Petition drive looks to – Eliminate Redskins

Have the Geiger's discussed this with any American Indian Organizations?  Isn't there more important issues in our country right now that we should be getting involved in?  They are wrong in their negative assumptions of using American Indian Mascots in our schools.  This is intended to honor American Indians; the mascot keeps the images ALIVE of our ancestors of all their good traits.  It highlights their dignity, persistence and bravery!  What's next - change the name to the Tigers - and then the Animal Rights Activists will complain? Please Geiger family - put your energy to more important issues going on in our homeland now.  And keep our American Indian heritage alive.  

Some additional sources of information.

   http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26733936343

   http://www.aimovement.org/ncrsm/index.html

   http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/redskinissue/

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  Let's talk about Clinton's mascot, Redskins. The term Redskins was a term used for the scalps and the skin removed from the backs and legs of Native Americans to be used as belts, purses and pouches. Even the bones were cut and made into buttons. By 1900, at $35-$50 per skin, over a million dollars in bounties were paid for dead "Indians." An adult female paid the highest bounty as she was able to reproduce. This horrific use of Native Americans as a product is a fact in the history of the United States. The use of "Red" in describing Native Americans wasn't from their skin color while they were alive but rather from the "bloody mess" that was left behind and the "bloody skins" that were turned in for the bounties. Bounties on Native peoples go back as far as King James and even as late as Abraham Lincoln, who authorized the only mass hanging to take place in this country, on Dec. 26, 1862, 4:00pm, 15 degrees, 38 Dakota Sioux were hanged. They were buried, dug up in the night and the bodies were taken to different doctors and universities for medical study. To date, two of the bodies have been returned to the tribe. 

  Most Native Americans are NOT honored by these sterotyped images of who other cultures think who we are. We have our own way of honoring our people and it's NOT on an athletic field for some other culture's half-time entertainment. "Tradition" is NOT a basis for retention. Slavery was also a tradition in this country for over 300 years. As reasonable people, we understand that the passage of time does not make despicable and other "vile" traditions respectable, acceptable or justifiable. The span of time does NOT make the use of Native American mascots ethically or morally acceptable.

  The mascot/logo of the Clinton School District is the MOST horendous, MOST vile of all the Native American mascots used. The name is a reminder of the ethnic genocide and the American Holocaust  perpetuated against this Nation's First Peoples. These mascots are a form of cultural genocide, a priveledge to the cultural majority who defend these mascots and logos by functioning with their distortions of even their own cultural identity.

  My ancestors fought to protect our cultures from forced removal and systematic genocide and to preserve our lands from the greed of others. Nowhere in history that I'm aware of did any of my ancestors aspire to become a mascot, a logo, an SUV, RV, attack helicopter, a malt liquor or a chewing tobacco.

   So, why in this day and age, 2008, when people feel they have advanced past the days of blatant racism, do we still have pro sports teams, high school and university mascots such as the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves or the Clinton Redskins.

  It's not a question of "over sensitivity" by Native Peoples but "gross insensibility" on the part of those who ignore what most Native American people have been saying about this issue for years and selfishly insist on keeping mascots and logos. As the days have passed of the "Frito Bandito" and "Little Black Sambo" that have become unacceptable, why aren't Native Americans given the same respect and decency?

     Is this mascot in Clinton more important to this community than the children that attend your schools and their sense of values of other cultures, races and ethnicities?

On 10/10/2008, someone named "jamie" posted a comment inferring that  American Indian heritage is retained, and that American Indian people are honored when high school sports teams use a racist nickname/logo. To "jamie" I would respond that having non-Indian people dress up and play Indian, or imitate inaccurate and stereotypical chants or songs, etc., honors no one and certainly doesn't preserve anyone's heritage.

The only people who can preserve Indian heritage, are Indian people. And no one can preserve/honor a heritage when they know nothing about it, and instead subscribe to to the aforementioned stereotypes and play acting.

 Jamie, if you really have a desire to honor Indian people, then do everything you can to eliminate the use of these racist nicknames and logos, which are nothing more than thinly disguised "hate speech". Or contribute to the Native American Rights Fund, or  to scholarship funds for Indian students, or to Indian Centers, or other organizations that provide needed services and supports for Indian people.

 Preserving racist mascots sends a clear message to every  child and every minority group in a community that the (typically Anglo ) majority has no respect for them and that anyone might be next in line for a proverbial "witch hunt." Majority groups can not define for a minority what is racist, or sexist, or ablest, or discriminatory in any other manner. And if they have any real commitment at all to a true and authentic sense of "community," they will listen to the minority and act accordingly in order to end up with an inclusive and welcoming community that they and their children can be proud of.

Given at the Council Chamber in Boston this third day of November 1755 in the twenty-ninth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Iceland, King Defender of the Faith.

Whereas the tribe of Penobscot Indians have repeatedly in a perfidious manner acted contrary to their solemn submission unto his Majesty long since made and frequently renewed.

I have therefore, at the desire of the House of Representatives ... thought fit to issue this Proclamation and to declare the Penobscot Tribe of Indians to be enemies, rebels, and traitors to his Majesty. And I do hereby require his Majesty's subjects of the Province to embrace all opportunities of pursuing, captivating, killing, and destroy all and every one of the aforesaid Indians.

And whereas the General Court of this Province have voted that a bounty.... be granted and allowed to be paid out of the Province Treasury.... The premiums of bounty following :

For every scalp of a male Indian brought in as evidence of their being killed as aforesaid, forty pounds.

For every scalp of such female Indian or male Indian under the age of twelve years that shall be killed and brought in as evidence of their being killed as aforesaid, twenty pounds.