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[The Straight Story]

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) - Unable to persuade a school district to drop a mascot name that offends them, some American Indian students at the University of Northern Colorado have named their intramural basketball team "the Fighting Whities."

Led by Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at the university, the team chose a white man as its mascot to raise awareness and understanding of stereotypes that some cultures endure.

"The message is: Let's do something that will let people see the other side of what it's like to be a mascot," Little Owl said. "I am really offended by this mascot issue, and I hope the people that support the Eaton mascot will get offended by this."

They are upset with Eaton High School for using an Indian caricature on the team logo. The team is called the Reds.

http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~tien/utopia_times/fighting_whities.html