Wednesday, July 21, 1999
Mascot issue likely to rise in more towns
Indian names face objection
BY CHRISTINE WOLFF
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Anderson High School is keeping its Redskin mascot, raising the question of who will be asked next to drop American Indian sports themes.
Concern over confrontation has some residents and school-board members nervous. The Anderson High School debate lasted two months and was heated and divisive.
It's clear the quest isn't over for Guy Jones, 43, a Lakota Indian and the executive director of the Miami Valley Council for Native Americans in Dayton. He led the campaign to change Anderson's nickname, and he'll be approaching other school boards with the same goal — to stop seeing his heritage and religious beliefs turned into a sporting event, he said.
On his list to visit soon:
• Lebanon High School's Warriors.
• The Lakota school district's Thunderhawks and Firebirds and American Indian-themed elementary schools.
• The Grant County, Ky., Braves and Squaws.
“Labels like "warrior' and "braves' perpetuate a stereotypical image of the American Indian. They all relate to fighting,” he said. “Yes, we were fighters, but we had to fight to survive.”
Some people worry in Lebanon about a confrontation, said Katie Poitinger, school board president.
“I went into the local doughnut shop and people were saying, "I heard they are going to come and make us change,'” she said. “There's a great deal of pride here. I know our community would not want to offend. ... I think we're different than Anderson. Ours is a "warrior,' and there are a lot of different kinds of warriors.”
There is concern, too, in Norwood, where high school teams have been called “Indians” since 1927, said Susan Rupert, Norwood's school board president.
“I think the Indian head we use is a proud and heroic symbol. ... If it comes to stand for something else, if we are teaching something other than tolerance and pride with our symbol, then we need to address it.”
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