He's male, he's pale and he's not your typical mascot.

Offended by the use of an Indian mascot at a neighboring high school, an intramural basketball team at the University of Northern Colorado adopted the name, "The Fighting Whities." Led by Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at UNC, the team chose a white man as its mascot to raise awareness about using potentially offensive stereotypes as mascots.

"We're using humor to raise awareness for the mascot issue. If it offends people, then they'll know how I feel," Little Owl said.

The intramural team said it is upset with Eaton High School for using a picture of a Native American on the team logo. The team is called the Reds.

To protest the mascot, the intramural team, consisting of three Native Americans, two Latinos and five Caucasians, wears jerseys with the slogan, "Every thang's gonna be all white."

However, not everyone seems to get the joke.

Eaton School District superintendent John Nuspl called the group's criticism insulting.

"We're not mocking Native Americans with the mascot," he said. "It's not an issue."

Little Owl has received numerous e-mails from people in the community who are offended.

"Most people think it's funny, but some completely miss the point. One person thought I was a white supremacist," Little Owl said.

Charles Cuny, an Ogalala Lakota and member of the team, said he went to an American Indian Catholic high school with the mascot, the Red Cloud Crusaders, after a famous chief of the Lakota Indians.

"Calling ourselves 'The Fighting Whities' was meant more for fun than for change, but I'm glad it's raising the issue," Cuny said.

He said he doesn't expect Eaton High to change the mascot.

"Going to the school board is like going to Congress and asking for our land back," Cuny said. "It's not going to happen."

The controversy over Native American mascots is not a new one.

Last April, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-Native schools.

"No other racial minority in the United States is objectified in such a manner, and it is totally inappropriate that sport franchises and schools continue to intensify such dehumanizing stereotypes," said Diane Powers, spokeswoman for the National Conference for Community and Justice.

Utah currently has 14 schools that have Native American mascots, including the University of Utah.

Timpanogos Elementary in Provo calls itself "the home of the Indians." Rosemarie Smith, principal of Timpanogos Elementary, said they have never had a complaint about it.

"We talked to our Native American patrons and they didn't have a problem," she said.

As for "The Fighting Whities," Little Owl said their mascot would stay until Eaton High School changes its mascot.

Copyright Brigham Young University 13 Mar 2002