The University of Utah is addressing a contract it has with the Northern Ute Tribe to decide whether or not it will continue its use of the Ute moniker. In these discussions, the university should look to the Connecticut Sun for guidance.
The New England-based WNBA team is the only team owned by a Native American nation, and it has addressed its mascot issue with respect. The University of Utah can learn a few lessons.
The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut put thought into its mascot. It wanted the team to feel distinctly Indigenous while respecting its Mohegan and other Indigenous peoples. The team does not use the name of the tribal nation, like the Utes or the Seminoles, nor does it use a stereotypically warring nickname, like the Braves or Chiefs.
The Sun is a perfect mascot because it is durable. I remember when Utah fans plastered posters all over campus of a butcher chart that read, “How to butcher a cougar.” BYU fans have made national headlines by retaliating with “Trail of Tears Part 2″ or “Go back to your reservation.”
Indian mascots are not appropriate as it is impossible to separate the moniker from the people. Colonization pushed Ute people to the nether regions of Utah and early Utah pioneers massacred Indigenous peoples on different occasions, including during the Provo River massacre.
The university should ask, why would the Northern Ute Tribe feel so desperate they want to negotiate to sell out its namesake? Also, can Ute people feel represented while implementing a more durable mascot?
The answer to the second question is certainly. Mohegans already did that. Mohegans called upon Native American artists to craft its mascot, which uses feathers to denote the sun’s rays. Its rivals can butcher, massacre, beat, or whip the sun, and it won’t induce historical trauma.
The University of Utah already has a fantastic secondary mascot, the Red Hawks. Swoops is a great mascot. Though I am a BYU alum, I’d be willing to purchase some U. of U. swag the second the mascot gets changed. The University of Utah should also continue to support Ute students the way it has in previous negotiations. Think of it as a real estate tax.
Brian D. King, Norman, Oklahoma
