New England Anti-Mascot Coalition

The mascot debate: Treatment of Indian images at forefront following recent issues at local schools

By Tenley Woodman–Hot Shots
Boston Herald Features Reporter

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Image of Dedham High "Marauders" (left) and Watertown High "Raiders".

Some high schools in Massachusetts are having an identity crisis.

For decades, professional, collegiate and prep school sports teams have used images or slang terms regarding Native Americans to represent themselves.

Currently, 46 Massachusetts high schools use such references. But recent events involving the Redmen of Natick High School and the Warriors of Brookline High School are causing students and administrators to think more carefully about the images and mottos they associate with school pride and tradition.

Natick will be holding a public hearing on whether to keep the high school's nearly 50-year old nickname on Feb. 26 following complaints by alumni and community members who said the moniker was offensive.

While the topic has been discussed over the years, Natick superintendent of schools James J. Connolly said it has never been pushed until now.

"It's a very difficult issue because there is the aspect of the imagery and whenever you have a mascot it's symbolic and it means something different for everybody," Connolly said.

"It's been a big controversy this year," said senior Mike Slattery, a football, hockey and baseball captain at Natick. "The way I look at it is in no way do we mock the Redmen name. It has bravery, courage and heart. With all of our sports teams, that is what we represent.

"Everyone is proud to be the Redmen because of the courage."

Among those opposing Natick's use of the term Redmen is Pete Sanfacon, 47, founder of the New England Anti-Mascot Coalition.

"So many people have grown up in communities where they're under the influence of stereotypical depictions of Indian people. They can't see the school mascot as a stereotype because they're so used to it and they associate it with pride, pleasure, and school spirit," said Sanfacon, a New Hampshire native who lived in Natick for three years before moving to Framingham. "This is an education policy issue that raises the question, Is it appropriate to stereotype any human group on the basis of race or ethnicity in the public schools?"

Natick is rich with Native American history, though the presence of native people is scarce."Our populations are so small, particularly on the Northeastern seaboard, we aren't able to get out there and fight," said Jim Peters, executive director for the Commission on Indian Affairs.

Peters, who is Wampanoag, said the use of native images and nicknames is insulting.

"They portray myths of what happened in the early days," Peters said.

At Brookline High School, the student body is engaged in a similar debate concerning their identity as the Warriors after members of the girls volleyball team wore headdresses to a game last fall.

Volleyball co-captain Emily Harburg, a senior, said tempers have calmed down since the incident.

"We are working together as a school and community to see what we can do next. There may even be a school-wide vote to see if people want to change the mascot," Harburg said."I think that we have all become more conscious about how the things we say and do could affect others. Despite the tension, I think it was an incredible learning experience for all of us."

Several years ago, the high school changed its nickname from Indians to Warriors, but that's still offensive to many people.

"Are we really being politically correct in a town where we are liberal and on top of things?" said Alicia Lew, a senior field hockey and ice hockey player at Brookline. "Look how long we've had this mascot and name."

Unlike the NCAA, which governs over all affiliated schools' emblems and mottos, the MIAA leaves these matters to each school and community.

"We have nothing to do with school nicknames or names. That's strictly up to the schools," said Paul Wetzel, spokesperson for the MIAA. "As far as I've known, the subject has never come up. Our role is to regulate and promote high school sports."

But this approach is beginning to appear more contradictory than effective.

"I think that is part of the dilemma where if you are in a community that is trying to promote respect and sportsmanship and appropriate behavior toward the other community, it is a little more difficult to make that argument on a consistent basis if you are doing it under the umbrella of a mascot of a Native American," said Peter Roby, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University.

"People make the argument that they are trying to honor the tradition, but they need to put themselves in the shoes of those who are Native American and who feel they have been oppressed and that genocide occurred," Roby said. "If they could hear the stories and the emotions involved by the people who see their culture depicted that way, they may feel differently about it. I think we all would agree that you don't have to be a Native American to feel there is something wrong with these images."

Spurred by a request from Roby, the MIAA sportsmanship committee decided to take up the issue last fall. It sent out surveys to athletic directors at schools with Indian mascots. Of those who responded, the majority indicated it was not a big issue in their communities.

"We discussed it as a group (at a Feb. 8 meeting) and felt at this time we don't know where we are, or who should be the deciding factor in a town," said committee chairman Phil Vaccaro, the athletic director at Reading High School. "It's not like the NCAA, where they have control over the schools that are run by a president and a board of trustees. We're dealing with towns. For instance, the Sachems of Saugus have the logo on every street sign, so how can we as the MIAA dictate to them to remove the logo or take down the street signs.

"Looking through the questionnaires, I think schools are getting rid of the tomahawks and anything that would depict violence or show negativity toward Native Americans. I would hope that the offensive logos—such as an Indian with a tomahawk in its hand—would be changed, that our sensitivity would tell us to change it."

Watertown High School has deemphasized the first part of its Red Raiders nickname for more than a decade. Yet, there are still signs in the gymnasium that say Red Raiders and include a logo of a cartoon Indian with an oversized nose carrying a tomahawk. And the school's booster group supplies items (such as sweatshirts) for the athletes featuring the cartoon Indian.

"Every once in a while (this issue) will surface," Watertown athletic director Elaine Paradis said. "I do think the principal would like to have (the Indian images) removed from the gym, and I think it will probably happen in the next couple of years. But we have not used the word `Red' in any of our uniforms and we don't used the mascot that is used by booster groups. In fact, we have looked at changing our emblem."

However there isn't a definite stance on the use of mascots or nicknames.

In 2005, the NCAA required that schools cease using Native American images and nicknames or risk being unable to host NCAA tournaments or events.

"I'm glad the NCAA has stepped out there and made a decision to make schools think about what they are doing. To get a group that large to do that, I commend them for their efforts," Peters said.

But the legislation has not terminated all uses of Native American references.

"The NCAA's August 2005 sanctions against NCAA-affiliated colleges and universities that use Native American nicknames, logos, and mascots, preventing them from hosting NCAA tournaments, is an important first step. But it doesn't go far enough in my view," Sanfacon said. "The National Congress of American Indians and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights have both called for schools, colleges, and professional sports teams to stop this practice. Allowing some colleges to retain their nicknames and mascots because they've paid for 'permission' from some tribal representatives is a double-standard."

It is unclear whether Massachusetts schools would be better served if the MIAA adopted a similar policy.

"Some states have mandated change; this had not happened here," said Connolly, the Natick superintendent. "The advantage with an outside agency making the call is that you don't have to make the decision. The disadvantage is you don't get to decide."

Said Natick's Slattery: "If it was left to the MIAA it would be easier but it would make a lot more people unhappy. (At Natick town hall) I know they have meetings every Monday night that the kids can go to and talk and give their input. That's the positive point of doing it through the school."

Offered Brookline's Lew: "It's political and it's a hard topic. If one person is offended in the community, we should take action because no one should feel uncomfortable."

Vaccaro, the sportsmanship committee chairman, said it's important to hear opinions but not to cater to every person's request. His group is scheduled to discuss the issue again at its next meeting May 9.

"I think something good can come out of this and still maintain the names," Vaccaro said. "We need to educate people about what the names mean—Sachems, Warriors, Raiders, tribal names. But we also have to understand we can mention Native Americans without being derogatory, condescending and embarrassing. Let's educate everyone."