Teams in every sport, at every level of competition, have a mascot. It is the mascot that represents the competitive spirit and identity of the team, motivating players and supporters. Does the symbol chosen as a mascot have an impact on the victory or defeat of a team? Unlikely. But the choice of a Native American mascot continues to spark debate and controversy among athletes, fans and alumni, as well as people who might otherwise lose interest in the sport. Why all this controversy? The debate over whether Native American mascots should be used as a team symbol dates back to the 1970s (Price 2). There are those who passionately oppose Native American mascots. These advocates insist that Native American mascots are demeaning to the Native population and do not represent the true identity of Native Americans. What they fail to realize is that this argument focuses entirely on the perception and predetermined judgment that any Native American mascot is discriminatory and dehumanizing. This is simply not the case. Proponents of the use of Native American mascots believe that tribal mascots demonstrate honor and respect to the Native American people. They welcome the fact that the inclusion of Native American iconography in the sporting arena serves to pay homage and ongoing homage to the identity of Native American culture. In the majority of cases, this point of view is even sanctioned by the tribes themselves (Morrison). Rather than extinguishing Native American mascots as a symbolic reference for schools and sports teams, the choice to use such images sensitively should be without penalty. Doesn't the restriction and ultimate elimination of the Native American mascot also abolish the historical vision of the Native nation. ..... middle of paper...... Library, Wausau, WI. November 16, 2014. .Morrison, Rich. "Special interview: Rich Morrison speaks out in favor of Native American sports mascots." Issues and controversies on file. March 29, 2002. Problems and controversies. Facts on file. East Wausau Library. Wausau, Wisconsin. November 10, 2014.. “Native American sports mascots. » Problems and controversies on file. April 12. 2002. Problems and controversies. Facts on file. East Wausau Library. Wausau, Wisconsin. November 10, 2014..Price, SL “The Indian Wars”. Sports Illustrated March 4, 2002: 1-5. SI.com. November 16, 2014..Wieberg, Steve. "NCAA mulls future of Indian nicknames." USA today, May 15. 2005. SIRS Researcher. SIRS Knowledge Source. Wausau East Library, Wausau, WI. November 16, 2014.< http://www.sirs.com>.