As said in a Wikipedia article, “Native mascots are part of the larger issues of cultural appropriation and the violation of indigenous intellectual property rights. This encompasses all instances when non-natives use indigenous music, art, costumes, etc. in entertainment and commerce. Scholars contend that harm to Native Americans occurs because the appropriation of Native culture by the majority society continues the systems of dominance and subordination that have been used to colonize, assimilate, and oppress Indigenous groups. The use of caricatures of Native Americans as sports mascots has been characterized as contributing to the marginalization of the people in the larger culture.”
Inaccurate images of Indigenous Americans interfere with learning about their culture by continuing the inaccurate version of Indigenous Americans and their culture. When these stereotypes are taken seriously and used as factual information, it helps with the continuation of cultural misinformation, biases, and prejudices.
The continued use of Indians as mascots is contradictory to promoting inclusivity and diversity. These mascots are seen as a representation of derogatory insults towards minority groups.