Charlene Teters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charlene Teters
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Charlene Teters at Senate Hearing, May 5, 2011
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| Born | April 25, 1952 Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington
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| Nationality | Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation |
| Education | MFA University of Illinois, BFA College of Santa Fe (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design), AFA Institute of American Indian Arts |
| Known for | Installation art |
Charlene Teters (born April 25, 1952) is a talented Native American artist, teacher, and speaker. She creates amazing paintings and art installations, which are like big art displays. Her work has been shown in many important exhibitions. Charlene is a member of the Spokane Tribe, and her Spokane name is Slum Tah. She grew up in Spokane, Washington, close to the Spokane Indian Reservation.
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Standing Up for Native Americans
Charlene Teters is well-known for speaking out against the use of Native American mascots and images in sports. She started this important work in 1989. She also helped create a group called the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media (NCRSM).
Her Journey in Art and Education
Charlene started her art studies in 1984 at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She earned a degree in painting there in 1986. Later, she went to the College of Santa Fe (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design) and got another degree in painting in 1988.
In 1988, she began studying for her master's degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While there, she saw a student pretending to be "Chief Illiniwek" at a basketball game. This performance used Native American dances in a way that felt disrespectful. Because of this, Charlene started a quiet protest. She would stand outside sports events with a sign that said, "Indians are human beings."
Her actions, along with those of other Native American students, helped start a big movement. This movement aimed to stop the use of Native American images in schools and sports teams across the United States. A film called In Whose Honor was even made about this important issue.
Charlene also has an honorary degree in fine art from Mitchell College. In 1997, she was recognized on the ABC World News Tonight program for her dedication to her work and her people.
Charlene Teters has taught art and served as a dean at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She also worked as an artist-in-residence at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, New York.
Fighting Racism in Sports
The National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media (NCRSM) was started in 1991. This group was formed to challenge how major media often showed Native Americans in a negative way. The NCRSM holds protests and marches outside sports stadiums. Their efforts have helped people learn more about racial stereotyping and made it a topic people discuss.
The NCRSM believes that using Native American people as sports mascots is harmful. They feel it makes Native Americans seem less human and spreads wrong ideas about them. The group also wants to stop the disrespectful use of Native American spiritual practices, like feathers, paints, and dances, in sports. Their main goal is to end the use of Native American mascots in schools. They believe these mascots teach young people the wrong ideas about Native American history and culture.
Sports Teams That Cause Concern
Charlene Teters and the NCRSM have pointed out several schools and teams that use Native American mascots. They want these groups to understand why such mascots are harmful. Here are some examples:
- Anderson High School "Redskins", Cincinnati, Ohio
- Atlanta "Braves", Georgia
- Cleveland "Indians" Chief "Wahoo", Ohio
- Marquette "Redmen" and "Redettes", Michigan
- Salmon High School "Savages", Idaho
- University of North Dakota "Fighting Sioux", North Dakota
- Washington "Redskins", Washington, DC
Charlene's Message
Charlene Teters once said:
"Often, people think about Native Americans as we were envisioned at the turn of the century. If we're not walking around in buckskin and fringe, mimicking the stereotype in dress and art form, we're not seen as real. Native Americans are here, and we are contemporary people, yet we are very much informed and connected to our history."
This quote means that Native Americans are modern people living today, not just characters from old history books. They are connected to their past but also part of the present world.
Films About Her Work
- Chief Video Documentary - The Chief and The Tradition
- In Whose Honor? (1997). This film was written and produced by Jay Rosenstein.
