The Saltine Warrior

Last updated

The Saltine Warrior was the former mascot of Syracuse University in the United States. It was in use for the college from 1931 to 1978. Based on a legend about Ogeekeda Hoschenegada, a 16th-century leader of the Onondaga Nation, the mascot acquired popularity after appearing in school publications and eventually became part of the university's culture. At first, the mascot was celebrated across campus, symbolizing pride and spirit. The Saltine Warrior became a rallying symbol which was prominently seen at sporting events and other highly publicized gatherings. [1] [2] However, everything changed in the middle of the 1950s, when the mascot would start to receive high levels of controversy. [3] Students and indigenous communities would retaliate against a caricature costume, to which was worn by members of Syracuse's Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. [4] The mascot was retired in 1978 as a result of efforts to have it removed, and this marked the beginning of programs designed to increase indigenous inclusion and knowledge on campus. [5]

Contents

History

The development of the Saltine Warrior as Syracuse University's mascot became intertwined with the legend of Ogeekeda Hoschenegada, a notable 16th-century chief of the Onondaga Nation. The supposed finding of Ogeekeda Hoschenegada's remains was the central story point. Excavation partner Dr. Burges Johnson made waves when he announced the discovery of what was allegedly an image or likeness of the chief. Named "O-gee-ke-da Ho-schen-e-ga-da," which translates to "The Salt (or Salty) Warrior" in English, this representation was made. Throughout the university community and beyond, this revelation sparked curiosity and fascination. [6]

The excavation of the former Syracuse University Women's Building in the late 1920s marked the beginning of this blending of academic culture and historical myth. [7] The academic community was intrigued and fascinated by the widespread belief that Ogeekeda Hoschenegada's remains had been discovered during this dig. [8] Not only was the supposed finding of Hoschenegada's remains intriguing historically, but it soon became a central story at Syracuse University. Even though subsequent information proved the story was untrue, it had a significant and long-lasting effect on the university's culture. [9]

It was published in The Orange Peel in 1931, which provided a forum for the myth's propagation, bringing it to the forefront and igniting interest among college students. The legend's story within the university's cultural environment was furthered by the publication of the legend in The Orange Peel, which sparked extensive attention and discussion. The Daily Orange and other regional news outlets later played a part in spreading the myth and ensuring its perpetuation in Syracuse University students' collective memory. [10] The mascot was retired in response to complaints from a Native American student organization regarding its derogatory representation, even though its existence continued until the late 1970s. The university then looked into a number of mascot alternatives before deciding on Otto the Orange in 1980.

A bronze sculpture portraying the Saltine Warrior sits outside of Carnegie Library, a building on the university's North Campus. Graduate student Luise Meyers Kaish created sculpture in 1951, and presented it as a gift from the class of 1951. Luise was born on Sep 8, 1925 in Atlanta, Georgia and died on March 7, 2013. She was a Rome Prize Fellow, Guggenheim Fellow, & was awarded Arents Pioneer Medal from SU. Her work is portrayed in "Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Jewish Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

Controversy

The portrayal of the Saltine Warrior received significant controversy in the mid-1950s due to its stereotypes and mimicking of Native Americans. During this period, a member of Syracuse University's Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity began attending football games dressed as an exact replica of the Saltine Warrior. This portrayal includes exaggerated and insulting parts intended to be amusing, but ultimately reinforced negative stereotypes about Native American customs. In 1951, a wooden statue portraying a Native American was used by the football team to scratch tally marks on the figure after defeating a team. During some of the school's football games, a drunk white frat student would “take off into the stands and run around making the "whooping" sounds attributed to Indians and their war dances. He would go through a mock form of native Indian dancing. It was clear that the person doing it didn't know or have any respect for the art form at all,” according to Chancellor Melvin Eggers, the ninth chancellor of Syracuse University.

Conclusion

A myth of the discovery Native American remains during an excavation has caused a chain reaction of controversy in Syracuse and all involved communities. It has led to protests, harm, and disgrace to native cultures, especially against the Onandagan community. After years of chaos, the university officially retired the name and tried to support Native Americans throughout the process.

The early removal of the culturally inappropriate mascots of Syracuse and other universities has been receiving national attention for years. With more major universities and professional sports teams evolving their mascots, a path is paved for other teams, schools, and other organizations to do the same.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunderbird (mythology)</span> Legendary indigenous North American creature

The thunderbird is a mythological bird-like spirit in North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onondaga Community College</span> Public community college in Syracuse, New York, United States

Onondaga Community College (OCC) is a public community college that serves Onondaga County and Central New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. OCC's 280-acre main campus is located in the Town of Onondaga, which borders the city of Syracuse, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief Illiniwek</span> Former mascot of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Chief Illiniwek was the mascot of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), associated with the university's intercollegiate athletic programs, from October 30, 1926, to February 21, 2007. Chief Illiniwek was portrayed by a student to represent the Illiniwek, the state's namesake, although the regalia worn was from the Sioux. The student portraying Chief Illiniwek performed during halftime of Illinois football and basketball games, as well as during women's volleyball matches.

The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moundville Archaeological Site</span> Archaeological site in Alabama, United States

Moundville Archaeological Site, also known as the Moundville Archaeological Park, is a Mississippian culture archaeological site on the Black Warrior River in Hale County, near the modern city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Extensive archaeological investigation has shown that the site was the political and ceremonial center of a regionally organized Mississippian culture chiefdom polity between the 11th and 16th centuries. The archaeological park portion of the site is administered by the University of Alabama Museums and encompasses 185 acres (75 ha), consisting of 29 platform mounds around a rectangular plaza.

Oren R. Lyons Jr. is a Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper of the Wolf Clan of both the Onondaga Nation and the Seneca Nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River. For more than 14 years he has been a member of the Indigenous Peoples of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations and has had other leadership roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlene Teters</span> American painter

Charlene Teters is a Native American artist, educator, and lecturer. Her paintings and art installations have been featured in over 21 major exhibitions, commissions, and collections. She is a member of the Spokane Tribe, and her Spokane name is Slum Tah. She was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, near the Spokane Indian Reservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everson Museum of Art</span> Art museum in New York, USA

The Everson Museum of Art in Downtown Syracuse, New York, is a major Central New York museum focusing on American art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereotypes of Indigenous peoples of Canada and the United States</span> Generalized representations of Indigenous peoples

Stereotypes of Indigenous peoples of Canada and the United States of America include many ethnic stereotypes found worldwide which include historical misrepresentations and the oversimplification of hundreds of Indigenous cultures. Negative stereotypes are associated with prejudice and discrimination that continue to affect the lives of Indigenous peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Native American mascot controversy</span> Controversy regarding the use of Indigenous names and images by sports teams

Since the 1960s, the issue of Native American and First Nations names and images being used by sports teams as mascots has been the subject of increasing public controversy in the United States and Canada. This has been a period of rising Indigenous civil rights movements, and Native Americans and their supporters object to the use of images and names in a manner and context they consider derogatory. They have conducted numerous protests and tried to educate the public on this issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto the Orange</span> Mascot for Syracuse University athletic teams

Otto the Orange is the mascot for the Syracuse Orange, the athletic teams of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, USA. Otto is an anthropomorphism of the color orange, wearing a large blue hat and blue pants. Otto can often be seen at Syracuse sporting events in the JMA Wireless Dome, at other venues and regularly across the university's campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Museum</span> Museum in Arizona, United States

The Arizona State Museum (ASM), founded in 1893, was originally a repository for the collection and protection of archaeological resources. Today, however, ASM stores artifacts, exhibits them and provides education and research opportunities. It was formed by authority of the Arizona Territorial Legislature. The museum is operated by the University of Arizona, and is located on the university campus in Tucson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadodaho</span>

Tadodaho was a Native American Hoyenah (sachem) of the Onondaga nation before the Deganawidah and Hiawatha formed the Iroquois League, or "Haudenosaunee". According to oral tradition, he had extraordinary characteristics and was widely feared, but he was persuaded to support the confederacy of the Five Nations.

Lyle Thompson is a Haudenosaunee professional lacrosse player from the Hawk Clan of the Onondaga Nation. His native name is Deyhahsanoondey, which translates into He's Flying Over Us. He plays both indoor and outdoor professional lacrosse. In professional outdoor lacrosse, he plays at the attack position for the Cannons Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League. In professional indoor lacrosse, he plays at the forward position for the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League. He also competes internationally in both indoor lacrosse for Haudenosaunee men's national indoor lacrosse team, and outdoor lacrosse for the Haudenosaunee men's national outdoor lacrosse team.

In 2005 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) distributed a "self evaluation" to its member institutions for teams to examine the use of potentially offensive imagery with their mascot choice. This examination was done in accordance with NCAA policy that requires each member institution to maintain an "atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person." Fourteen schools either removed all references to Native American culture or were deemed not to have references to Native American culture as part of their athletics programs. Subsequently, 19 teams were cited as having potentially "hostile or abusive" names, mascots, or images, that would be banned from displaying them during post-season play, and prohibited from hosting tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Fryberg</span> American Indian psychologist

Stephanie Fryberg is a Tulalip psychologist who received her Master's and Doctorate degrees from Stanford University, where in 2011 she was inducted into the Multicultural Hall of Fame. In the same year, she testified before Senate on Stolen Identities: The impact of racist stereotypes on Indigenous people. She previously taught psychology at the University of Arizona, at the Tulalip Community at Marysville School, and at the University of Washington. She currently teaches American Indian Studies and Psychology at the Northwestern University in Chicago, and is a member of the Tulalip Tribes. Her research focuses on race, class, and culture in relation to ones psychological development and mental health. She translated Carol Dweck's growth mindset; taking a communal-oriented approach. The students on her tribe's reservation who received her translation had significant improvement compared to the original version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luise Clayborn Kaish</span> American artist (1925–2013)

Luise Clayborn Kaish was an American artist known for her work in sculpture, painting, and collage. Throughout her career, Kaish's work was exhibited and collected by major museums, including the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Jewish Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kaish created monumental sculptures in bronze, aluminum, and stainless steel, which remain on view in educational, religious, and commercial settings across the United States and internationally.

References

  1. ↑ Lewis, Marissa. Evidence-Based Best Practice for Discharge Planning: A Policy Review (Thesis). University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Library.
  2. ↑ "SU Art & Architecture". art.grace.syr.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  3. ↑ "Otto the Orange Inducted into Mascot Hall of Fame". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  4. ↑ "Haudenosaunee Statement On Mascots". Onondaga Nation. 2014-02-23. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  5. ↑ "40 years since the Saltine Warrior's removal as Syracuse University's mascot, indigenous leaders reflect on controversy". The Daily Orange. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  6. ↑ opinion (2017-10-11). "Our reader: We should reflect on the history of Syracuse's nickname". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  7. ↑ "Demise of the Saltine Warrior". www.orangehoops.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  8. ↑ "7 schools that dropped their Native American nicknames | The Week UK". theweek.com. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  9. ↑ "Syracuse Mascot". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  10. ↑ "Bring Back Saltine Warrior Fight Song | Syracusefan.com". syracusefan.com. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.