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From: The Robesonian - An Editorial
Date: 02 Feb 2005
Time: 16:00:34 -0500
Remote Name: 68.221.226.244
Memo to the National Collegiate Athletic Association: It appears that political correctness has driven you to once again ask this question: Is it appropriate for The University of North Carolina at Pembroke to use an American Indian nickname and logo for its athletic teams? The short answer is obviously. But we will also give you a longer answer - the same one the university provided you two years ago after the subject first arose. If you want to anger a bunch of American Indians, then just require UNCP to drop its Braves nickname and logo. You see, the American Indians who live in and around Pembroke - the home of UNCP - are a proud people, and they love that university, which was established as Croatan Normal School in 1887 as a place where Indians could get educated. The university has evolved over the years, and it is now one of the most diverse universities in the country, but it still has more American Indians attending it than ever before. Its link to the Lumbee people remains undeniable and unbreakable. We understand that UNCP got caught up in a one-size-fits-all mentality in 2002, when the NCAA identified 31 universities and colleges that had mascots, nicknames and logos that could be considered controversial. At the time, UNCP and the other 30 institutions were required to explain their use of those symbols. UNCP officials did that - and now you are asking for more information. You want UNCP to gather information from the community to ensure that the use of the American Indian symbols are not offending the locals. That might be appropriate for the other 30 institutions, but at UNCP it's a waste of someone's time. Our suggestion is for you to dispatch an NCAA official down to Pembroke and situate him on a street corner and let him ask passersby whether or not UNCP's use of the American Indian symbols is appropriate. Be prepared for a lesson on Lumbee pride. We accept that there are symbols being used by some institutions that are offensive to American Indian, and they should be eliminated. You're intentions are good - even if your aim isn't exactly true. The use of the Braves nickname and a logo depicting an American Indian at UNCP is not only appropriate, but any other nickname and logo would be inappropriate. We just can't understand why, three years after it began, this discussion is still being had. Copyright © 2005The Robesonian