Indian Names: Honorable Or Insulting?

One of the most magical years in history was 1903. The year Major League Baseball was introduced. America’s great pastime started by simply creating certain teams. Many of them are still around today and have outstanding history such as the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, and… the Cleveland Indians. For more than a century, baseball and many other great American sports have used Indian names such as the Indians, Redskins, Utes, and others. Many are beginning to think these names are racist towards Indians, and should be changed. Though there are valued arguments on both sides, Native American names should not be required to be changed.

First, many don’t realize that people have grown a true love for these tribes. They used to live here and we are making people remember them through sports. Steve Wulf from ESPN says “Those cities do have a legacy of equality of which they can be proud”. When a team like the Cleveland Indians hoist the World Series trophy, The real Indians will see that and realize what an honor it is that there dedicating it to them. This proves that the Indians are taking part of these histories or legacies, and people love these Indians and want them to be a part of these great teams.

Secondly, most of these tribes have full knowledge of this and approve of them. The University of Utah recently paid respect to the mighty Ute tribe by approving it with the tribe themselves. “The Ute indian tribe encourages the University of Utah to use the Ute name in there sporting events with full support” said a reporter. These tribes aren’t insulted at all. This proves that we’re not going behind the Native American’s back. They know exactly what names are in these leagues and approve of them.

In addition, these sports teams’ names are to honor the tribes that once lived here. Lindsay Lowe from Scholastic news said “names such as Braves and Chiefs celebrate values such as strength and bravery.” These names are to honor the Native Americans who were put through misery due to Andrew Jackson. They helped us in a big way, and now it’s time to reward them with a very high honor; having the very valuable honor of having a team from this nation's pastime: sports.

Some believe that the names are insulting to these Indians and should be removed. Although this side makes a pretty valuable argument, they fail to consider that these tribes are not insulted and, in fact, take it as a privilege to get that honor. John Two-Hawks, a current Native American, said himself, “They would not be offended. It’s true” when talking about his tribe.  This and some of the other arguments prove that the Indians are not insulted and actually are honored.

These reasons are just a few why sports teams should not be required to change their name. It is more honorable than many think. They portray our love for the Native Americans who once lived on our land. They are also 100% knowledgeable about this. In addition, we are proud of them and want to show the pride we have for them by giving them a great honor. We need to forget the nonsense about this debate and remember the history that comes with these great Indian names. We must continue our honor for the Indians by giving them one of the highest honors: sports.