Sundance (activist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sundance
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Civil rights organizer Executive director of Cleveland American Indian Movement |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Organization | Cleveland American Indian Movement (Cleveland AIM) |
| Known for | Successful conversion of Oberlin High School offensive mascot to one of neutral nature Opposition to Chief Wahoo and other Native American mascots Successful conversion of Cleveland Indians team name to neutral name. |
Sundance is an American Indian who works to protect people's rights. He is well-known for leading efforts against using Native American images as sports mascots. These images can be disrespectful to Native American cultures.
Who is Sundance?
Sundance is a member of the Muscogee people. The Muscogee are a group of Native American people who traditionally lived in the southeastern parts of the United States.
His Work and Role
Sundance is the leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in Cleveland. AIM is a group that works for the rights and well-being of Native American people. The Cleveland branch is part of a larger network of AIM groups.
Fighting for Change
Sundance has been very active in changing the team name of the Cleveland baseball team. He has also spoken out many times against the use of Chief Wahoo. This image was the mascot for the city's baseball team, the Cleveland Indians.
He started protesting the team's mascot in 2007. Sundance explained that he wanted both the logo and the team name to be changed. He felt that using "Indians" and the "Wahoo" logo was not honoring Native Americans. Instead, he believed it was harmful.
Sundance has said that using these images is "exploitative, bigoted, racist and shameful." He believes it makes fun of serious historical events. He explained that the "Wahoo" logo, which is just a head, suggests that Native Americans are no longer around. He hoped this would change after many years of protest.
Local Efforts in Oberlin
Before his protests became known nationally, Sundance worked on similar issues in his local community. After moving to Oberlin, he found that the local high school, Oberlin High School, used a Native American symbol as its mascot.
Sundance asked the local school board to choose a different mascot. Some people argued that the mascot was not important. However, after many discussions, the school decided to change its mascot in 2007. They changed from the Oberlin Indians to the Oberlin Phoenix.
