Before watching the movie on Chief Illiniwek I never realized how it could be offensive to those who are Native American. I am from Norton Shores, which is right inside Muskegon. Muskegon High Schools mascot is the Big Reds, referring to Native Americans. The Big Reds are a very good football team and bring in many fans and spectators from all around. Never before have I heard of or seen anyone upset with the mascot or thought it offensive. This I am sure is because the percentage of Native Americans is very low in that area.
The Big Reds as far as I know haven’t had many problems with their mascot; however they did retire the Indian boy dance and logos. I think this was a very respectable thing to do. I don’t think mascots are put out there to be offensive or mock a certain culture. They are more for fun and help get the crowd involved in the game.
After watching the movie I do realize how this could offend some especially having the mascot be for a large university such as Illinois, which gets a lot of press. I was impressed with how hard the woman in the movie worked to get things changed. She really felt strongly about the issue and was determined to do something about it.
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