I still don't think the CMU use of Chippewa is the same as the FSU use of Seminole.  I think CMU has boiled it down to a point where its just a name at this point that has nothing to do with the actual tribe.

Fire Up Chips? Does that mean you are preparing to light an Indian Village and its inhabitants on fire? Of course not.

from the CMU website:
"It is the name of our college yearbook, the Chippewa River flows through Mount Pleasant and the name Chippewa opens up unlimited opportunities for pageantry and showmanship for the band as well as athletic teams. The Indian chief would be an outstanding marker for athletic uniforms, the Indian pow-wow could replace the pep-meeting and Indian ceremonies could be conducted on many occasions. School flags could be made much more attractive and finally all types of Indian lore have a strong appeal and could be used to great advantage."

"On March 1, 1989, an advisory committee to the president recommended retaining the name under certain conditions. Those conditions included developing educational programs in conjunction with the local Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council, sessions to familiarize CMU students and staff with traditional Native American culture, dropping the two official CMU Native American logos (a Native American profile and a spearpoint with a feather inside a block "C"), eliminating Native American drumbeats by pep bands and other measures."

---

Thus whereas CMU's nickname was derived purely from a racist worldview (unlike FSU) and subsequently withdrawn with regards to logos (unlike FSU), it is a legitimate question to wonder what a Chippewa is in that context when CMU has gone to great lengths to distance itself from any tribal references in its marketing and does not even have a Mascot.  The shirt, though in slightly bad taste, was obviously not the result of people intentionally trying to demean a tribe of Native Americans.  Just like saying a curse word on TV is allowed if it is not referring to the act in question.  FAU isn't playing a tribe of Native Americans at the Motor City Bowl, we are playing a team that in the non-PC days, chose a Native American tribe as its mascot for kitsch homecoming ceremonies.  The use of fire up Chips as a rally only shows how Chippewa has only become a name, abstractly related to a Native American tribe but no longer used in that sense.

Cheers all!
 

FAUALUM2005 said

i think he was making a general comment.

Correct…

Florida_Owl said

FAUALUM2005 said

i think he was making a general comment.

Correct…

Than put that general comment as a topic in itself, dont reference my post.

owl09 said

owlfan1 said

The shirt is in bad taste and I would like to think that FAU fans have more class than that. We can go on all day about other mascots that are in bad taste, or that a shirt could be made saying "WTF is (blank)?", but that is not the point. The point is that the shirt makes a mockery of an entire segment of an entire group with little thought about the impact that shirt might have.

On a side note there is a Native American basketball team named the "Fighting Whities." It is obviously a repsonse to all of the sports teams with Native American names that carry negative connotations (Redskins, Indians (Chief Wahoo), Fighting Sioux, etc.). Quite funny actually.



GO OWLS!!!

i think THAT is the most questionable, intolerant thing said on this entire thread… shame on you for trying to take the so-called "higher road" against a shirt that i made, yet show the EXACT negative feelings that you claim I am showing… sad

full disclaimer:

the shirt was created by me
the shirt is sold through my company, not FAU or FAU Ahletics

there is absolutely nothing offensive about that shirt… believe me, i have the highest standards for the products in which i create… there have been many shirts that my fellow dirty birds have jokingly suggested that i have adamantly opposed and will not produce

i have no racist feelings towards native americans… i have no bigot feelings towards the chippewa tribe…

i think it is sad that in 2008, we can't overlook these past low points in american history and not move on to days in which we currently live… let's not live in the past anymore, guys

if you like the shirt, by all means please buy one… www.faudirtybirds.com

if you don't like the shirt, don't buy one

as a red sox fan, i have seen MUCH worse produced as anti-yankee shirts (which of course was a group of people in the Civil War era)

p.s. thank you seminOWL for putting it in much better words than i have

Your opinion. For an oppressed people to make a political statement about the way they have been treated by the oppressors and to do so in a tactful manner that responds directly to concerns of injustice is brilliant. If you fail to see that, I apologize.

GO OWLS!!!

owlfan1 said

The shirt is in bad taste and I would like to think that FAU fans have more class than that. We can go on all day about other mascots that are in bad taste, or that a shirt could be made saying "WTF is (blank)?", but that is not the point. The point is that the shirt makes a mockery of an entire segment of an entire group with little thought about the impact that shirt might have.

On a side note there is a Native American basketball team named the "Fighting Whities." It is obviously a repsonse to all of the sports teams with Native American names that carry negative connotations (Redskins, Indians (Chief Wahoo), Fighting Sioux, etc.). Quite funny actually.



GO OWLS!!!

I want one of those shirts!!!!!!! I'm a Fighting Whitie!!!

Are we going to start hating on Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben just because they happen to make great syrup and rice?  Oh and Betty Crocker demeans women, it should be John and Betty Crocker sharing the duties of the kitchen equally!

Let me tell you, over here in the Netherlands Santa Claus has black slaves (they were slaves, now they are "helpers") and whats worse is they use white people in black face for it.  I was offended but the black people here don't really seem to care.  I don't know where I am going with this….but yeh everyone need to lighten up!

walty12 said

Florida_Owl said

FAUALUM2005 said

i think he was making a general comment.

Correct…

Than put that general comment as a topic in itself, dont reference my post.

Walty, i dont see your post referenced anywhere therein…am i missing something here??

Btw, check your voicemail

Proof that a WTF is a Chippewa is legitimate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_(disambiguation)

In the words of Ron Burgundy "wow, that escalated quickly."

ERROR: A link was posted here (img) but it appears to be a broken link.