‘Seminoles’ stands as unique and honored symbol

By Charlie Barnes, Executive Director - Seminole Boosters

This is Part II of a two-part series on symbols, mascots and nicknames.

In my last column, I discussed the vast spectrum of names used by college and university athletic teams, from the common to the unique.

Which brings us roundabout to our own Seminole Indian symbol, unique among the thousands of American colleges and universities. Ours is always referred to as an honored symbol, never a mascot or a nickname.

While there are no other Seminoles, we are far from alone in the use of Indian symbolism for our athletic programs. Most are generic names, but some do refer to specific tribes such as the San Diego State Aztecs, the University of Illinois Illini, the Central Michigan Chippewas, the Mississippi College Choctaws and the University of North Dakota Sioux.

Twenty-six college athletic teams are called Warriors. Nine colleges call their teams the Indians, and eight more are the Braves. Three are the Redmen; there is one Tribe and one Chieftans.

You’ll not be surprised to learn that the Southeast Oklahoma State University Savages find themselves at ground zero in the Indian symbol controversy. Their teams display no Indian caricatures, but they do employ a spear symbol similar to Florida State’s.

Those who attack Florida State’s use of the Seminole name like to say, “People are not mascots.” Well, that may be in the eye of the beholder, because it does appear that most mascots are, in fact, people. Animals, weather systems and other oddities aside, the majority of all American college and university athletic team symbols appear to be human beings of one description or another.

Lots of them refer to peoples of the British Isles or northern European origin. American culture reflects the glorious ambitions of her early immigrants and the landscape is noisily rife with college athletic teams such as the Tartans, the Scots, the Swedes, the Saxons, the Britons, the Highlanders, the Norse, the Gaels, the Northmen, the Celts, the Dutchmen. There are five other Cavaliers besides Virginia. Minutemen and Mountaineers aside, 25 colleges call their team the Knights, and an astonishing 31 identify themselves as Pioneers.

There are 14 Trojans and 18 Vikings. There are eight Cowboys: five at schools in Oklahoma, one each in Texas and Wyoming and, inexplicably, one in Louisiana.

There are plenty of “people names” here for the politically correct crowd to dislike. College athletics features a whole shelf of Conquerors, Crusaders (27 actually), Explorers, Barons, Bombers, Patriots, Colonels, Generals, Majors, Captains, Cadets, Gentlemen, Buccaneers, Lancers, Lumberjacks (and yes, Lumberjills), Matadors, Marauders, Missionaries, Monks, Mounties, Musketeers, Canoneers, Pirates, Raiders, Rangers, Vandals, Governors, Statesmen, Senators and Swordsmen.

Essays have been written on the fruits of victory, and how the winners get to enjoy history’s admiration. You recall the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta: the conflict between the Athenians who gave us democracy and The Classical Age vs. the Spartans who personified the severe and harshly disciplined lifestyle that bears their name today. Well, in the end, the Spartans won those wars. Therefore, today 16 college athletic teams go forth proudly as the Spartans. Mount St. Mary’s College of Los Angeles remains the only institution to embrace the Athenians.

We live in an era beset by an entire class of people who appear to have discovered how to make a profession out of being offended. But we are not obliged to change our lives to feed the engines of their agenda. In fact, if we are morally obliged to do anything it is to oppose the tyranny of activists who bully and browbeat those too timid to defend themselves and their institutions.

I can be offended, too; so can any of us. If I were Irish, I might be offended by the Notre Dame logo that glorifies the stereotype of drunken, brawling Irishmen. Surely, among the alumni ranks of the 10 colleges calling themselves Scots, there is at least one kiltwearing son of the heather who will say he is offended by such use of his heritage.

As the discussion over symbolism unfolds, I’ll be interested to see if Notre Dame or Oklahoma or West Virginia or Massachusetts or Michigan State or any of the other legions of American colleges and universities whose teams are represented on the field by symbols reflecting proud cultural tradition are inclined to change.

Certainly, there are alumni of Florida State University who sincerely disapprove use of the Seminoles symbol. And, I imagine there are Seminole Indians who would prefer that our university discontinue the association with their Tribe’s name. We must respect those honest feelings, but those individuals are few and do not compare in numbers to the vast majority of us who support Seminoles as an honored symbol.

We who are in the majority have a responsibility to ensure respect in our use of the Seminole name, respect for all the tradition and all the symbolism. In the end, that respect is our most effective defense against efforts to dismiss one of the most honorable, noble and recognizable symbols in college athletics today.