Contesting Constructed Indian-ness

The Intersection of the Frontier, Masculinity, and Whiteness in Native American Mascot Representations

By: Michael Taylor

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eText | 16 May 2013 | Edition Number 1

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Native American sports team mascots represent a contemporary problem for modern Native American people. The ideas embedded in the mascot representations, however, are as old as the ideas constructed about the Indian since contact between the peoples of Western and the Eastern hemispheres. Such ideas conceived about Native Americans go hand-in-hand with the machinations of colonialism and conquest of these people. This research looks at how such ideas inform the construction of identity of white males from historic experiences with Native Americans. Notions of “playing Indian” and of “going Native” are precipitated from these historic contexts such that in the contemporary sense of considering Native Americans, popular culture ideas dress Native Americans in feathers and buckskin in order to satisfy stereotypic expectations of Indian-ness.

Industry Reviews

Contesting Constructed Indian-ness: The Intersection of the Frontier, Masculinity, and Whiteness in Native American Mascot Representations continues all the important dialogue and analysis on Native American mascots. . . .Overall, the book contributes a critical dialogue on the issue of American mascots. Most Americans do not know the history of this issue and why it continues to be detrimental to not only Native people, but to all peoples. The book contributes to the growing scholarship and hopefully to the national dialogue on the ending the use of Native American mascots in schools, colleges, and professional organizations, and therefore is recommended for both universities and the general public.