Ethnic Cleansing

According to the Wikipedia the phrase ethnic cleansing comes from the Cerbo-Croatian: etničko čišćenje. The word is usually applied to forced migrations (like the Cherokee and the Trail of Tears) or genocide(like the Tutsis in Rwanda). The dis-oriented author is dismayed to see in my own country a form of ethnic cleansing taking place.

No, I don't meant the ethnic cleansing of voters rolls in 2000 and 2004 as some have reported. I am talking about an issue that has faced this nation from the outset — I am talking about the systematic attempt to eradicate every trace of Native American influence, culture and identity from our collective consciousness.

I am talking about the NCAA.

According to NCAA president Myles Brand, the NCAA Executive Committee has ruled that they will not:

conduct championships on the campuses of member institutions where the use of nicknames and mascots representing American Indians is considered hostile and abusive

According to the Brand editorial there are 18 out of over 1000 institutions that are affected. Only 18? Really? The NCAA's policy covers much more than Indian mascots. According to the NCAA press release:

But as a national association, we believe that mascots, nicknames or images deemed hostile or abusive in terms of race, ethnicity or national origin should not be visible at the championship events that we control.

In light of the NCAA's position I would like to share with readers the mascots that will need to change, the number of schools that use the mascot and why they are unacceptable:

3	Argonauts	A Greek tribe
	Aztecs	A Mexican Tribe
	Athenas	Sexist, anti-Greek, religious
	Boilermakers	anti-blue collar
	Boxers	anti-Chinese
8	Braves	anti-Indian
6	Cavaliers	anti-English
	Celtics	anti-Irish
	Celts	anti-Irish
	Chieftans	anti-Indian(changing to Skyhawks)
	Chippewas	anti-Indian
	Choctaws	anti-Indian
9	Cowboys	anti-Cowboy
27	Crusaders	anti-Muslim
	Dons	anti-Mexican/Spanish
4	Dragons	anti-Chinese
	Dutchmen	anti-Dutch
3	Flying Dutchmen	anti-Dutch
	Friars	anti-religious
	Guachos	anti-Argentine
	Grenadiers	anti-English
	Highland Cavaliers	anti-Scottish
5	Highlanders	anti-Scottish
	Illini	anti-Indian
9	Indians	anti-Indian
	Irish	anti-Irish
	Lumberjills	sexist
	Maccabees	anti-Jewish
	Matadors	anti-Spanish
	Moccasins	anti-Indian
	Mocs	anti-Indian
	Mohawks	anti-Indian
2	Moundbuilders	anti-Indian
	Musketeers	anti-French
	Nanooks	anti-Inuit
	Norse	anti-Norwegian
3	Quakers	anti-Duck ;-)
	Ragin' Cajuns	anti-French
3	Redmen	anti-Indian
20	Saints	anti-Muslim
10	Scots	anti-Scottish
	Scotties	anti-Scottish
	Seminoles	anti-Indian
	Sioux	anti-Indian
16	Spartans	anti-Greek
	Swedes	anti-Swede
	Tartans	anti-Scottish
	Texans	anti-Texans
44	Tigers	anti-Tamil Tiger
	Tommies	anti-English
	Toreros	anti-Spanish
	Toros	anti-Spanish
	Tribe	anti-Indian
	Vandals	anti-Hun
18	Vikings	anti-Viking
15	Trojans	anti-Trojan
	Trolls	anti-Troll
	Utes	anti-Indian
	Warhawks	anti-Indian
26	Warriors	anti-Indian
	White Mules	self-explanatory
	Women of Troy	anti-Trojan,sexist

Maybe the student body at UC Santa Cruz was right. When they voted for a change in school mascot they chose the Banana Slug.