From: Pete Sanfaçon
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 11:47 AM
To: akrauss@fosters.com
Subject: Request for Story
Dear Mr. Krauss,
My name is Pete Sanfaçon and I am writing to you in an effort to publish the Native American side of the "sports mascots" debate. Perhaps you've seen my name in your paper over the past month or so. Here is a bit of background.
I've been studying Native American history and culture for almost 20 years and have always felt uncomfortable about professional, college, and high school teams who use race-based names, imagery, and mascots. I attended Spaulding High School in the 1970s, was born and raised in Rochester, and graduated in '77 before going on to art school in Boston. I never gave the "Red Raiders" name and logo a second thought during my four years at the school, nor was there any correlation made by teachers and the administration between the made-up name and image and real, living Native American people. There was never any specific education about Native Americans except for the compulsory topics in History and Social Studies. Even today, of the 240 courses offered at Spaulding, not one is focused on educating the predominantly white student body about the ethnic group the school purports to honor by calling them "Red Raiders."
It wasn't until 2005, while reading a book on the mascot issue in this country (Team Spirits--The Native American Mascots Controversy), that I began to think that I could do something about Spaulding's race-based team name. Having moved from Rochester in 1980, I knew there would be some who questioned my right to even open up this issue to a discussion. But this is an issue of racism, quite frankly, whether Rochester citizens want to believe it or not, and I felt a moral obligation to do whatever I could. My conscience won't allow me to do anything less.
My campaign began in January of this year with a letter to Spaulding Principal Robert Pedersen, written on Martin Luther King Day, asking him to consider changing the name to something all citizens could be proud of. His reply stated that he'd never received a complaint before and that the students consider it a source of pride. He also said that he felt it was honoring Native Americans. Native Americans, of course, have been rallying against these names and images in this country for years and they've been shouted down by defenders who demand that they "worry about more important things." What's more important than human rights; the right to be seen as a human being instead of a mascot? The N.H. Board of Education passed a resolution in 2002 calling for all N.H. schools to eliminate these names and logos (your paper ran an editorial on the topic shortly thereafter). Schools in Goffstown, Lebanon, Northwood, and Penacook have changed their names to non-Native themes. Spaulding has not. Neither has Winnacunnet, Alton, or Laconia, and many others. Many others in Massachusetts and around the country insist on retaining these vestiges of a bigoted era in this country. Much work remains.
When my letter to School Superintendent Michael Hopkins led to a meeting of the Rochester School Board's Special Services Committee (March 16), I was encouraged. But many of the committee members saw nothing wrong with the name or the bright red severed head logo the school is so proud of. On April 11 the Special Services Committee held a special meeting to "hear from the public." Your colleague Amanda Dumond tipped me off that this special meeting was being held the Tuesday before their regular Thursday monthly meeting. I'd also been monitoring the district's website to see when a new agenda was posted, which might give me an indication as to when they planned to meet to discuss this issue again. No one from the School Board ever called to inform me of this so-called public hearing. As it turned out, the 59-1 "score" wasn't much of a contest, if racial intolerance is a matter of voting and majority rule. I believe it is not.
I've written two letters recently. One to Foster's, which I sent last Friday hoping for a "Reader Commentary" slot. Still haven't seen it in print. The second one is to the superintendent, which will be going into the mail tomorrow. Copies of this letter will be mailed to Judy Cohen, Spaulding faculty advisor to the Human Rights Club, Spaulding Principal Pedersen, School Board Chair Warren, N.H. Board of Education Chairman David Ruedig, and N.H. Dept. of Education Commissioner Dr. Lyonel Tracy. Both letters are calling to task the Rochester School Board for their lack of leadership and their lackluster efforts in bringing the community together to talk about this issue. Taking a vote on who wants to keep the name and logo after 60 minutes was a farce, especially when most of the School Board opposed a change.
I am attaching both of those letters here in PDF. I hope that you and your paper are interested in hearing more about this and in publishing the Native American side of this serious issue.
I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Pete Sanfaçon
Fri, 21 Apr 2006 11:55
From: Adam Krauss <akrauss@fosters.com> sent:
Hi Pete. I think your letter to the editor is in today's paper. This has clearly been a hot issue around here, but one our schools reporter, Amanda Dumond (adumond@fosters.com) is covering unless anything changes. If you don't mind I'll forward your comments to her. Thanks for writing. I'll let my editors know you think the "Native American side of the story" needs to be out there. Adam
Fri, 21 Apr 2006 12:24
Hi Adam,
I appreciate the quick reply. I think this issue is much bigger than just a school issue, but I understand the protocol you must follow. Amanda and I spoke on the 13th but, frankly, I think the accompanying story about the alum with the savetheredraider website skewed the entire issue in the favor of the majority, who think they can simply vote to keep names and images that others deem racist.
If you can convince your editors that the right thing to do is to contact me to learn more about those who oppose stereotypes in schools, then you have my gratitude.
Incidentally, the letter to the editor in today's paper is a different one written earlier this week. The letter I attached to my first message was submitted last Friday. That's the letter that needs to get printed.
Thanks.
Pete
Feedback: General News
Mon, 24 Apr 10:59
I think it's important that Foster's publishes the Native American perspective on the SHS mascot debate (and the mascot debate in general).
The N.H. Board of Education and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights have issued resolutions (in 2002 and 2001 respectively) calling for the elimination of these names and images, but the Rochester School Board recently based their decision to retain Spaulding's Red Raider solely on the fact that 60 people at their so-called public hearing on April 11 wanted to keep it. Civil rights is not a majority-rule issue.
I sent a letter to Foster's on April 14 calling the School Board to task for their lackluster effort in this endeavor, especially Chair Nancy Warren who has no plans to be a "trendsetter." Why has this letter not been published? I've also written a letter to Superintendent Hopkins asking him to keep this issue open.
The matter of racism in Rochester needs more press. This is NOT a school matter. This is a human rights matter.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with you. Please contact me via phone or email.
Thank you.
Pete Sanfaçon
Spaulding Class of 1977
On Mon, 24 Apr 2006 16:41 , Paul Dietterle <PDietterle@fosters.com> sent:
Dear Mr. Sanfacon,
In response to requests you have made to our newsroom concerning your letters, please note that we have published three letters to the editor received from you in March and April. They ran on March 30, April 13 and April 21. (See copies below). All ran as letters to the editor. I do not believe any included a request to run as commentaries, but my apolgies if I missed that request.
In addition, we have run many letters from readers responding to your position. I think it is fair to say Foster's has given the issue a fair airing through both our news coverage and letters to the editor. Foster's is greatful for the opportunity to provide you and those with the opposite opinion space to make your points.
We appreciated the fact that you used Foster's to communicate with the public in Rochester. Even though they chose to keep the "Red Raiders" artwork, it appears your message was heard and considered.
Again, thank you for promoting the debate within the pages of Foster's and in the community.
Paul "Buzz" Dietterle
Letters to the editor
Special Sections
Foster's Daily Democrat
George J. Foster Co. Inc.
From: Pete Sanfaçon
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 5:10 PM
To: Paul Dietterle
Cc: Amanda Dumond; Mike Gillis
Subject: Re: Letters to Foster's
Paul,
Thank you for your detailed response. There was one additional letter that I submitted on April 14 that I would like published if you have the space. This is the submission for which I'd requested Commentary space. Please see attached PDF.
I agree that there has been press within the Letters column over the past month or so, but I feel this issue is bigger than Letters to the Editor and is more than simply a "school issue." The Rochester School Board, together with the administration at Spaulding and members of the Rochester City Council spent a mere 60 minutes on the issue of racism at Spaulding and chose to do nothing simply because the majority of the 60 people in attendance (out of 28,000 residents) wanted to keep the name "Red Raiders." This is a civil rights issue and "majority rule" should not be the method for making such decisions.
There are three key organizations that have called for the elimination of Native American team names and logos in recent years: The N.H. Board of Education, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and the NAACP. There are also dozens of Native American support groups across the country who find these names and images offensive. The leaders in Rochester have chosen to ignore these voices and call this battle a "Win" for Spaulding simply because no one has specifically deemed Spaulding's Red Raider offensive. What effort has the School Board made to actually hear those who DO find this offensive?
This matter is too serious to take a vote after a 60-minute meeting. This discussion has only just begun. This is why I respectfully ask that more reporting and research be done on this issue. A good first start would be to print my 4/14/06 letter in your Commentary column. I'd be happy to speak with anyone at Foster's to provide more information and to give my perspective on this issue.
I chose to use Foster's to communicate with the public in Rochester because it was my hometown paper growing up (I delivered Foster's in my neighborhood in the early '70s) and my family who still reside in Rochester are still Foster's readers. It is THE paper in this area.
I do sincerely appreciate your time and consideration.
Regards,
Pete Sanfaçon
Spaulding Class of 1977
On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 07:48 , Paul Dietterle <PDietterle@fosters.com> sent:
Thanks for the comments. Due to the large number of letters we receive, writers are limited to two a month. Any new letter will have to wait until May. I checked my e-mails and was unable to find the attached letter.
If you choose to resubmit it in May, I suggest you trim it as much as possible. Space is at a premium and between your letters and others on the topic we have probably printed well over a dozen. As always, you will need to call and verify by voice that the letter is yours.
Thank you
Buzz
P.S. I am not sure any other local Rochester issue has gotten more attention lately in news and letters than the Red Raider discussion. Newsrooms have to constantly juggle resources when choosing what to cover. At some point, their attention must focus elsewhere. In reading the very extensive coverage, it seems all your arguments have been well represented.
From: Pete Sanfaçon
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 9:37 AM
To: Paul Dietterle
Cc: Amanda Dumond
Subject: RE: Letters to Foster's
I appreciate and understand your policies regarding Letters to the Editor, though I have not seen the "two-per-month" limitation posted on the Foster's website. I will make a note of it. I will resubmit an edited version next month.
I respectfully disagree, however, with your assertion that Foster's has printed "well over a dozen" letters on this topic. By my count there have been only seven since March 30, with three being submitted by me, not including the April 14 submission that has not yet been printed.
I also disagree that a handful of stories over the course of a three-week period constitutes "extensive coverage." No one has done a story on the nationwide protests over the years by Native Americans and their supporters who advocate the elimination of race-based names and images for sports teams in high school, college, and the major leagues. Contact aistm.org, the American Indian Movement, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and learn their perspective.
No one has done a story on the Rochester School Board's cursory treatment of this issue. A total of two hours of discussion followed by a vote? The white majority wins again. Why were members of Spaulding's administration, the city council, and the school board voicing their strong opposition to change during a "public hearing"? No one has done a story on that. If the School Board were serious about researching this issue, they would actually do some research. What research have they done besides file the materials I'd sent them back in March? Has Foster's interviewed board member Bob Watson to ask why he was the sole member of the school board making a motion to end Spaulding's race-based team name and logo? He is the only member of the school board who seems to understand that this is a racial issue but no one wants to talk to him.
Why was it that I only learned of this "public hearing" being held on April 11 from Amanda Dumond? Why didn't the School Board contact anyone looking to get the name and logo changed to make sure they were present and that they had ample time to invite additional supporters from within the school and within the community? Weren't they interested in an open forum where both sides could be heard equally? No one has done a story on that either.
If I must wait until next month to submit an edited version of my April 14 submission to get these facts published, I will. But I feel Foster's is missing an opportunity to ask these important questions and to get answers.
Thank you,
Pete Sanfaçon
On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:26 , Paul Dietterle <PDietterle@fosters.com> sent:
The role of a local newspaper, and limitations of staff, require a concentration on the local. The issue of "mascots" was extensively covered across the state several years ago. This issues you raise we vetted then in community after community. There were members of out-of-state tribes that visited the state and made the case. There was extensive national coverage reflected in NH. At that time Spaulding visited the issue.
This is the second go-round. My guess is that since the issue was dealt with then, many had already take a position that they chose not to change.
As any aggressive advocate, you want to pursue the issue until you win. You don't always win.
You are welcome to do so on the letter's page with letters to the editor - and within the criteria we do print in the newspaper from time to time. I would suggest, however, that leaning on the newsroom now that Spaulding considers the issue "over and done" with is counterproductive until something renews the issue at that level. Then there may be new impetus to cover it.
In the meantime, the newsroom is working to train a number of new reporters while experienced reporters are doing double (and sometimes triple duty).
I have passed your offer to be interviewed along more than once. They are aware of it and will act in their best judgment.
As for a dozen, believe there are still some in the hopper - 7 plus 3 plus???
Paul "Buzz" Dietterle
Editorial Dept.
Special Sections
Foster's Daily Democrat
George J. Foster Co. Inc.
[end of thread.]
