When should a Mascot never be a Mascot?

I was warned that if I were a smart person I would leave this question alone.

Of course I am not a very smart person and have never left a question alone.

I also realize that this is a never ending losing battle.

The question came from a long time friend with an honest heart and question.

My friends (again no names) football team had a bad year and was complementing me on my team, the Florida State football team.

As an old football player I enjoy watching most football games.

As a traditional native American teacher I just cannot get over some team MASCOT'S!

I have been to this school's gathering a number of times and follow the team players.

I know that they are good kind people (maybe not so kind to me after this posting).

However, people like their mascot are a big reason why hundreds of thousands of natives around the world do not even know that they are native and thousands of others can also never feel their ancestors speaking to them, because we allow some jokers in many of our schools to fall into our governments traps of making us all look like fools!

Yes, it is true that this guys grandfather (Assinyeola) an English, Scotsmen with Creek ancestry was, for a time, a hero to the Seminole people of Florida (the intruders to Florida by the way) and every time his grandson goes out and makes a fool out of himself and the ancestors, I'm betting that he is turning over in his grave.

I have been out on the powwow trail for ten years now while in the area with a descendent to the royal family of the Creek nation.

He and I have smoke the pipe at many sacred fires, he is extremely upset to say the least!

John William, Billy Osceola, Powell's grandson dresses up as any Indian except the Seminole people and races a horse around an arena as if in a circus, because for those few minutes it is one at every home game!

Alas the worse is yet to come.

I am a proud Gator fan that is now ashamed of the school fans because, it would seem that, because there team lost one game to a good Georgia team the "school fans" turned their backs on the team and did not support them in the play offs?

Good God, the team has a new coast with a great game plan give them a brake will you?

They beat Florida State didn’t they?

They also beat Mr. Johnny Football!