NASA >> Mascot Information >> Peace and Freedom Party Press Release

01 December 2003 MEDIA RELEASE CONTACT: Carl Muhammad – 619.443.7093                              Janice Jordan – 619.475.8227

RE: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY'S REFERENDUM
        HUMAN MASCOT-AZTEC WARRIOR

At last week's Peace and Freedom Party meeting, the San Diego Chapter voted to oppose SDSU President Stephen Weber's referendum advocating the representation of the “Aztec Warrior” as San Diego State University's mascot. The use of Native Americans/American Indians/Indigenous/First Nation people is unacceptable, barbaric and racist. The use of humans as mascots is deeply rooted in colonization, slavery and poverty. It is offensive that this referendum is even in existence at an institution for higher learning.

San Diego State University is the only public four-year college institution that still uses a representation of our First Nation's people as a mascot. The Peace and Freedom Party calls on all students, faculty members and community activists to challenge the current referendum and demand that an alternative mascot including the use of an animal name to replace the “Aztec Warrior”. For more information, please contact one of the numbers listed above. Thank you very much!

San Diego-Peace and Freedom Party
Post Office Box 34196
San Diego, California 92163