Multicultural teaching encourages students to investigate institutional racism, classism, and sexism and how societal institutions have served different populations in discriminatory ways. Educators can help students examine their own biases and stereotypes related to different cultural groups. Teachers have a professional responsibility to eliminate racism in all aspects of school life. Accordingly, teachers should not ignore multicultural issues in school. Instead, they should become one of those teachable moments in which issues are confronted and discussed.
Accurate information can begin to displace the myths that many hold about others.
The purpose of this paper is to examine one of the most obvious forms of racism in schools the usage of Indian mascots in school-related activities and events. Moreover, this paper discusses who created stereotypical Indian mascots, how our society reinforces and accepts those stereotypes, how negative stereotypes have affected the relationship between Native Americans and the rest of society, and finally provides solutions how we can eliminate these mascots from schools. My intent in writing this paper is not to demean the educator but, rather, to provide a rationale and approaches by which ethnocentrism such as elitism, sexism, and racism, can be effectively eradicated in schools. Therefore, I would like to apologize in advance to anyone who may take offense at anything that might be said in this article. We must understand, however, that any discussion of power and words that hurt may offend someone.