In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports

The last few decades have seen a growing number of excellent video explorations of the ways in which racial, ethnic, and gender bias have historically been reflected in culture and media. So, it's consequently rather odd that, with the exception of Phil Lucas and Robert Hagopian's now somewhat dated Images of Indians series (VisionMaker), there have been few videos which have addressed the stereotypic image of Native Americans in pop culture. Although In Whose Honor? fills a relatively small part of this gap, it is still a fascinating and useful addition to the discussion. Filmmaker Jay Rosenstein looks at the long-standing tradition of using Indian logos, nicknames, and mascots in college and professional sports, and at the impact of this practice on the Native American community. In particular, Rosenstein focuses his sights on the University of Illinois and it's obsessively revered football team mascot, Chief Illiniwek (fictitious head of the equally fictitious Illini tribe). The filmmaker follows the story of Charlene Teters, an unassuming Native American UI grad student and mother, who gradually becomes a leader in the struggle to ban such imagery from sports nationwide. The power in this film rests largely in the ironic juxtaposition of Teters' words--her intense humiliation and anger at the misrepresentation and trivialization of sacred Native American traditions--with those of the insensitive UI trustees and sports fans who oppose her fight. Although the video discusses the notable gains made by Teters and her supporters in their struggle, it also reveals that there are many more battles yet to be won in the war against racism and intolerance, both on and off the playing field. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries. Aud: J, H, C, P. (G. Handman)