse to support the removal of these mascots. They feel identified and included in these teams. In contrast, some teams have removed the mascot even before any issues happen. In my opinion, considering my ancestry, I would enjoy to see a native Puerto Rican, also known as Taïno as a mascot for a team. It feels as though we are honoring the heritage of our ancestors and allows people to learn about it if they are curious.
In those cases where removal or modification is necessary due to inaccurate depictions, I would allow input from those tribes or groups. If removal is necessary then we should accept the decision of those groups. That way there can be the best of both worlds and everyone should feel as though it’s not an issue.
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