Tulsa Union Redskins controversy

Photo by: Will Gentry

 

Since the Washington Redskins name has come under fire, controversy surrounding racial mascots is spreading to the extent that even an Oklahoma high school can’t dodge.

The Oneida Indian Nation is pressuring the NFL to stop using a racial slur as the name of a football team. This controversy has reached large enough proportions that even President Obama agreed to the necessity of a change. This has now trickled down into the state level.

The National Congress of American Indians is pushing for Tulsa Union to change their mascot’s name from the Redskins, claiming that it is racist. Oklahoma Christian University students who went to Tulsa Union claim that the name is not meant to be offensive.

“I don’t really see why [changing the name] would be necessary, because we don’t mean anything offensive by it,” senior Mark Street said. “We have a good team that represents [the Redskins] well. It’s a part of our heritage and tradition.”

Freshman Sunny Patel stated that the controversy is flawed.

“I find the controversy to be blown out of proportion because when I went to Union, I had friends and a teacher that were Native American, and they never had a problem with mascot issues,” Patel said.

Street added to his claim.

“I’m really proud of our mascot,” Street said. “It has a lot of tradition. In the past we have had some Native Americans actually show up and protest our football games, but for us, it’s a little bit different. It’s more like pride and heritage. I’m Cherokee myself, and I don’t view anything bad with it.”

Junior Evynn Alexander commented on how changing the name would affect Tulsa Union students and faculty.

“It would affect a lot of things,” Alexander said. “We don’t use the Redskins name all that much, but in the sports, because we are very big on sports, it would change a whole lot of things that we’re accustomed to.”

Street agreed that the name change would affect the students and faculty.

“It wouldn’t be the same,” Street said. “I’m trying to imagine what it would be like if we changed our name from OC Eagles to OC Hawks. All of our cheers and things like that would have to be changed around the name, and it wouldn’t seem the same. Union has a good football team and other good teams. It’s not like they aren’t representing the Redskins well.”

Patel said that the controversy should not affect the school.

“This controversy does effect the school by taking away focus from the educational aspect of the school and instead focuses on a aspect that shouldn’t matter much, because at the end of the day Union High School is a school where students go to learn,” Patel said.

Alexander, on the other hand, sees another reason.

“I feel that since [Tulsa Union] is one of the bigger schools in the state that it’s more controversial, because that name, you can probably hear [about it] all around the country,” Alexander said.

Street stated that Tulsa Union has even gone to some lengths in an effort to prevent disharmony from the Redskins name.

“They don’t even have visual representations of the mascot,” Street said.

Alexander added that Tulsa Union uses the Redskins name and culture respectively.

“We use a teepee [during football games], but we put it up right, and we take it down right and they keep it safe,” Alexander said.

Patel stated he felt that Tulsa Union should not be effected by the name controversy.

“I don’t think Union should have to change their mascot because we have always taken pride in our mascot and we will always continue to do so,” Patel said. “Yes, I do think that Union should get a pass on the mascot issue because of the Native American influences in Oklahoma.”

Street argued that there should not even be a controversy.

“It’s a high school,” Street said. “It’s not like we’re advertising commercial product. It’s a part of our culture. I feel that there should be a way to have a conversation about [the name] and let [the NCAI] know what [the name] means to us; that we are wanting to represent them well.”

However, Alexander said that the controversy does have some weight to it.

“We don’t have the complete right to keep the mascot, but being Oklahoma, I feel that at least one school should keep a hold of that hinge on the past, because it is in the culture of Oklahoma,” Alexander said.