Mount Pleasant junior Joshua Hudson is strongly against the use of the Chippewa name in representation of Central Michigan University.
“This is not a mascot issue. This is a human rights issue,” Hudson said.
A forum was held Thursday night to discuss different views on the use of the nickname “Chippewas.”
The main topic of discussion was whether the Chippewa name should be changed. All panel members were in agreement, believing the nickname should be changed. But they think a change was not likely to happen overnight.
“I think it should be revisited by the school and the tribe, but I think it definitely has to go,” said panelist Ben Hinmon, a member of the Saginaw Indian Chippewa Tribe.
Though the panel was unanimous, students had varying opinions on the use of a Chippewa to represent CMU.
Mount Pleasant graduate student Marsha Mullins does not feel like the nickname is disrespectful.
“I don’t think it’s offensive. The school handles it with tact. We don’t use degrading caricatures or a mascot,” Mullins said.
Others speaking on the panel were University of Wisconsin professor Sonny Smart, Assistant professor of history Stephen Jones, associate professor of history Benjamin Ramirez-shkwegnaabi and Charlene Teters, professor at the Institute of Indian Arts.
Each panelists spoke on the issue of Native Americans being used as mascots, as well as their personal thoughts and experiences with the issue.
Having dealt with a similar situation, Teters was a perfect candidate to speak on this topic. Teters fought against her own school, University of Illinois, for their use of Chief Illiniwek as the mascot when she was in college. She was featured in the documentary “In Whose Honor?,” a film about the outrage of Native American mascots being used in collegiate athletics.
“A university should be a place where all people’s identities are respected,” Teters said.
Colleen Green, director of Native American Programs, feels a forum like this one should be held yearly because of the importance of the topic. She said the topic has not really been touched on in a long time, possibly five to 10 years.
“Because we have this nickname we are to respect these people. This forum is a good articulated reminder that students do need to be respectful and aware,” she said.
Cheboygan senior Tonya Neuman, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe Tribe, objects to the use of the Chippewa.
“I would have to say personally I disagree with the nickname and think that it should be changed. Even if one person is offended by it then it’s a problem,” she said.
The event was co-sponsored by the Office of Native American Programs, Office for Institutional Diversity and College of Humanities and Social Behavioral Sciences.
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Emily Grove
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This is the same old story that CM Life has ran ever since I was at CMU. Some student makes a stink about the nickname and the story runs. I was at CMU from 2000 to 2005 and it was an annual story. There was even a story of a student who attended a football game in “native american garbe” who was asked to take the outfit off or leave the stadium. The issue was addressed then and a clear statement was made: we will respectfully honor the Chippewa Tribe!
Why not ask the Chippewa Tribe what they think, instead of shoving your opinion into the media?
Lastly, the tribe donates millions of dollars a year to CMU. If they had a problem with the nickname, then obviously we would all know about it. I know that if I donated millions of dollars to CMU, I would want a building or the school’s nickname being named after me!
So your story found 4 people who are offended by the nickname. Thousands of people will come forward to say that will be offended if the nickname is changed. Next story please…
I was under the impression that the tribe was on board and didn’t mind this name. Is that impression wrong?
FIRE UP CHIPS!!!
I wonder how the representatives of the 584 Native American tribes who came to Washington DC today to meet president Obama felt upon entering the city whose sports team greets them as REDSKINS. I wonder how many REDSKINS fans wore their sports logo today! If America and president Obama cannot even address this problem, one that is simple to solve and declared important by more than 99% of the gathered Tribes, how will they ever address the many other issues facing Native Americans. Wake up America!!!
The article says:
“Cheboygan senior Tonya Neuman, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe Tribe, objects to the use of the Chippewa. ‘I would have to say personally I disagree with the nickname and think that it should be changed. Even if one person is offended by it then it’s a problem,’ she said.”
Good luck with that! As an Irish American I am really offended by Notre Dame’s mascot. I have filed a complaint with them. I have never heard back from them.
I’m echoing Dean’s comment. Since ‘99 this has come up every single year. The joke back then was to change the nick to the Central Michigan Snuggly Puppies. Different year, same old busybodies. Get a hobby.
Steven,
REDSKINS and Chippewas are apples and oranges. As someone from the northern VA area trust me.. redskins is a racist joke used over and over, and mocked by the fans. CMU handles Chippewas with class. The point made earlier makes sense too. If the tribe donates millions to the school, football, advertising, and they keep doing it if the name bugs, them then wouldn’t they stop? People need to calm down and have a conversation and ask the tribe and I bet they would tell you something that would surprise you.
Every one of these individuals should spend their time on issues that are constructive to the “unalienable rights of man” that is described in the U.S. constitution.
“Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
I do not believe you will find that Central Michigan University has denied anyone these “unalienable rights of man” based on their nickname of the university.
Get on to something more important!
As a member of the Historic Band of Ontonogon Chippewas and a CMU granduate 1973 I feel the that the general use of the word “Chippewa” is a misnomer. We are Anishinabe and our Algonquian language is associated with 25 other languages in Algonquian language family, and is one of 40-50 separate families of languages spoken in aborginal North America. When the French Fur Traders & Jesuit Missionaries arrived in the what is now North America, they encountered Anishinabe people. Obviously there was a language barrier. The French observed that our moccasins “puckered” at the toe because of the way they were sewn together back then. In the old French language (No longer used) there are two words “otchipwau/otchipwe” which translate “to pucker” which is what the French called us.
When the British arrived they could not speak French or Anishinabe but heard the French calling us by those two words. The terms led the British to invent the word Ojibwe/Ojibway and ultimately Chippewa. As members of those tribes were forced to assimilate and speak English they assumed those terms which are common today.
This infomation is taken from several sources: Bishop Frederic Baraga’s Ojibway Dictionary published in 1853; Frances Densmore, Life Among the Chippewa’s; Indians of North America Ed.; White Man’s Indian just to name a few.
As the number of “old timer” and traditionl language speakers dwindled in the U.S. the terms of Ojibwe and Chippewa replaced Anishinabe as our identity. In Canada, Anishinabe is still preferred. Personally, I identify as Anishinabe and support the removal of the word Chippewa in reference to this great nation of Great Lakes/Canada Indians
This is absolutley rediculous. Who ever headed up this idea of changing the nickname is rediculous. There are plenty of other schools with these types of nicknames, like spartans, the fighing irish, the FSU Seminoles, who play a war chant. If it wasnt for the name chippewa nobody would even care what reservation was to the east of this campus. They should be proud to have such an honor of a University embracing their culture.
IF YOU ARE OFFENDED may you should find another school.
Everything is racist now a days to these arrogant people, who are on that committee, need to find a better way to spen their time.
I am proud to be a CHIPPEWA and proud that such a tribe like the chippewas embrace us like their own.
People nowadays love to milk the golden goose and when they finally kill it, it takes them a while to figure out what they have done. 9 out of 10 people in the US have never wven heard of the Chippewa name much less understand what it is. Do you ever see how many sports teams fans play us from outside the MAC or in the private hiring sector and ask what the heck a chippewa is.
As a student of CMU I uphold the Chippewa name with honor and pride. It is who we are. Our school songs perfectly summarize what we are all about: “Hail to the Chippewa” and “precious emblem of our lives supreme, ever symbolizing truth and knowledge, in glorified esteem.” We are what we make of ourselves, and as long as we can continue to uplift the Chippewa name (as we are constantly trying to do), we should be able to keep our school name.
Hail to the Chippewa- we support you with all our heart.
The NCAA has allowed use of tribe names with the approval of the given tribes. With that, shouldn’t the use of the name Chippewa be determined by the members of the various Chippewa tribes in the state of Michigan?
The tact with which a university gas a large bearing upon the trical approval of the use of name, logo, and mascot. The difficulty with the University of Illinois using Chief Illiniwek is that the University’s mascot was a non-Illini prancing around in Lakota regalia in a performance that had no resemblance of cultural authenticity. That made the using the mascot insulting.
List Of Organizations Endorsing Retirement Of Native American Mascots
Advocates for American Indian Children (California)
American Anthropological Association
American Counseling Association
American Indian Cultural Resource Center (Virginia)
American Indian Language and Culture Board
American Indian Mental Health Association (Minnesota)
American Indian Movement
American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center of San Bernardino County
American Indian Student Services at Ohio State University
American Jewish Committee
APA-American Psychological Association
Asian -American Journalist Association
Associated Students Council of San Diego State University
Association of American Indian Affairs
Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication
BRIDGES – Building Roads Into Diverse Groups Empowering Students
Buncombe County Native American Intertribal Association (North Carolina)
Calvert Investment Group
Center for Artistic Revolution
Center for the Study of Sports in Society
Cincinnati Zapitista Coalition
COLOR – Community One Love One Race
Commission on Catholic Community Action
Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance
Committee to End Cultural Genocide (St. Cloud University)
Concerned American Indian Parents (Minnesota)
Council for Indigenous North Americans (University of Southern Maine)
Council of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
Eagle and Condor Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance
Find Another Name
Fontana Native American Indian Center, Inc.
Georgia House of Representatives (Resolution drafted but not passed)
Governor’s Interstate Indian Council
Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council
HONOR – Honor Our Neighbors Origins and Rights
Hutchinson Human Relations Commission
Illinois Native American Bar Association
Illinois State University Student Government Association
INMED – Indians Into Medicine Tribal Board
Inter-Ethnic Children’s Council (Los Angeles)
Inter-Faith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)
Iowa Civil Rights Commision
Juaneno Band of Mission Indians
Kansas Association for Native American Education
Latino Children’s Action Council
Los Angeles Consolidated School District Board of Education
Mankato State University
Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs
Mascot Abuse San Francisco Bay Area
Medicine Wheel Inter-Tribal Association (Louisiana)
Menominee Tribe of Indians (Wisconsin)
Michigan Civil Rights Commission
Michigan Education Association (MEA)
Michigan State Board of Education
Minnesota Indian Education Association
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board
Minnesota State Board of Education
Modern Language Association
Morning Star Institute
N.A.A.C.P.-National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association of Black Journalist
National Association of Hispanic Journalist
National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media
National Conference for Community and Justice
National Congress of American Indians
National Education Association (NEA)
National Indian Education Association (NIEA)
Native American Caucus of the California Democratic Party
Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio
Native American Journalists Association
NCAA- National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA- Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee
Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs
New Hampshire State Board of Education
New York State Board of Education
North Carolina Commission on Indian Affairs
North Carolina Governor’s Interstate Council
North Dakota Indian Education Association
North Dakota State University Student Senate
Office of Native American Ministry, Diocese of Grand Rapids
Ohio Center for Native American Affairs
Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin
Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative
Rainbow Coalition
RAAINL- Religious Americans Against “Indian” Nicknames and Logos
San Bernardino/Riverside Counties Native American Community Council
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
SMART-Students Making All Races Tolerant
Society of Indian Psychologists of the Americas
Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas
South Dakota State University
Southern California Indian Center
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Poverty Law Center
SPAN – Student Political Action Network
St. Cloud State University – American Indian Center
STAR-Students and Teachers Against Racism
Tennessee Chapter of the National Coalition for the Preservation of Indigenous Cultures
Tennessee Native Veterans Society
Unified Coalition for American Indian Concerns (Virginia)
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Church of Christ
United Indian Nations of Oklahoma
United Methodist Church
United States Census Bureau
United States Commission on Civil Rights
UNITY- (National Association of Black, Hispanic, Asian & Native American Journalists)
University of Illinois – (College of Medicine, History Dept., Anthropology and other units)
University of Minnesota – Duluth
University of Minnesota – Minneapolis
University of North Dakota – (21 Related programs with statements or resolutions)
University of North Dakota – Student Senate, University Council
University of North Dakota – Executive Committee of the Women Studies Program
University of North Dakota – Native American Law Students
University of North Dakota – Native Media Center
University of North Dakota – School of Law Faculty Executive Committee
University of North Dakota – Social Work and Rehabilitation and Human Services
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Washington State Department of Public Education
Western North Carolina Citizens for an End to Institutional Bigotry
Wisconsin Council of Churches (13 Christian denominations)
Wisconsin Department of Public Education
Wisconsin Education Association Council
Wisconsin Indian Education Association
WIEA “Indian” Mascot and Logo Task Force (Wisconsin)
Wisconsin State Human Relations Association
Youth “Indian” Mascot and Logo Task Force (Wisconsin)
This list compiled by Jim Farrar, 1-14-06.
What an opportunity to focus on bringing the tribal community and the University together to dialogue on some meaningful conversations. A month in November to celebrate Native American Heritage Month and an annual pow wow doesn’t make the university faculty and their student body culturally competent, especially when only 1% of both attend them. So how about we focus on solutions that could impact the whole Mt. Pleasant community in a very positive way. Sign me up if you really are about education and making the World a better place!!!!
David C: you are correct the tribe as a whole is in support of the Chippewa nickname, however there appear to be a few members of the tribe who disagree with this choice.
I’m of Irish heritage..Notre Dame doesn’t offend me.
So, I’m currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois, and an alumnus of Central Michigan University. I am also a Sault St. Marie Chippewa Tribe member. In the unique situation that I am in, I have seen firsthand the terrible way in which the University of Illinois’s mascot Chief Illiniwek was portrayed. I have also seen the way that CMU has kept honor to the tribe. I do understand the frustrations of some, but CMU has done much for the tribe, and the tribe has done much for the university. With a spot for an annual powwow, a place for the cultural learning, and a place to even learn Ojibwe, CMU has been exemplary in how to handle Native American issues. For that matter, unlike many of the other Native American mascot sports teams, CMU doesn’t even have a mascot. That in and of itself shows the respect CMU has for its neighboring nation. I found much pride in being a Chippewa and a CMU Chippewa during my time at CMU. I do not believe that the Chippewa nickname should be removed.