My name is Peter Sanfaçon. I am a non-Indian advocate for the elimination of racial stereotypes in the form of sports mascots, nicknames, and logos in high schools, colleges and universities, and in professional sports.
 |
|
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (L)
and Peter Sanfaçon |
I now live in Massachusetts, but was born and raised in Rochester, New Hampshire, where I attended Spaulding High School during the 1970s. Since 1950 the nickname of Spaulding's sports teams has been the "Red Raiders." The current logo is a profile of a bright red-faced Indian man wearing two feathers in his hair.
On Martin Luther King Day in January 2006, I wrote to then-Spaulding principal Robert Pedersen and asked him if he'd consider changing the name and logo to something that wasn't offensive. His reply was the standard "we feel we are honoring Native Americans." After sending a subsequent letter to the school superintendent, the school board scheduled a public hearing in April. During this hearing residents were invited to voice their opinions. Only 60 residents showed up, but they were in unanimous support of the status quo, despite the 2002 resolution by the N.H. Board of Education calling for an end to "Indian" sports mascots at all N.H. public schools.
It was at this time that I launched the New England Anti-Mascot Coalition. My correspondence with Rochester School District officials continues and as a direct result of this correspondence, beginning in the spring semester (2007-08), Spaulding High School now offers a college prep course in North American Indian Studies. I remain hopeful that the Rochester School District will continue local discussions regarding racism and racial stereotypes, and will take real responsibility for providing diversity education in Rochester.
Since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s national organizations like the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the NAACP, the National Congress of American Indians, the Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, and the American Indian Movement have each called for the end of the practice of using American Indian cultures and religious symbols as sports mascots, nicknames, and logos.
In New England alone there are 91 high schools using names like "Indians," "Warriors," "Tomahawks," "Redskins," or "Red Raiders." It is these 91 high schools that are the focus of the efforts of the New England Anti-Mascot Coalition. Since 2006, letters written by me and others who support this effort have been sent to school officials, local newspapers, and other news outlets throughout New England asking those in leadership positions to stand up for those who do not have a significant voice in this region. According to the latest U.S. Census, American Indians and Alaska Natives make up less than six-tenths of one percent of the total population of the six New England states.
It's time we eliminate racial stereotypes from our public schools.
Listen to Pete Sanfaçon on "Talk Back" with Chuck Morse. WSMN Radio 1590, Nashua, N.H. (Broadcast date: 4/17/08)
Note: These are MP3 files. If your browser does not allow you to listen through this link, simply right-click to Save As and copy to your PC's desktop.
Contact the NEAMC if you're interested in discussing Native American sports team mascots, nicknames, and logos at federally-funded public schools in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, or Massachusetts.