1. Stretten makes a complex argument that does not mince words, claiming that Native mascots are harmful to both Native Americans and Americans who are not Native. In particular, she links mascots with bullying in schools — a hot topic in 2013 — and raises what are ultimately profound questions about ownership of images. Did Stretten challenge you to think about this issue in new ways? Why or why not?

2. How and where does Stretten use personal experience to good effect in this essay? Reread the essay, marking the passages where Stretten relies on personal experience. How would the essay be different if those passages were omitted? (If you find this question challenging, look up “personal experience” in the book’s index, and you’ll find discussions in several chapters of its use and power.)

4. As the headnote points out, Stretten does not rely uniquely on personal experience, however. What other sorts of evidence does she present? (Again, Chapter 4 may help you out here.) Visit the URL link in paragraph 13 of this article to determine whether Stretten uses online sources in fair and appropriate ways. (Chapters 18–20, which deal with aspects of finding, evaluating, and using sources appropriately, may be helpful here.)

5. Stretten’s essay raises complex questions about who owns or should own the past and the present. Characterize her position on these questions, making explicit as best you can her reasoning for her position. Where, exactly, do stereotypes play into these questions? (Chapter 7 on structuring arguments may prove useful here.)

6. Write an extended dialogue between the two Americans pictured in the photo accompanying this article: Robert Roche, a Native American who is Apache, and the sports fan, who is not Native American (or, certainly, that is the assumption that everyone who reposted or retweeted this image made, and it is likely a safe one for many reasons). In the dialogue, you’ll obviously want to construct an argument, likely a proposal argument. You will need to determine whether your goal is to construct a Rogerian or an invitational argument, one that builds on common ground (see Chapter 7) or one that offers no room for compromise.

7. Write a proposal essay in which you tackle the issues Stretten raises but with a focus on another debate about stereotypical representations. The mascots for college football teams have often been controversial, but there are certainly other issues: the statues that do (and do not) grace the campuses of colleges across the country; the Confederate flag; the presence of crosses, statues representing the Ten Commandments, or menorahs; the Muslim call to prayer played over loudspeakers; and the representation of various groups in television cartoons or programs. As in all strong proposal arguments, you’ll need to acknowledge and discuss perspectives other than the one you put forward. (See Chapter 12 on proposal arguments for assistance with this assignment.)