Jeniffer:

The contrasting beliefs underlying debates over the issue of mascots depicting American Indian figures is that these figures create false, degrading, and disrespectful images of American Indians. Along with contributing to the miseducation of American Indians by depicting misleading stereotypes of Indigenous People. It is also offensive to Indigenous people when people paint their faces and bodies and wear stereotypical clothing and headdresses, this is cultural misappropriation.

A sociologist of physical activities would most likely advise that they change their mascots as they are responsible for evaluating situations and ensuring fairness and equality for everyone, and this is not fair, or respectful to the Indigenous People, and it is not culturally appropriate.

Ava:

Critics of American Indian mascots argue that the imagery used is false and degrading. They believe the false rituals carried out by teams with American Indian mascots are misleading, disrespectful, and trivializing their culture. Proponents of American Indian mascots are almost exclusively white. They claim that the imagery is a tribute. Those who defend symbols of American Indians in sports suggest that being called “brave” is a compliment. They say that lends the idea the American Indians are tough and courageous. A sociologist of physical activity is most likely to champion the cause of eliminating American Indian mascots from sports teams. This goal is to critique physical activity programs in order to identify problems and recommend changes leading to the enhancement of equality and human well being keeping the status quo would not enhance equality for Native Americans.

Paris:

American Indians are not a mascot. A bulldog, a cheetah, a husky, etc those are mascots. American Indians are being grouped different animals. Using a culture as a mascot is inappropriate and direspectfult towards that culture. Not only is this culture being disrespected but they get appropriated as well. Dressing up as a stereotypical American Indian is the same as dressing up as them as a costume. With them being used as a mascot also comes stereotypes, again adding to the disrespect towards that cultre. A sociologist of physicial activity would fight to change this mascot, they would want equality for any culture. They would fight for change to prevent this culture from feeling like a stereotyped mascot.

Johan:

American Indian figures feel disrespected that they are being used as mascots, which makes a lot of sense because I would too, if my culture was being used to represent a sports team, with no relation or no history talked about my culture. A sociologist of physical activity would try and change this, just as we have with many of these professional teams that have already been changed. It seems disrespectful and sad that people don’t know the first thing about Indians or Native Americans, the only thing they will really associate them with is professional sports teams.