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CNN Live At Daybreak

Dispute Arises In Colorado Over Native American Mascot

Aired March 13, 2002 - 05:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Many Native Americans have been fighting for a long time to get sports teams to stop using Indian slogans as team names. They argue it's offensive and degrading.

Well a dispute is now playing out between two Colorado teams. `We get details from reporter Heidi Collins of our Denver affiliate KUSA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEIDI COLLINS, KUSA REPORTER (voice-over): They're hoping to defend their state title.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that up?

COLLINS: But first, the Eaton Fightin' Reds are having to defend their team mascot.

BREDAN TRUJILLO, FIGHTIN' RED: I think it's a great mascot. Now I wouldn't want to be called, you know, after like a duck or something like that. I'd rather be called, you know, an Indian...

COLLINS (on camera): Why?

TRUJILLO: Just because of the tough nature that they're seen as.

DREW MAULSBY, FIGHTIN' RED: You know, it's kind of like he's strong and he's proud and prideful, I think. So I just don't see it as a big thing.

COLLINS: These Fightin' Reds say the Native American mascot really isn't something kids talk about. After all, he's been the mascot as long as anyone can remember.

TRUJILLO: Just because our school has had it for such a long time where it's -- why is it being challenged now?

COLLINS: But that's not good enough for Solomon Little Owl.

SOLOMON LITTLE OWL, NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENT SERVICES: I imagine if it was the Hispanics or the Blacks or the Asians, it would have been done a long time ago.

COLLINS: He's the director of Native American Student Services at UNC. He thinks Eaton's mascot is degrading.

LITTLE OWL: If we're offended by mascots, why don't people see that? It's a simple issue. And the thing is, Native Americans have been offended by mascots for the last 30 years, but nothing has really happened.

COLLINS: So he came up with his own way to fight back. He plays on an intramural basketball team at UNC. Their mascot: a white man, called the Fightin' Whitie.

LITTLE OWL: This will stick in the back of people's minds, I think. And the people that are offended, hey, you're just putting -- they just put themselves in my shoe.

COLLINS: Back on the diamond, these players say they're proud to be Fightin' Reds any day of the week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we got that report from Heidi Collins of CNN Denver affiliate KUSA.

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