American Indian students at the University of Nebraska have been speaking up on campus and in forums about being used as mascots. Here’s a story from the Omaha World Herald in Thursday’s paper, Feb. 25, 2010. Congratulations to the students for organizing and making sure they had a voice on campus. It’s not easy. And it takes true leaders to step forward, ready to take a few arrows for the sake of preserving their dignity. Read on:
By Leslie Reed
WORLD-HERALD BUREAULINCOLN — Lucas LaRose just wanted to check the score.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior had to miss the Nov. 7 Nebraska-Oklahoma football game to attend his aunt’s wedding.
What he saw after he turned on the TV made him question whether he ever truly had been a part of Husker Nation.
There were several young men rooting for the Huskers, cavorting in front of the cameras, wearing face paint and American Indian headdresses. They carried a sign that said “We Want Our Land Back.”
LaRose is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe who grew up on the Winnebago Indian reservation in northeast Nebraska. He is one of approximately 130 Native American students who attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“I grew up in Nebraska; I am proud of this state,” he said in an interview Wednesday. “I was proud to come to UNL, the flagship institution, where I was repeatedly told as a freshman that this is a place that fosters multicultural sensitivity. And in my senior year, I see this happening on TV, and everyone else can see it. It’s disheartening, and it’s disappointing.”
Even more disturbing than the fans’ behavior, LaRose said, has been UNL’s slowness to disavow the incident and take steps to prevent it from happening again.
In fact, fans wore Native American costumes to the Kansas State game two weeks after the game with the Sooners.
The costumed fans, whose names have not been made public, broke no UNL rules with their attire.
Four of the offending fans offered a public apology for their actions during an open forum Wednesday that was part of a student government meeting.
All upperclassmen, they described themselves as die-hard Husker fans who dress up for every home game. They’ve worn kilts and togas before, they said.
They thought wearing Native American garb would be a good way to needle Oklahoma for its “Boomer Sooner” heritage, they said.
The men declined to give their last names.
A young man who identified himself as Richard said he was dismayed to see his actions described in the student newspaper as racist and bigoted.
“We want to apologize,” said another young man, who gave his name as Chance. “It was a bigger deal than we thought.”
A third young man, Drew, said the fans are remorseful, that there was “no intention to single out any person or group.”
Juan Franco, UNL vice chancellor for student affairs, said Wednesday that he and other top officials met repeatedly with Native American students in the wake of the incidents. They now are staging educational forums that will raise awareness about Native American culture. For example, this year’s annual empowerment forum, set for Friday, will focus on Native American issues.
In a statement to be published Thursday in the student newspaper, Franco said he would make clear that “the university does not condone any behavior that belittles or mocks students or their cultures.”
For more of the story, go to the Omaha World Herald web site.