Adidas offers to help schools transition away from Native American mascots

German footwear giant Adidas said Thursday that it will offer free design resources to any USA high schools looking to drop Native American mascots, names, imagery or symbolism. “Our intention is to help break down any barriers to change – change that can lead to a more respectful and inclusive environment for all American athletes”.

“We thank Adidas because Native people are so often overlooked and the issue of miscoding of Native people is a prime example of this”, the organization said, in a statement.

Proponents of changing the Redskins’ name say it is racist and denigrating to Native Americans, while many defenders-such as Washington owner Dan Snyder-argue it is a badge of honor. “We hope FedEx, which sponsors the name of the Washington National Football League team’s stadium, and other sponsors will step up and follow Adidas’s lead”.

“But the issue is much bigger”, the statement continued. The company will lend their design resources to the schools, and will provide financial aid for those who can’t afford to stage a large-scale rebrand.

The American Psychological Association and American Sociological Association have both recommended changing such mascots because of the effects they can have on native and non-native students. These social identities affect the whole student body and, really, entire communities. This latest development comes on the heels of California signing into law an historic bill, which will remove all R-word mascots from every public school statewide.

In recent years, there has been plenty of debate over the nicknames of professional and college sports teams that make reference to Native Americans in what can be considered offensive terms.

In Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper recently ordered the creation of a commission to study the use of Native American mascots and come up with recommendations for possible legislation.

“Adidas clearly understands that this issue is about picking which side you are on”, he said.

In response, a few of the teams, including the Florida State Seminoles, were granted permission to use the names and imagery by tribes. “They are choosing to be on the side of inclusivity and mutual respect and have set the bar for other businesses to follow”.