Commercially throughout North America, this stereotype is perpetuated through the usage of derogatory names and images, portrayed on everything from sports teams to beer. Movies, television commercials, and advertising also carry on this stereotype of the American Indian, showing them as a downtrodden, beaten people, unable to care for themselves and living in a static culture.
Prime examples of these types of abuses are the Washington Redskins football team, the Atlanta Braves baseball team, and Crazy Horse malt liquor. While there are many other such abuses, I would like discuss to these major ones, to give an understanding of what it is that American Indians find offensive about the usage of these names.
When the Europeans first came to the US, there were many American Indian tribes living throughout the country. Each group had its own name for itself, and for the most part got along well with each other. Terminology such as redskin and Indian were not used, but introduced by Europeans as derogatory words to describe the native people that they found in this country. When this term is used to name a football team, it shows a total lack of respect for American Indians, and is a racist, derogatory focus on skin color.
The usage of Braves by the Atlanta baseball team is another such issue. Along with the name, is the famous tomahawk chop, popular with fans rooting on their team during games. This tomahawk chop combined with the name Braves, continues the stereotype of the bloodthirsty savage, lurking behind every bush and tree, eager to scalp anyone with white skin. Again, a stereotype is perpetuated.
Finally, we have the issue of the using the name of Crazy Horse, a famous Sioux leader and warrior to sell beer. Crazy Horse cared greatly for his people and strove to the very end to protect them and their lands from the Europeans. One of the very things that he tried to protect them from was the usage of alcohol, introduced to them by the Europeans. Not only does putting his name on a bottle of beer demean all that he stood for, but it also sends a bad image to young American Indian youth, who are vulnerable to the usage of alcohol.
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