Indians as Mascots issue heads to Oklahoma legislature

The debate over the use of Indian mascots by public schools has made its way into the Oklahoma Legislature, after Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre introduced Senate Bill 567, otherwise known as the Oklahoma Racial Mascots Act. McIntyre represents parts of Tulsa and Osage counties. But in Cherokee County, Indian mascots have long been a volatile issue. "American Indian people are the last group of people who are objectified," said Cindy Martin, vice chair of the Tulsa Indian Coalition Against Racism, the group spearheading efforts to get the bill passed. "Certainly, 'Black Sambos' and 'lawn jockeys' are no longer tolerated by African-American people." Martin said TICAR helped adopt the language of the three-page bill, which bans the use of Savages, Redskins, Indians, Braves, Chiefs, Apaches, Comanches, Papooses, Warriors, and Sentinels - a word of French origin meaning "guard." "We were using the California bill as a model," said Louis Gray, president of TICAR. "One of the schools there had the sentinel as a mascot, but used the image of an Indian warrior as their logo. That probably won't be in the final bill." The bill, if passed, would also ban "any other Native American tribal name; and any other racially derogatory or discriminatory school or athletic team name, mascot or nickname." [more]