2005 Florida State University - the Seminoles - and the Mascot Movement

The NCAA is coming down hard on Native-themed sporting names, mascots and symbolism in the college arena, and one university that fought back was Florida State University who, at one time, used extremely offensive mascots and logos as their school sporting identification, but had a bond with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, that made their situation unique. 

Max Osceola, a member of the five-person Tribal Council of the Seminoles, said the NCAA did not consult their tribe, and he felt the ruling was presumptuous. The tribe passed a resolution in June supporting the schools use of the nickname and tribal images.

“We’re not going to change our point of view,” Osceola said. “Our tribe has endorsed it, and we would hope another group would respect our wishes, but I guess the NCAA knows better for the Seminoles than the Seminoles do.”

The largest group of Seminoles outside Florida is the Oklahoma Seminole Nation. “Other Seminole tribes are not supportive,” said Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion. 

University of Hartford, Conn, President Walter Harrison, Chairman of the NCAA executive committee, said his group targeted schools whose mascots offended people of a particular race, ethnicity or nationality. He said the committee made its decision after several years of discussion and after every school with an American Indian mascot turned in a detailed self-study to the NCAA. The 18 schools cited use Indian nicknames. Schools such as Notre Dame (Fighting Irish) were left off the list.

Florida State University President T.K. Wetherell said that “the university will forever be associated with the ‘unconquered’ spirit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.”  

And

 “National surveys have shown in recent years that an overwhelming majority of Native Americans are not offended by the use of Native American names and symbols.” 

2005, Aug 6 The Tampa Tribune