Before Jackie Robinson, there was Louis Sockalexis

"HOWES CAVE, N.Y. (AP) _ Long before Jackie Robinson endured torrents of racial taunts in breaking baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Louis Sockalexis had a bull's-eye on his back."

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"Sockalexis's story is one of many chronicled in ``Baseball's League of Nations: A Tribute to Native Americans in Baseball,'' an exhibit on display through the end of the year at the Iroquois Indian Museum."

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"Native Americans were expected to ignore racially charged ridicule. Nearly every player of Indian descent who stepped onto a ballfield during the first half of the 20th century was called ``Chief.'' It wasn't the only taunt: ``Redskin,'' ``Heap-Big Injun'' and chants of ``Back to the reservations,'' ``Dog Soup'' and ``Whoop, Whoop'' were part of the racist cacophony that emanated from the stands.

Bender didn't win games _ he scalped opponents. After throwing one of the best games of his career, Bender was depicted wielding a tomahawk and wearing a headdress.

Even teammates and opposing players sometimes did the taunting as teams around the country began calling themselves Indians and owners recruited Native American players as gate attractions."

Original Story: Native American Times, "Exhibit Chronicles American Indians in Baseball"

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