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According to many, the mistreatment of Native Americans continues in the form of a disrespect shown by the continuance of the "tradition" of Native American mascots for many high school and college sports teams. Many schools have indeed changed team names in response to protest, but some schools insist that Native American mascots are a symbol of respect for the Native American culture, and resent the pressure to change (most notably at the University of Illinois at Urbana). You may have attended or currently attend a school that has Native American team names and mascots. The sites below offer differing opinions about such practices; continued searching will turn up many more Web pages that are anti-mascot than pro-mascot, however. Take a look at these sites and think about your own reactions. Consider that many students confront stereotypes about their culture, their ethnicity, or their gender on a regular basis in American society and its entertainment and advertising. Do you address that as a teacher, even if students never specifically identify such stereotypes as troublesome? And if you do, how do you do so effectively? In addition, you might want to look at the page that features the Dawes Allotment Act and think about what the Act symbolizes in terms of justice shown to the Native American population. An excerpt from Hitler's Mein Kampf has also been included. Read all five selections and think about your own reactions to these comments. Why do you think the Mein Kampf selection was included?
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