Commentary:
By Jennifer Varenchik
Native Voice Network

I never really paid a lot of attention to the Native American mascot issue – until recently.

I was one of the silent people who thought, “It’s not my fight. I have other things in my community I need to work on first.”

I live in Los Angeles County. It is home to the largest urban Native American and Alaska Native population in the United States. When I first moved to L.A. in the 1990s, I was constantly being asked if I was Latina. Sometimes people would get upset because I wasn’t able to speak Spanish.

Sometimes, I would painfully resort to sticking two fingers behind my head to act as a feather to illustrate being American Indian.

Unfortunately, that’s all I had to reach for to explain my heritage because that is what most of America knows.

Thinking back on those times is what has helped push me to get involved with the campaign to change the Washington football team name.

I grew up in a small town in Northern California. It still is a picture perfect town with a population of just over 42,000. When I was growing up, there was not a lot of diversity. I was adopted by Caucasian parents at 12 weeks old and raised in a very loving family.

I had a wonderful upbringing that included family vacations, summer camps, sports, private schools and lots of friends. The one thing that I did not have was any exposure to my Native American culture – other than what the rest of mainstream America is exposed to.

That is not a lot.

I remember catching glimpses of major sporting league games on television and seeing the fans dressed up in the stands. As a child, I wondered if that was how my people dressed.

How was I to know? I didn’t have any Native references around me.

Sure, I learned some tidbits about Native American history in school, but everything I learned was both saddening and old. We never learned about modern Native American life. My exposure to my culture as a child was fans on television pretending to be Indians, tragic history lessons in school and the hit movie, “Dances with Wolves.”

And you know what?

That is pretty much what most of America has been exposed to as well. Just add in casinos, and that is what most non-Native people know about American Indian culture today.

Once I moved to L.A., I began work for a Native American non-profit organization that helps Native youth. I wanted them to be exposed to real Native role models that I hadn’t been. We put posters of great past Native leaders and modern day leaders on the walls.

We purchased as many books and DVDs that positively portrayed Native people so the youth could see that Native Americans are more than history lessons and mascots.

A few years later, I had the privilege of being able to travel to many Indian reservations around the country with another Native non-profit group. I worked with them for four years, and I was exposed to the true beauty of Native America.

I learned about different tribal traditions. I met many wonderful people. I grew a deeper appreciation for my culture.

I was able to participate in various ceremonies and to hear live speeches by some of the same people we had posters of at my first job. I was able to connect with many elders, tribal leaders and community organizers about what life was like on their reservation. I have been blessed to be exposed to things that I know mainstream American people will most likely never see.

Which brings me back to why I am involved with the mascot issue today. Now, I know better. Most of America does not.

In 2005, the American Psychological Association called for an immediate end to Native American mascots, citing research that the presence of these mascots results directly in lower self-esteem among Native youth. It’s also shown that mascots increase negative attitudes about Native youth by non-Native youth.

A lot of the low self esteem and high levels of suicide among Native youth can go back to not being able to see positive portrayals of role models in the media. Many Native people know that most of America doesn’t really know much about us because we’re not seen, especially on mainstream media.

With our culture being so wide and diverse, we want you to know more than the limited knowledge that comes from rooting for a team with a Native mascot.

Each area of this country has a different climate, and the first people here learned to adapt and live off the land.

The Native people of the Northwest lived a very different lifestyle than the people of the Southwest. But with mascot imagery, everyone thinks all Natives are from the plains area of this country. With over 550 tribes in this country, these limiting images automatically leaves out a large amount of Native Americans.

Shouldn’t we get to choose how we are known?

I don’t want to be known for feathers, tomahawks and war paint. I want to be able to say I’m Native American and the common response is: “Oh, the first people…”

Until I can tell people that I am Native American and receive a look of instant recognition in return, I will continue to do what I can to decrease negative stereotypes of Native Americans.

Please join me in this struggle. Let’s create a new common understanding of what it means to be Native American today.

Jennifer Varenchik (Tohono O’odham) is a speaker, writer and director. Her Twitter handle is @nativemuse. On July 10, the Native Voice Network launched a campaign opposing the Washington football team’s name. The network is comprised of Native American families and organizations that work on policies that affect their communities. Reprinted from Equal Voice for Families newspapert: www.equalvoiceforfamilies.org