From the tomahawk chop of the Atlanta Braves to the Seminoles of Florida State, this year’s fall sports have been rocked with ethnic controversy.
But Indian names for teams and schools get the approval of at least one tribe — so long as the names are used in good taste.
The Seminole Indians of Florida, based near Hollywood, say they are happy to share their Native American heritage with a collegiate football team and a Broward County elementary school.
Seminole Tribal Chairman James Billie has sent a letter supporting Florida State’s team to the university’s alumni director.
“The word ‘Seminole’ means ‘untamed.’ Nothing can hold them back,” Billie said. “We are proud to be Seminoles, and we are proud of the Florida State University Seminoles. We are all winners.”
The real Seminoles also helped Indian Trace Elementary School in Weston celebrate its Indian theme during a dedication ceremony on Wednesday.
Billy Cypress, director of the Seminole Tribal Museum Authority, was scheduled to address the students at Indian Trace, which opened in September. Students dressed in Native American costumes and performed Indian dances and songs.
Meanwhile, the letter Billie dispatched to Florida State was meant to assure the university that his tribe took no offense to the school’s team name — even while Indians nationwide are rallying to erase such ethnic names from professional and school sports.
“We’re kind of proud they chose to be Seminoles,” said Steve Bowers, the tribe’s governmental liaison. “We’re proud they wanted to use us on their logo.”
Instead of being viewed as a stereotype of Indians, the Seminole name and logo paints a picture of a tough group of people who can survive, Bowers said. The school has been cooperative with the tribe in the past and has made changes to its logo to more accurately portray a Seminole Indian, he said.
The controversy over using Indian names and logos for sports teams boiled over during the baseball World Series in October, when some Indian groups and civil rights activists objected to the use of stereotypical Indian symbols or behavior by the Atlanta Braves and their fans, such as wearing feathers, imitating the tomahawk chop and chanting.
But the Seminoles are not angry.
“As far as the tomahawk incident … I have often thought that a lot of people would like to be considered an ‘Indian’ or a ‘Native American,”‘ he said. “The Seminole Indians are very highly regarded as those who can go anywhere and survive under any conditions.”
