List of sports team names and mascots derived from Indigenous peoples
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of sports team names and mascots derived from indigenous peoples
, including generically used terms, those named after specific peoples, and words or iconography derived from indigenous languages or traditions. Also see, List of ethnic sports team and mascot names which includes both names derived from peoples indigenous to the area where a sports team is based, as well as names derived from peoples not indigenous to the teams home.
There is considerable controversy
over these team names and mascots because various activist groups, including some of American Indian background, view them as disrespectful and offensive. Most notably, the National Congress of American Indians
has issued a resolution opposing continued usage of Native team names, mascots, and logos. Some tribal entities have issued resolutions opposing usage as well. Conversely, certain tribes have granted permission to use their names for sports teams, as in the case of the Chippewa and Seminole tribes for Central Michigan University and Florida State University, respectively.
According to a 2002 Sports Illustrated
article (Price, S.L. "The Indian Wars", March 4, 2002, pp 66–72), 83% of American Indian respondents to a Sports Illustrated poll said that professional teams should not stop using Indian nicknames, mascots, or symbols. Scholars have challenged the Sports Illustrated findings on multiple grounds. King, et al. (2002) argue (1) the SI poll is problematic because it serves to distract readers from the history and implications of mascots. (2) The survey features problematic sampling and identification issues produce non-representative and un-generalizable findings (for example, Snipp (1992) writes of the difficulty involved in any quantitative research on American Indians in national polling). (3) SI decontextualizes mascots and the controversy about them. (4) The article discussing the poll concludes that mascots are unproblematic merely because a majority of polled Native people say they are, thus discounting the validity of a critical minority. Finally, (5) the consequences for public debate and social justice are ignored by the poll, which treats the issue as critically as SI treats sports injuries or debate over which teams will make the playoffs.
On the other side of the debate, there are those who cite statistics from a 2005 Washington Post article that argues that a large majority of ethnically Native Americans are not at all offended by "Indian" mascots. The article even claims that some are proud of this mascot names. Some examples used are the Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Savages being endorsed by the Chief of the Choctaw Nation, and the endorsement of the Florida State Seminoles by the Seminole Tribe.
Watchung Hills Regional High School Warriors
University of Oklahoma, Big Red
However, use of the "Chief" nickname is not necessarily limited to indigenous sportsmen.
Kansas City mayor (1952–1960) H. Roe Bartle began his career as a Professional Boy Scout Executive, whereupon he founded an honor camping society (Mic-O-Say) for the Boy Scouts in the St Joseph, MO and Kansas City, MO Boy Scout Councils. As founder of Mic-O-Say and "Chief" (Lone Bear,as he was known in Mic-O-Say circles), Bartle was instrumental in bringing the AFL Dallas Texans to Kansas City, MO in 1963. The transplanted AFL franchise was renamed the "Chiefs" in his honor.
Basketball Hall of Fame
r Robert Parish
, an African American, was nicknamed "The Chief", after Chief Bromden, a Native American character in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
and its film adaptation
who pretended to be deaf and mute. Parish was originally given the nickname by Boston Celtics
teammate Cedric Maxwell
because of his stoic nature.
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
, including generically used terms, those named after specific peoples, and words or iconography derived from indigenous languages or traditions. Also see, List of ethnic sports team and mascot names which includes both names derived from peoples indigenous to the area where a sports team is based, as well as names derived from peoples not indigenous to the teams home.
There is considerable controversy
Native American mascot controversy
The propriety of using Native American mascots and images in sports has been a topic of debate in the United States and Canada since the 1960s.Americans have had a history of drawing inspiration from native peoples and "playing Indian" that dates back at least to the 18th century...
over these team names and mascots because various activist groups, including some of American Indian background, view them as disrespectful and offensive. Most notably, the National Congress of American Indians
National Congress of American Indians
The National Congress of American Indians is a American Indian and Alaska Native indigenous rights organization. It was founded in 1944 in response to termination and assimilation policies that the U.S. government forced upon the tribal governments in contradiction of their treaty rights and...
has issued a resolution opposing continued usage of Native team names, mascots, and logos. Some tribal entities have issued resolutions opposing usage as well. Conversely, certain tribes have granted permission to use their names for sports teams, as in the case of the Chippewa and Seminole tribes for Central Michigan University and Florida State University, respectively.
According to a 2002 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
article (Price, S.L. "The Indian Wars", March 4, 2002, pp 66–72), 83% of American Indian respondents to a Sports Illustrated poll said that professional teams should not stop using Indian nicknames, mascots, or symbols. Scholars have challenged the Sports Illustrated findings on multiple grounds. King, et al. (2002) argue (1) the SI poll is problematic because it serves to distract readers from the history and implications of mascots. (2) The survey features problematic sampling and identification issues produce non-representative and un-generalizable findings (for example, Snipp (1992) writes of the difficulty involved in any quantitative research on American Indians in national polling). (3) SI decontextualizes mascots and the controversy about them. (4) The article discussing the poll concludes that mascots are unproblematic merely because a majority of polled Native people say they are, thus discounting the validity of a critical minority. Finally, (5) the consequences for public debate and social justice are ignored by the poll, which treats the issue as critically as SI treats sports injuries or debate over which teams will make the playoffs.
On the other side of the debate, there are those who cite statistics from a 2005 Washington Post article that argues that a large majority of ethnically Native Americans are not at all offended by "Indian" mascots. The article even claims that some are proud of this mascot names. Some examples used are the Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Savages being endorsed by the Chief of the Choctaw Nation, and the endorsement of the Florida State Seminoles by the Seminole Tribe.
American Football
- Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
(NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
) - Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(NFL)
Association Football (Soccer)
- Indios de Ciudad JuárezIndios de Ciudad JuarezClub de Futbol Indios de Ciudad Juárez commonly known as Indios or Los Indios de Juárez is a Mexican football team. It emerged after the Pachuca Juniors team moved to Ciudad Juarez. Most of the players belonged to Pachuca as reserves from the first team or are younger talent...
(Mexico) - Kaizer Chiefs F.C. (South Africa), named after the now-defunct American soccer team Atlanta ChiefsAtlanta ChiefsThe Atlanta Chiefs were a soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia that played in the NPSL and NASL from 1967 to 1972. Their home fields were Atlanta Stadium and Tara Stadium . The club was the brainchild of Dick Cecil, then Vice President of the Atlanta Braves baseball franchise who were the Chiefs'...
Baseball
- Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
), originally Boston Braves, then Milwaukee Braves, plus all but oneLynchburg HillcatsThe Lynchburg Hillcats are a minor league baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia. They are a Class High-A team in the Carolina League, and currently are a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. They had been a farm team of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1995, with the Cincinnati Reds fulfilling the final...
of their minor leagueMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliates:- Danville BravesDanville BravesThe Danville Braves are a minor league baseball team in Danville, Virginia, USA. They are an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Atlanta Braves since 1993. The Braves play home games at American Legion Post 325 Field...
- Gulf Coast League Braves
- Gwinnett BravesGwinnett BravesThe Gwinnett Braves are a minor league baseball team in the International League, the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Atlanta Braves. The team was previously the Richmond Braves for 43 seasons . On January 14, 2008, it was announced that the Richmond Braves would move from Richmond,...
(formerly the Richmond BravesRichmond BravesThe Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
) - Mississippi BravesMississippi BravesThe Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
- Rome BravesRome BravesThe Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta....
- Danville Braves
- Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(MLB), along with two minor league affiliates:- Gulf Coast Indians
- Kinston IndiansKinston IndiansThe Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
- Indianapolis IndiansIndianapolis IndiansThe Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
- Peoria ChiefsPeoria ChiefsThe Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League....
—The Peoria Chiefs no longer use indigenous imagery, instead using imagery related to firefighterFirefighterFirefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s. - Spokane IndiansSpokane IndiansThe Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
- Syracuse Chiefs—The team changed its name from "Chiefs" to "SkyChiefs" from 1996–2006, but reverted to "Chiefs" in 2007. Today's Chiefs do not use any imagery related to indigenous peoples, instead using railroadRail transportRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
imagery. - Yaquis de ObregónYaquis de ObregónThe Yaquis de Obregón is a Mexican baseball team of the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico .The team was founded on October 8, 1970, and its home stadium is the Estadio Tomás Oroz Gaytán. They have been champions of the league on five occasions. The first time was at the 1965–1966 season with Manuel...
- Caribes de AnzoáteguiCaribes de AnzoáteguiThe Caribes de Anzoátegui is a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League based in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela.-Franchise History:...
(Venezuelan Professional Baseball LeagueVenezuelan Professional Baseball LeagueThe Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
)
Basketball
- Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
) — Originally Philadelphia Warriors, then San Francisco Warriors. The Warriors no longer use indigenous imagery. - Guaiqueríes de Margarita (LPBLiga Profesional de Baloncesto (Venezuela)The Liga Profesional de Baloncesto is the Venezuelan National Basketball League.-Teams:*Cocodrilos de Caracas*Guaiqueríes de Margarita*Trotamundos de Carabobo*Panteras de Miranda*Marinos de Anzoátegui*Gaiteros del Zulia*Guaros de Lara...
)
Ice Hockey
- Chicago BlackhawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
(NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) - In 2008, this logo was voted best in the National Hockey League by The Hockey NewsThe Hockey NewsThe Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
. - Johnstown ChiefsJohnstown ChiefsThe Johnstown Chiefs were a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that played in the ECHL. The team was founded in 1988 in the All-American Hockey League, and moved to the East Coast Hockey League when that league was formed...
(ECHLECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
) — Named after the Charlestown Chiefs, the fictional team in the movie Slap ShotSlap Shot (film)Slap Shot is a 1977 film comedy starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean directed by George Roy Hill. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declining factory town.- Plot :...
(partially shot in the real team's home city of Johnstown, PennsylvaniaJohnstown, PennsylvaniaJohnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
). Team moved and became Greenville Road WarriorsGreenville Road WarriorsThe Greenville Road Warriors are a professional ice hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. The team is a member of the ECHL and play their home games at the BI-LO Center in downtown Greenville. The franchise had previously played as the Johnstown Chiefs from the ECHL's inception in...
in 2010. - Frölunda IndiansFrölunda HCFrölunda Hockey Club, also known as the Frölunda Indians, are a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Gothenburg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien, where they have played the majority of the seasons during its existence. The last time they played in the...
(ElitserienElitserienElitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
) - Moose Jaw WarriorsMoose Jaw WarriorsThe Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League which are based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The team plays its home games at Mosaic Place. The franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg after the 1983–84 season, where they had previously been named the...
(WHLWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
) - Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
- Spokane ChiefsSpokane ChiefsThe Spokane Chiefs are a major junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League based out of Spokane, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Spokane Arena. Their uniforms are similar to those of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. Spokane consistently ranks in the top 10 in the...
(WHL) - Chilliwack ChiefsChilliwack Chiefs (2011–)The Chilliwack Chiefs are a junior "A" ice hockey team based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Interior Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League...
(BCHLBritish Columbia Hockey LeagueThe British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior...
)
Lacrosse
- Brooklin RedmenBrooklin RedmenThe Brooklin Redmen are a box lacrosse team from Whitby, Ontario. The Redmen play in the Major Series Lacrosse league . The MSL, and its counterpart, the Western Lacrosse Association, represent the highest level of competitive box lacrosse in Canada...
- Burlington ChiefsBurlington ChiefsThe Burlington Chiefs are Junior "A" box lacrosse team from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The Chiefs play in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League.Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against...
- Kitchener-Waterloo BravesKitchener-Waterloo BravesThe Kitchener-Waterloo Braves are Junior "A" box lacrosse team from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. The Braves play in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League.The Kitchener-Waterloo Braves were founded in 1967.-Season-by-Season results:...
- Elora MohawksElora MohawksThe Elora Mohawks are Junior "B" box lacrosse team from Elora, Ontario, Canada. The Mohawks play in the OLA Junior B Lacrosse League.Probably founded in the 1960s, the Mohawks started out as the Fergus Thistles. In 1963, the team moved to become the Guelph Mohawks. In 1967 the team moved to...
- Mississauga TomahawksMississauga TomahawksThe Mississauga Tomahawks are Junior "A" box lacrosse team from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The Tomahawks play in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League...
- Six Nations ArrowsSix Nations ArrowsThe Six Nations Arrows are Junior "A" box lacrosse team from Six Nations 40, Ontario, Canada. The Arrows play in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League.-Season-by-Season results:...
- Six Nations ChiefsSix Nations ChiefsThe Six Nations Chiefs are Senior "A" box lacrosse team from Six Nations, Ontario. The chiefs play in the Major Series Lacrosse Senior "A" League.-See also:* Six Nations Arrows - an affiliated Junior "A" box lacrosse team.-External links:* * * *...
- St. Regis IndiansSt. Regis IndiansThe St. Regis Indians are a former Senior "A" box lacrosse team from St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, New York on Akwesasne island. The Indians played in the Major Series Lacrosse Senior "A" Lacrosse League from 1998 to 2009. From 1998 to 2005, the team was known as the Akwesasne Thunder.-External...
Rugby
- The New Zealand WarriorsNew Zealand WarriorsThe New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
, a New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Rugby LeagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team based in AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
which plays in the Australian NRLNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition - The ChiefsChiefs (Super rugby franchise)The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
, a rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team representing the central North IslandNorth IslandThe North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the Super 14Super 14Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competition - New Zealand MāoriNew Zealand Maori rugby union teamNew Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
, a New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby union (and formerly rugby league) side whose members must be at least 1/16 Māori - Northland TaniwhaNorthland Rugby UnionThe Northland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Northland region of New Zealand.-History:Rugby was first played in Northland in the 1870s, and the first union was set up in the province in 1895, known as the Marsden Football Union. The Northland union was founded in...
, a rugby team in the ITM Cup named after a being from Māori mythologyMaori mythologyMāori mythology and Māori traditions are the two major categories into which the legends of the Māori of New Zealand may usefully be divided... - The Tomahawks, the official nickname of the United States national rugby league teamUnited States national rugby league team-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
Schools
- Albany (GA) High SchoolAlbany High School (Albany, Georgia)Albany High School is a four-year secondary school located in Albany, Georgia. It is a part of the Dougherty County School System. The school educates students in grades 9-12....
Indians - Alcorn State BravesAlcorn State UniversityAlcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
- Aloha WarriorsAloha High School-Demographics:*American Indian 2%*Asian or Pacific Islander 12%*Black 6%*Hispanic 23%*White 62%*Multiple Categories Selected 5%-Academics:In 2008 75% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 517 students 389 graduated, 69 dropped out, 14 received a modified diploma, and 45 are...
- Anadarko Warriors
- Armijo IndiansArmijo High SchoolArmijo High School is a public secondary school located in Fairfield, California. The school serves about 2500 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District....
- Armuchee High School Indians
- Bradley BravesBradley UniversityBradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
- Brebeuf Jesuit BravesBrebeuf Jesuit Preparatory SchoolBrebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School is a private college preparatory school founded by the Jesuits and located on the northwest side of Indianapolis. It is a part of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus and geographically located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis.Brebeuf...
- Berea High School Braves
- Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian BravesBlackhawk Christian SchoolBlackhawk Christian School, established in 1973 in northeastern Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a private K-12 school with an enrollment of approximately 750 students and is operated by Blackhawk Ministries...
- Canandaigua Academy Braves
- Canyon High School Comanches
- Catawba IndiansCatawba CollegeCatawba College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in Salisbury, North Carolina, USA. Founded in 1851 by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in Newton, the college adopted its name from its county of origin, Catawba County, before moving to its current home of Salisbury...
- Cedar High SchoolCedar High SchoolCedar High School, also known as Cedar City High School or CHS, is a public secondary school located at 703 West 600 South in Cedar City, Utah...
Redmen - Central Michigan ChippewasCentral Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
- Charlton County High SchoolCharlton County High SchoolCharlton County High School is a public high school located in Folkston, Georgia, USA. The school is part of the Charlton County School District which serves Charlton County, Georgia.-Athletics:...
Indians - Chattooga High SchoolChattooga High SchoolChattooga High School , also known as Chattooga County High School, is a public high school in the northwest Georgia city of Summerville. It is located in Chattooga County from which it derives its name. It currently has approximately 850 students....
Indians - Cherokee High School Warriors
- Cherokee High School (NJCherokee High School (New Jersey)Cherokee High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, one of four high schools of the Lenape Regional High School District in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The communities in the district are Evesham Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township, Mount Laurel Township,...
Chiefs - Chowan BravesChowan University- Other Notable Former Students :* Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, confessed architect of the September 11 attacks.- External links :* *...
- Choctawhatchee High School
- Conemaugh Township Indians
- Cuyahoga Heights High SchoolCuyahoga Heights High SchoolCuyahoga Heights High School is a public high school located in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio. It serves the villages of Cuyahoga Heights, Valley View, and Brooklyn Heights. It is a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.-External links:**...
Redskins - Council Rock North High School Indians
- Cross Keys (GA) High School Indians
- Deer Creek Mackinaw High School Chiefs
- Dodge County High School Indians
- Escanaba Eskymos
- Esperanza High School Aztecs
- Gaffney High School IndiansGaffney High SchoolGaffney High School is a public high school in Gaffney, South Carolina and is part of the Cherokee County School District. It is located at 149 Twin Lake Road. The school was founded in 1924. Prior to 2000, the school was located at 805 East Frederick Street; 2½ miles away. There are currently...
- Gaffney Middle School Chiefs
- Gardena High School MohicansGardena High SchoolGardena High School, known as GHS, is a public high school in Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, California, United States, adjacent to the City of Gardena. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:...
- Gordon Central High School Warriors
- Granard Middle School Warriors
- Florida Southern MoccasinsFlorida Southern CollegeFlorida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
- Florida State University Seminoles
- Four Winds Indians Fort Totten, North DakotaFort Totten, North DakotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 952 people, 230 households, and 200 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 124.2 people per square mile . There were 255 housing units at an average density of 33.3/sq mi . The racial makeup of the CDP was 0.84% White, 0.11% African...
- Hawaii Rainbow WarriorsHawaii Rainbow WarriorsThe University of Hawaii Warriors, University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, or University of Hawaii Rainbows are the team names of the men's sports programs at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa....
(men) and Rainbow Wahine (women) – "Wahine" is the HawaiianHawaiian languageThe Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
word for "woman"- Since 2000, each team has been allowed to select its own mascot name; most notably, the football team has been simply known as "The Warriors"Hawaii Warriors footballThe Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...
. See University of Hawaii Athletics for details.
- Since 2000, each team has been allowed to select its own mascot name; most notably, the football team has been simply known as "The Warriors"
- H.C. Wilcox Technical High School- The Indians
- Hurricane (WV) High SchoolHurricane High School (West Virginia)Hurricane High School, located in Hurricane, West Virginia, one of the fastest growing counties in the state, is a school of 1,077 students in grades 9-12....
Redskins - Irwin County High School Indians
- Jupiter Community High SchoolJupiter Community High SchoolJupiter High School, also known as Jupiter Community High School, is located in Jupiter, Florida, which is the most northern school of Palm Beach.There are over 3000 students enrolled in the school...
Warriors - Knox (Indiana) High School Redskins
- Lamar High School (Houston, Texas) Redskins
- Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School Warriors
- Lake View Warriors
- Lane Technical College Prep High SchoolLane Technical College Prep High SchoolAlbert G. Lane Technical College Preparatory High School , is a public, four-year, magnet high school located on the north side of Chicago...
Indians - Macklin MohawksMacklin MohawksThe Macklin Mohawks are a minor ice hockey league association that plays out of Macklin, Saskatchewan The Mohawks have age groups starting from prenovice to midgets The Macklin Senior Mohawks also play hockey in Macklin....
- Manhattan High SchoolManhattan High SchoolManhattan High School is a fully accredited public high school in Manhattan, Kansas, serving students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Unified School District No. 383. For the 2010–2011 school year, Manhattan High had an enrollment of 1,984 students....
Indians - McClymonds WarriorsMcClymonds High SchoolMcClymonds High School is a public high school in the West Oakland neighborhood of Oakland, California, USA.In addition to being the third oldest high school in Oakland, it is the larger of the two high schools in West Oakland , and the only high school in West Oakland operated by the Oakland...
- McEachern High SchoolMcEachern High SchoolJohn McEachern High School or McEachern High School is a public high school established in 1908 in Powder Springs, Georgia, USA. It was originally established as the Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical School. Due to its history, McEachern has an open campus, with its buildings spaced...
Indians - Mississippi College ChoctawsMississippi CollegeMississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...
- Molalla IndiansMolalla High SchoolMolalla High School is a public high school of in Molalla, Oregon, United States. It is the only high school in the Molalla River School District.-History:Molalla High School graduated its first class in 1911...
- Monacan High School Chiefs
- MontereyMonterey, CaliforniaThe City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Tribe - Morgantown High School Mohigans
- Newberry IndiansNewberry CollegeNewberry College is a liberal-arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located on a historic campus in Newberry, South Carolina.The college has 1,025 students and a 19:1 student-teacher ratio...
- North Dakota Fighting SiouxNorth Dakota Fighting SiouxThe North Dakota Fighting Sioux are the athletic teams of the University of North Dakota , which is located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the United States. The logo is a Native American figure. The logo was designed by Bennett Brien, a local artist and UND graduate of Ojibwa...
- Northview (FL) High SchoolNorthview High School (Century, Florida)Northview High School is a high school located in Century, Florida. It is currently listed as a 1A school and has been serving North Escambia County, Florida since 1996. Student enrollment varies year-by-year, but averages between 500 and 600 students. The only principal of Northview High School...
Chiefs - Oconee County High SchoolOconee County High SchoolOconee County High School is a public secondary school located at 2721 Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville, Georgia, USA. It is a public high school that hosts grades 9–12. Its mascot is the Warrior, and its colors are blue and white...
Warriors - Pocahotas County (WV) High School Warriors
- Palma High School Chieftains
- Parma Senior High SchoolParma Senior High SchoolParma Senior High School , is one of three public high schools in the Parma City School District in Parma, Ohio. The school is a member of the Northeast Ohio Conference...
Redmen - Pocatello High School Indians
- Passaic High SchoolPassaic High SchoolPassaic High School is a four-year community public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Passaic, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Passaic City School District...
Indians - Port Neches-Groves IndiansPort Neches-Groves High SchoolPort Neches-Groves High School is located in Port Neches, Texas. The high school is the only high school in the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District and serves portions of Port Neches, Groves, and Port Arthur...
- Reardan High School (WA)|Reardan Indians
- Renton High School IndiansRenton High SchoolRenton High School is a public secondary school in downtown Renton, Washington, USA, about 10 miles southeast of downtown Seattle. Founded in 1911, it is the oldest high school in the Renton School District.-History:...
- Sandusky High School Redskins
- San Diego State Aztecs
- Sanford (Maine) High School Redskins
- Scappoose (OR) High School Indians – Scappoose is the Chinook word for the area, meaning gravely plain
- Sequoyah (GA) High School Chiefs
- Shawnee High School (NJ) Renegades
- Smithville HIgh School (Missouri) Smithville Warriors
- South Stokes High School (N. Carolina) Sauras
- South Bend St. Joseph's High School Indians.
- Susquehanna High School Indians Harrisburg, PA.
- Teton High School Redskins - Driggs, Idaho
- Thompson High SchoolThompson High SchoolThompson High School is located in the city of Alabaster, Alabama. It is part of the Shelby County School District. The school mascot is the Warriors. The colors are red, white, and black. Thompson has approximately 1800 students...
Warriors - UNC Pembroke BravesUniversity of North Carolina at PembrokeThe University of North Carolina at Pembroke , also known as UNC Pembroke, is a public, co-educational, historically American Indian liberal arts university in the town of Pembroke in Robeson County, North Carolina....
– representing a college originally created to educate American IndiansNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... - Utah UtesUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - have removed all official university sanction of Native American imagery, but unofficially, still widely used by students and fans - there is considerable controversy over whether the term "Illini" as originally used at the university was directly related to Native American culture at all, or whether the imagery was added after the fact; documentation tends to indicate that "Illini" refers to the state of Illinois itself and not its indigenous peoples.
- Warroad Warriors
- Wawasee High SchoolWawasee High SchoolWawasee High School is a high school located in Syracuse, Indiana, United States. It was founded in the late 1960s after merging the high schools from Syracuse, Milford and North Webster...
Warriors - Wheaton AcademyWheaton AcademyWheaton Academy is a private, non-denominational Christian high school, that is known for being an educational institution committed to the evangelical Christian faith...
Warriors - William & Mary Tribe – no longer uses any imagery related to indigenous peoples
- Sewanhaka High SchoolSewanhaka High SchoolSewanhaka High School is a six-year public high school located in Floral Park, New York, United States, as part of the Sewanhaka Central High School District. The school's sports teams are known as "The Indians" and the team colors are purple, gold, and white. The school's name translates to...
Indians - Waccamaw High SchoolWaccamaw High SchoolWaccamaw High School is one of four schools that are encompassed in the Waccamaw school family on the Waccamaw Neck of Georgetown County, South Carolina. Opening in 1990, it was a high school that consisted of grades 7–11. Its first senior class was not until the class of 1992...
Warriors - Waite High School (OH) Indians
Watchung Hills Regional High School Warriors
- Waunakee High SchoolWaunakee High SchoolWaunakee High School is a public high school located in Waunakee, Wisconsin and is part of the Waunakee Community School District. Waunakee is Native American in origin, meaning, among other things, "the fair and pleasant valley."- Athletics :...
Warriors – Waunakee means peaceful valley in a Native American language - White County (GA) High School Warriors
- Winnacunnet WarriorsWinnacunnet High SchoolWinnacunnet High School is an American public high school located in Hampton, New Hampshire. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 who reside in the communities of Hampton, Seabrook, North Hampton, and Hampton Falls. Students from South Hampton have the option of attending either Winnacunnet...
- Ysleta High SchoolYsleta High SchoolYsleta High School is a high school in the Ysleta Independent School District in Ysleta, El Paso, Texas. It is located on 8600 Alameda and is the second oldest school in the El Paso, TX area...
Indians
Defunct names
- Adams State IndiansAdams State CollegeAdams State College is a small state-supported liberal arts college in Alamosa, Colorado, U.S., in the San Luis Valley.-History:Adams State was founded in 1921 as a teacher's college but now offers a variety of programs including masters degrees in many fields...
, now the "Grizzlies" - Akron IndiansAkron ProsThe Akron Pros were a professional football team located played in Akron, Ohio from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional...
, defunct National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
team, formerly the "Pros" - Arkansas State IndiansArkansas State Red WolvesThe Arkansas State University Red Wolves is the name given to Arkansas State University's athletic teams. The university is affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains NCAA Division I status.-History:...
, now the "Red Wolves" - Tri-Cities BlackhawksAtlanta HawksThe Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, of what is now the NBA, moved and renamed Milwaukee / St. Louis / Atlanta "Hawks," after the bird - Burlington IndiansBurlington RoyalsThe Burlington Royals are a minor league baseball team in Burlington, North Carolina, USA. They are a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since September 1, 2006. For the previous 21 years, the team had been affiliated with the Cleveland...
, now known as the Burlington Royals after affiliating with the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium... - Canton/Akron Indians, a minor league baseballMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
farm teamFarm teamIn sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
for the Cleveland Indians, moved to Akron and became the "Aeros" - Carlisle IndiansCarlisle Indian Industrial SchoolCarlisle Indian Industrial School was an Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, the school was the first off-reservation boarding school, and it became a model for Indian boarding schools in other locations...
, a school for American Indians that was a college football power in the early 1900s - Carthage RedmenCarthage CollegeCarthage College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin midway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the campus is on the shore of Lake Michigan and is home to 2,500 full-time and 900 part-time...
, reverted to the "Red Men" - Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians (NFL)The Cleveland Indians was a professional football team in the National Football League for the 1931 season. The 1931 team was a league-sponsored club that only played games on the road. The NFL intended to locate this team permanently in Cleveland...
of the National Football League, team defunct - Colgate Red Raiders, now the Colgate Raiders
- Cumberland IndiansUniversity of the CumberlandsUniversity of the Cumberlands is a private, liberal arts college located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 students...
, now the Cumberlands "Patriots"- This school was known as Cumberland College until 2005, when it became the University of the Cumberlands. The nickname change came earlier.
- Dartmouth Indians, disused since the 1970s in favor of continuing existing nickname, "Big Green"
- Dickinson State SavagesDickinson State UniversityDickinson State University is a four-year public university in Dickinson, North Dakota, United States, and is a part of the North Dakota University System...
, renamed the "Blue Hawks" in 1972 - Duluth Eskimos, also known as the Duluth Kelleys, a professional football team from Duluth, MN from 1923-1927.
- Eastern Michigan HuronsEastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
, now the "Eagles" - Eastern Washington SavagesEastern Washington UniversityEastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
, renamed the "Eagles" in 1973 - Flint IndiansFlint IndiansThe Flint Indians were a professional baseball team in Flint, Michigan in 1941. The Indians were a part of the Michigan State League and played their home games at Atwood Stadium. Their overall record was 70-38 and they won the 1941 MSL Championship...
, team defunct - Flint Central High SchoolFlint Central High SchoolFlint Central High School was one of the Flint Community Schools, located in Flint, Michigan, USA. Flint Central was the city's oldest school. Its first building was built in 1875, and the school moved into the present building in 1923. It was called Flint High School until Flint Northern High...
Indians, renamed "Phoenix" in 2005 - Grand Forks Central RedskinsCentral High School (Grand Forks, North Dakota)Central High School is a public senior high school in the Grand Forks Public Schools district. It is located near the University of North Dakota. It has a main focus on athletics and is regionally renowned in ice hockey, golf and tennis.-Location:...
, renamed the "Knights" - Grafton BlackhawksGrafton High School (Wisconsin)Grafton High School is a secondary school in Grafton, Wisconsin. It is part of the Grafton School District. The only public high school in Grafton, it has a student enrollment of around 900.-Academics:...
, renamed to "Black Hawks" - Grand Rapids High School Indians (Grand Rapids, Minnesota), renamed the "Thunderhawks"
- Hartwick WarriorsHartwick CollegeHartwick College is a non-denominational, private, four-year liberal arts and sciences college located in Oneonta, New York, in the United States. The institution was founded as Hartwick Seminary in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, and is now known as Hartwick College...
, became the "Hawks" in 1994 - Hermosillo SerisHermosillo SerisThe Hermosillo Seris was an American Basketball Association team based in Hermosillo, Mexico. The team began play in the fall of 2004 and folded operations in January 2005 because of financial difficulties. The Seris had a 3-6 record at the time they left....
- Hiawatha (KS) High School RedskinsHiawatha, KansasHiawatha is the largest city and county seat of Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,172. It is the largest city on U.S. Route 36 between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado.Hiawatha is named after a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
, changed to Red Hawks in 2000 - IUP IndiansIndiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
(Indiana University of Pennsylvania) became the "Crimson Hawks" in 2007 - Kansas City ScoutsKansas City ScoutsThe Kansas City Scouts was a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1974–76. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies...
of the NHL, moved to Colorado and became the Rockies, now the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... - Louisiana-Monroe IndiansULM WarhawksThe Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks are the sports teams of the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 14 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's tennis, and...
, now the "Warhawks" - Marquette WarriorsMarquette Golden EaglesThe Marquette Golden Eagles are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Marquette University....
, became the "Golden Eagles" in 1994 - UMass RedmenUMass MinutemenThe UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and...
, became the "Minutemen" in 1972 (according to the University, "Redmen" and "Redwomen" referred to the uniforms worn by the athletics teams. It was changed to "Minutemen" and "Minutewomen" out of sensitivity to American Indians). - MCLA MohawksMassachusetts College of Liberal ArtsThe Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public, residential, liberal arts college that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Located in North Adams, Massachusetts, it is part of the state university system of Massachusetts. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts...
, today the "Trailblazers" - McMurry IndiansMcMurry UniversityMcMurry University, founded in 1923, is a private co-educational university in Abilene, Texas. It is a liberal arts school offering forty-one majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, education, business, and religion, and nine pre-professional programs, including...
, removed their team nickname entirely in 2006 - Mexico City AztecasMexico City AztecasThe Mexico City Aztecas team was an experiment by the Continental Basketball Association in fielding a team outside the United States and Canada. It played one season, the 1994-95 season.-History:...
- Miami RedskinsMiami RedHawksMiami University, in Oxford, Ohio, features 18 different varsity level sports teams for men and women, all of which are known as the Miami RedHawks...
, in mid-1997, officially changed their names to the "RedHawks" - Midwestern State IndiansMidwestern State UniversityMidwestern State University is a public liberal arts college in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
, latterly the "Mustangs" as of the 2006 season - Monticello High School Redmen, in Monticello, MinnesotaMonticello, MinnesotaMonticello is a city in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. Monticello was founded in 1856 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2006. The population was 12,759 at the 2010 census. The name Monticello is derived from the Italian word for "Little Mountain," it translates literally to...
, now "Magic" - Montevideo High School Mohawks (MN) today the Thunder Hawks
- Nebraska Wesleyan PlainsmenNebraska Wesleyan UniversityNebraska Wesleyan University is a private, coeducational university located in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2007, it has 1,600 full-time students and 300 faculty and staff. The school teaches in the tradition of a liberal arts college education....
, today the "Prairie Wolves" - Northeastern Oklahoma State University Redmen, now the "RiverHawks"
- Oklahoma City U. ChiefsOklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, now the "Stars" - Oorang IndiansOorang IndiansThe Oorang Indians were a traveling team in the National Football League from LaRue, Ohio . The team was named after the Oorang dog kennels. It was a novelty team put together by the kennels' owner, Walter Lingo, for marketing purposes. All of the players were Native American, with Jim Thorpe as...
, defunct National Football League team, actually consisting mostly of Native Americans - Ossining IndiansOssining High SchoolOssining High School is public high school, located in Ossining, New York, colloquially known as OHS. Its building is located within the boundaries of the Downtown Ossining Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989....
, now no mascot - Owatonna Indians, now the "Huskies"
- Parsippany High School Redskins, Parsippany-Troy Hills, New JerseyParsippany-Troy Hills, New JerseyParsippany-Troy Hills Township, commonly called Parsippany, is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 50,649. The name Parsippany comes from the Lenape Native American word parsipanong, which means "the place where...
, now the "Redhawks" - Penfield High School Chiefs, Penfield, New York, now the "Patriots"
- Poynette High SchoolPoynette High SchoolPoynette High School is a secondary school in Poynette, Wisconsin. The school is part of the Poynette School District.There are approximately 350 student currently enrolled in the high school. It shares its campus with Poynette Elementary School. The school colors are Orange and Black and the...
Indians, Poynette, WisconsinPoynette, WisconsinPoynette is a village in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, became the "Pumas" in 2009 - Quinnipiac BravesQuinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
, became the "Bobcats" in 2002 - St. Bonaventure Brown Indians and Brown SquawsSt. Bonaventure UniversitySt. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
, renamed the "Bonnies" in 1979 - St. John's University (New York), formerly the "Redmen", became the "Red Storm" in 1995, to be gender-neutral and to avoid any appearance of racism. The school's website indicates that the name did not refer to American Indians, but to the school color, a bright cardinal red.
- Salisbury IndiansSalisbury IndiansThe Salisbury Indians were a United States minor league baseball team which played in Salisbury, Maryland. The team began operation in 1922 as a founding member of the Eastern Shore Baseball League, which operated out of cities on the Delmarva Peninsula....
, team defunct - Seneca College Braves, renamed Seneca College Sting in 1999-2000
- Sauk Rapids-Rice High School Indians, in Sauk Rapids, MinnesotaSauk Rapids, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 10,213 people, 3,921 households, and 2,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,234.1 people per square mile . There were 4,017 housing units at an average density of 878.7 per square mile...
, now "Storm" - Simpson Redmen and Lady RedsSimpson CollegeSimpson College is a four-year, coeducational liberal arts institution situated in Indianola, Iowa, USA, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Simpson, which has been fully accredited by North Central Association since 1913, is a small school with approximately 1,400 full-time students...
, renamed the "Storm" in 1992 - Southeast Missouri State Indians and OtahkiansSoutheast Missouri State UniversitySoutheast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
, renamed the "Redhawks" in 2004. - Southeastern Oklahoma State SavagesSoutheastern Oklahoma State UniversitySoutheastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
, renamed "Savage Storm" in 2006 - Springfield IndiansSpringfield IndiansThe Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with...
, moved to WorcesterWorcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and became the IceCatsWorcester IceCatsThe Worcester IceCats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA at the Worcester Centrum...
, then Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, IllinoisPeoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, where they are now the RivermenPeoria RivermenThe Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.-History:... - Seattle U. ChieftainsSeattle UniversitySeattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
, now the "Redhawks" - Southern Nazarene RedskinsSouthern Nazarene UniversitySouthern Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.-History:The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an...
, now the "Crimson Storm" - Springfield College ChiefsSpringfield CollegeSpringfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented...
, now the "Pride" - St. Catharines Black HawksSt. Catharines Black HawksThe St. Catharines Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
- St. Catharines TeepeesSt. Catharines TeepeesThe St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
- Stanford IndiansStanford CardinalThe Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
, now known as the Stanford "Cardinal" (singular - for the school color, a shade of red) - Stonehill ChieftainsStonehill CollegeStonehill College is a private Roman Catholic college located in Easton, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1948. Situated in North Easton, Massachusetts, a suburban community of 23,329 people, Stonehill is located south of Boston on a campus, the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames...
, today the "Skyhawks" - Syracuse Orangemen, now the Syracuse Orange, once used a mascot called the "Saltine Warrior"
- Tamalpais IndiansTamalpais High SchoolTamalpais High School is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises more than above Mill Valley....
, became the Tamalpais High School "Red Tailed Hawks" [sic] after 1990. - Toronto TecumsehMajor Series LacrosseMajor Series Lacrosse is a Senior A box lacrosse league based out of Ontario, Canada sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Most of the players in the league play or have played in the National Lacrosse League. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the...
(OALA Sr AMajor Series LacrosseMajor Series Lacrosse is a Senior A box lacrosse league based out of Ontario, Canada sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Most of the players in the league play or have played in the National Lacrosse League. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the...
), was the "TecumsehTecumsehTecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
" in the late 19th century and maybe early 20th; changed to "Toronto Young Torontos" by 1911 - West Georgia BravesUniversity of West GeorgiaThe University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003...
, renamed the "Wolves" in 2006
Mascots
- Chief OsceolaChief Osceola and RenegadeChief Osceola and Renegade are the official symbols of the Florida State University Seminoles. During home football games at Florida State, Chief Osceola, portraying the Seminole leader Osceola, charges down the field at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium riding an appaloosa horse named...
, Florida State University SeminolesFlorida State UniversityThe Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
Defunct mascots
- Indiana State UniversityIndiana State UniversityIndiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
's Chief Ouabache and Indian Princess were discontinued in 1989 - The Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
' "Indian warrior" logo was replaced in 1971 - Marquette UniversityMarquette UniversityMarquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
's "Willie Wampum," retired in 1971 - Syracuse UniversitySyracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
's "Saltine Warrior" - Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
horse mascot "Warpaint". - Chief Brave SpiritULM WarhawksThe Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks are the sports teams of the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 14 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's tennis, and...
, University of Louisiana at MonroeUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeThe University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
, retired in 2006 (mascot changed from "Indians" to "Warhawks") - Chief MoccanoogaChief MoccanoogaChief Moccanooga was the former athletic mascot for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, until 1996, when the university abandoned the mascot as potentially offensive...
, University of Tennessee at ChattanoogaUniversity of Tennessee at ChattanoogaThe University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...
(use of this mascot ended in 1996) - Chief Noc-A-HomaChief Noc-A-HomaChief Noc-A-Homa was the original mascot of the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves from 1950s until 1986. The name was used for the "screaming Indian" sleeve patch worn on Braves jerseys...
, Milwaukee and Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(use of this mascot ended in early 1980s, existed as late as 1983 season)- Princess Win-A-Lotta, paired with Chief Noc-A-Homa, introduced late 1970s, dropped at same time as Noc-A-Homa
- Chief IlliniwekChief IlliniwekChief Illiniwek was the mascot and the official symbol of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign associated with the University's intercollegiate athletic programs from 1926 to February 21, 2007. The mascot was portrayed by a student dressed in Sioux regalia to honor the Illiniwek, the...
, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignThe University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
University of Oklahoma, Big Red
Fictional Teams
- Charlestown Chiefs (Federal Hockey League) (Slap ShotSlap Shot (film)Slap Shot is a 1977 film comedy starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean directed by George Roy Hill. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declining factory town.- Plot :...
). - The MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
GreenskinsMartianAs an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
- BlernsballA Leela of Her Own"A Leela of Her Own" is the sixteenth episode in the third season of the animated series Futurama and is a homage to A League of Their Own directed by Penny Marshall. It originally aired in North America on April 7, 2002...
is the version of baseball in the year 3000 in the show FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
. - NY Mohawks - major league team, The Seventh Game by Roger Kahn.
- Warriors - major league team, Today's Game by Martin QuigleyMartin QuigleyMartin Quigley is a retired Irish sportsman. He played hurling with his local club Rathnure and with the Wexford senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s...
. - Warbury Warriors - StikerStriker (comic)Striker was a comic strip and magazine which was featured in the tabloid newspaper The Sun from 1985 until 2009 and in the British magazine Nuts from January to October 2010. It was created by Pete Nash. Since its inception, the strip revolved around the life of Nick Jarvis Striker was a comic...
comic strip. - Zucchini Warriors, in the Gordon KormanGordon KormanGordon Korman is a Canadian author, primarily of novels for children and young adults. He lives in Long Island's Great Neck, New York, with his wife and three children....
novel of that name.
"Chief" nickname
It is also common practice to use the nickname "Chief" for indigenous sportsmen. Some notable examples include:- Charles Albert "Chief" BenderChief BenderCharles Albert "Chief" Bender was a pitcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century...
- John R. "Chief" BenderJohn R. BenderJohn R. "Chief" Bender was an American football player and coach of football, basketball and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Washington State University , Haskell Indian Nations University , Kansas State University , and the University of Tennessee , compiling a career record of...
- Moses J. "Chief" Yellow HorseChief Yellow HorseMoses J. "Chief" Yellow Horse , was an American baseball player who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, from until...
- Louis Francis "Chief" SockalexisLouis SockalexisLouis Francis "Chief" Sockalexis , nicknamed The Deerfoot of the Diamond, was an American baseball player...
- John "Chief" Chavis
- George "Chief" Armstrong
- Allie "Superchief" ReynoldsAllie ReynoldsAllie Pierce Reynolds was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
- "Chief" Lone Bear
- Chief Williams / Chief Will / P Will / Chieeef!
However, use of the "Chief" nickname is not necessarily limited to indigenous sportsmen.
Kansas City mayor (1952–1960) H. Roe Bartle began his career as a Professional Boy Scout Executive, whereupon he founded an honor camping society (Mic-O-Say) for the Boy Scouts in the St Joseph, MO and Kansas City, MO Boy Scout Councils. As founder of Mic-O-Say and "Chief" (Lone Bear,as he was known in Mic-O-Say circles), Bartle was instrumental in bringing the AFL Dallas Texans to Kansas City, MO in 1963. The transplanted AFL franchise was renamed the "Chiefs" in his honor.
Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
r Robert Parish
Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003...
, an African American, was nicknamed "The Chief", after Chief Bromden, a Native American character in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (novel)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel written by Ken Kesey. Set in an Oregon asylum, the narrative serves as a study of the institutional process and the human mind, as well as a critique of Behaviorism and a celebration of humanistic principles. Written in 1959, the novel was adapted into a...
and its film adaptation
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
who pretended to be deaf and mute. Parish was originally given the nickname by Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
teammate Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
because of his stoic nature.
See also
- Hail to the RedskinsHail to the RedskinsHail to the Redskins is the fight song for the Washington Redskins. It was written sometime between 1937 and 1938 and was performed for the first time as the Official Redskins Fight Song on August 17, 1938...
- List of company and product names derived from indigenous peoples
- Occurrence of Religious Symbolism in U.S. Sports Team Names and MascotsOccurrence of Religious Symbolism in U.S. Sports Team Names and MascotsThe following is a list of American sports team names and mascots that draw upon religious symbolism. Given the prevalence of Christian groups and institutions in the United States, the vast majority of these symbols, though basically generic, can be assumed to come from Christian sources...
- MascotMascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
- PocahontasPocahontasPocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
- Native American mascot controversyNative American mascot controversyThe propriety of using Native American mascots and images in sports has been a topic of debate in the United States and Canada since the 1960s.Americans have had a history of drawing inspiration from native peoples and "playing Indian" that dates back at least to the 18th century...
External links
- National Coalition on Racism in Sports & Media, from the American Indian MovementAmerican Indian MovementThe American Indian Movement is a Native American activist organization in the United States, founded in 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota by urban Native Americans. The national AIM agenda focuses on spirituality, leadership, and sovereignty...
- American Indian Sports Team Mascots information site
- 4000+ Team Names by Sport
- Randomly Generated Team Names
- Random Sports Team Names List Generator
- 4900+ Team Names by Sport