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Identity

Native American halftime performance shows how college sports and tribes can get along

The Utes and the University of Utah have a great relationship.

ute tribe, university of utah, college sports

"Ute Proud" game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

On Saturday, September 17, the University of Utah played its ninth annual “Ute Proud” game against San Diego State at Rice-Eccles stadium. The game featured recognition of the Ute Tribe Business Committee and a traditional performance by the Ute tribe.

In the 1600s, the Ute tribe inhabited what is now Utah, Western Colorado and parts of Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.

The University of Utah uses the Ute name with permission from the tribe and is careful to note that the team’s mascot is Swoop, a red-tailed hawk. This understanding is an example of the positive relationship between the university and the tribe.

The win-win relationship stands in contrast to many college sports programs and professional teams that have appropriated Native American tribal names and customs.

In 2020, the Utes and the university signed an agreement where the tribe “encourages the University of Utah to use the Ute name for the University's sports programs with its full support.”

In return, the University provides scholarships for Ute students and educates its students on Ute history and the tribe's ongoing cultural and economic contributions to the state. It’s a wonderful example of what can happen when a sports program celebrates the positive aspects of Native American culture while also giving back to the tribe.

To celebrate this warm partnership, members of the Ute tribe shared a traditional performance during halftime of the “Ute Proud” game. The Utes beat San Diego State 35 to 7.

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“My son when I tell him to smile vs when I yell out ‘poop!’” Perry wrote on Twitter.

Perry is the author of The “Thieving Collectors of Fine Children's Books,” “The Magicians of Elephant County” and “The Big Book of Horrendous Diseases.”

The writer explained the origin of his fantastic discovery to Good Morning America. “We always take pictures on the first day [of school] and we were in a bit of a hurry and having a hard time getting good pictures," Perry said. “My son always has the funniest smile when he’s trying too hard. I learned at some point that if I just yelled out ‘POOP’ and snapped the picture quick, it always worked out way better. In this case, it was a pretty dramatic comparison, so I thought I’d share it.”

Perry couldn’t believe how quickly the tweet took off.

"I expected 5 to 10 people to like it. Then it kept climbing...and climbing...it's now at 297k likes. Then it went first page on Reddit and viral on Instagram and Facebook," Perry told Good Morning America.

The tweet inspired countless parents to share their magic words to get their kids to smile in photos.

"Our family phrase for smiling in pics isn’t 'cheese'; it’s 'cat butt,'" John Horton wrote.

"My kid likes me to say 'fart, poop, dootie' - bc it is the 'curse' word stream in Boss Baby and it makes her laugh," Marie replied.

USAF Lady Vet 410 FMS shared some wisdom for the ages in the thread: Never tell a child to smile.

"I was a school photographer for years. Elementary age kids were great. Chicken lips, stinky feet & turkey toes would produce the most natural smiles. Never tell a little kid to ‘smile’ if you want a natural expression. Beautiful pic by the way!" she added.

Perry is over the moon that his tip has helped parents with a problem that so many face. "They're like, I tried it and it worked!'" Perry told Today.com. "Also, it doesn't just work with kids. Adults are doing it too to make each other laugh in pictures."

Perry’s son was also excited to have his moment in the sun.

“He is very excited to be in his words—famous—" Perry shared. “He had a little article and his picture in the local paper. He’s having his 15 minutes a little early and thinks it’s all very cool.”