Columbus Day, Redskins controversy and historical accuracy

[Random Axe]

Happy Columbus Day. It's known as Discovery Day in several Latin countries. It's hard to disassociate Christopher Columbus with current controversies with the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians and other teams with names like that. Lots of stuff has been twisted throughout history, which is no surprise.

His real name was Crisoffa Cormobo. Most believe Columbus named the Native Americans Indians because he thought he landed in India. Nope. Columbus was Italian, and his Spanish translations were not great. Una gente in Dios is how he described the people he met. That phrase means "a people in God." In Dios...Indians. That's how it was translated. India didn't even exist at the time, it was called Hindustan. A people in God sounds pretty darn noble to me and not slang.

[Mikey]

Cool trivia

[Mikey]

As far as the sports names IMO they should just change them and be done with it

[ctc]

>As far as the sports names IMO they should just change them and be done with it

Turnabout is fair play too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Whites

Don C.

[Zemo]

Cool info. If they are forced to change their name, which I personally don't agree with, they should change it to the "Corruption".

[Werewolf]

This is one of the few subjects that is a bit touchy with me.

All I'm going to say in this thread is:

Viking settlements predate Columbus.
Redskins is a racial slur.
There is nothing noble about Chief Wahoo.
The Fightin' Whities was ineffective satire.

I'm not even against using Native themes and names in popular culture, like in sports teams. But there is a right and a wrong way to do it. Racial slurs and derogatory mascots is obviously the wrong way.

[Hector]

...............

[Hector]

Persians referred to India as Hindustan....

http://www.sanghparivar.org/forum/origin-of-indias-name

[Zemo]

This is one of the few subjects that is a bit touchy with me.

All I'm going to say in this thread is:

Viking settlements predate Columbus.
Redskins is a racial slur.
There is nothing noble about Chief Wahoo.
The Fightin' Whities was ineffective satire.

I'm not even against using Native themes and names in popular culture, like in sports teams. But there is a right and a wrong way to do it. Racial slurs and derogatory mascots is obviously the wrong way.

Tommy Yazzie, superintendent of the Red Mesa school district on the Navajo Nation reservation, grew up when Navajo children were forced into boarding schools to disconnect them from their culture. Some were punished for speaking their native language. Today, he sees environmental issues as the biggest threat to his people.

The high school football team in his district is the Red Mesa Redskins.

“We just don’t think that (name) is an issue,” Yazzie said. “There are more important things like busing our kids to school, the water settlement, the land quality, the air that surrounds us. Those are issues we can take sides on.”

“Society, they think it’s more derogatory because of the recent discussions,” Yazzie said. “In its pure form, a lot of Native American men, you go into the sweat lodge with what you’ve got — your skin. I don’t see it as derogatory.”

[Zemo]

If an Indian walked into a bar, and a person of another race said, "What's up Chief" is that racist?

[torgospizza]

It feels darn good to live in such a cushy society guys like Bob Costas can make big deals about stuff while making bigger money while the people actually effected by it are too busy living on a reservation dealing with more pressing concerns, like poverty, high crime rates, terrible health care, and homelessness. Native Americans are 177% more like to die from diabetes and 500% more likely to die from TB than whites, but they must find some solace in the fact someone is irked on their behalf that a football team's using an anachronistic mascot.

[Access]

I hate that some people don't ever experience being discriminated at some point in their lives by something they cannot control. Being called a "******" if you have a learning disability, Or any number of racial slurs because of the shade of your skin, etc.

This is sports, it is supposed to be a fun distraction from issues that plague society, not contribute further to them! There have been, and will continue to be, countless arguments on both sides about this, the apologists with their rationalizations and historical revisionism, and those who feel that future generations need no excuses to continue perpetuating racism or prejudice based on things beyond your control.

[Access]

For anyone who cares to read this explanation as well as the actual letter Columbo sent home:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1966/does-indian-derive-from-columbuss-description-of-native-americans-as-una-gente-in-dios

[Zemo]

lol "apologists "

[megomania]

Ah yes. The owner of the Redskins franchise and name should be forced to change it because the smallest of the small % of politically correct, media hounds want it that way. This wasn't an issue forty years ago, why is it an issue now?

-Chris