The Fighting Prairie Y'all

After reading Larry Thornberry's article, Cowboys and Turkeys, part of which talks about Tony Hillerman discussing the Indian / Native American moniker melee with...Indians / Native Americans, I was left pondering the obvious - When will Indianapolis, Indiana be renamed Native Americanapolis, Native Americana? and Why is the University of Indiana still allowed to compete in postseason play?

IU may be getting a pass, but Wikipedia lists 40 some-odd schools who were coerced or just decided to change their names from anything Indian related. Sometimes the change required only a space - Blackhawks to Black Hawks - or the change of one word - Redskins to RedHawks. Hawk was a popular fallback, showing up 11 times. But then, then, I saw Nebraska Wesleyan Plainsmen changed their name to the Prairie Wolves. What? Why?

Administrators at the university, formerly called the Plainsmen, thought the new name was more sensitive in regards to both gender and ethnicity.

Admittedly, it is more sensitive and inclusive, representing both sexes of wolves and I don't think that wolves have different ethnic groups, but what about species sensitivity? Shouldn't humans be upset for being deemed not good enough to act as a mascot? Don't think that the Lupine-American bloc won't be up in arms, howling about perpetuating the stereotype of wolves as big-fanged, aggressive, drooling sex fiends, either.

The solution to this (and everything else, just ask them) lies with the Chinese. When choosing the 2008 Olympic mascot and pondering "Human or animal? Human or animal?" they came up with the only truly egalitarian choice - both. (The) five little children...also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals and the Olympic Flame (don't want to offend the elements). Sorta like a cuddly X-Kids.