By CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

CLINTON — Clinton High School graduates Elspeth and Kylista Geiger gave a final plea to Clinton Board of Education members to change the school’s mascot during the public comment portion of the regular meeting held Monday. “I want to focus specifically on how it creates disrespect for the people it’s supposed to be honoring,” Elspeth told the board as she read to them of how the origin of the adoption of Native American names as mascots was not done to honor Native Americans, but came as a result of stereotypical images propagated from movies and stories of non-native origin. Kylista followed her sister in making a final argument, saying the use of the mascot is discriminatory and over-simplifies the meaning behind the names.

Both women, who are of Native-American descent, began a petition drive in early October in hopes of getting the mascot issue before the board. Supt. David Pray gave the Geiger sisters the petition stipulating that 40 percent of the signatures needed to be in favor of changing the mascot name in order for it to be placed on the board agenda at the November regular meeting. The petition signatures, tallied earlier this month, showed more than 90 percent in favor of keeping Redskin as Clinton Community Schools mascot.
The Geigers were not alone in their plea, however. Several members of various tribes attended the meeting to speak out on how the name disrespects their heritage. Marsha Traxler was the first to speak, telling the board members that Native Americans were forced out of the area at one time, long ago, and those who stayed were forced to mask their identity fearing for their lives. “My guess is the people who signed the petition don’t understand that these people live among us,” she said. She also told listeners of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, adopted in 1978, and how that marked the start of when Native Americans could pray openly in this country, a country founded on principles of religious freedom, she reminded board members.

Christine Herdman, who is Mohawk, referred to Indian mascots when she said, “These things keep us stuck in the past. Our kids look at these and think, ‘Jeepers, this is what they think of us, of our ancestors.’” She said that the term Redskin, which she added is a term she prefers not to use, has historically been associated with death and violence and urged the board to take another look at changing the name.

North American Indian Association of Detroit Vice President Andrea Pierce commented, stating 12 Michigan tribes have passed resolutions that consider the use of Indian names by schools and professional sports teams as discriminatory and promoting stereotypes rather than honoring the history of Native Americans in Michigan. She was followed by former Eastern Michigan University sociology professor Karen Sherman who noted several resolutions adopted by governmental bodies that condemn the use of Native American names as mascots, but she highlighted the 2003 State of Michigan Board of Education self-study made in 2003 that looked at all of the schools that use Native American names for logos. The result of the study was a resolution urging schools to eliminate culturally associated logos or mascots. This also was the resolution the Geiger sisters cited as a reason for initiating the petition drive at Clinton. “It is time for Clinton schools to do a self-assessment and a checklist,” said Sherman. “Schools should not use their influence to perpetuate stereotypes of any group.”

Rose Johnson, a Comanche, Aztec and Apache, urged the board members to listen not with their ears but with their hearts. “You choose to honor my people with a funny looking Indian guy. At least use a true representation,” she said. She said she did not feel honored by the name Redskin. “I’m just saying if you are going to honor us, pray for us. Don’t make fun of us.”

Linda Crypet-Kilbourne, of Marshall, addressed the board using her Native American name Zhaawanong Nimkii Kwew (Southern Thunder Woman). She told board members that the district will never qualify for Michigan’s Blue Ribbon Exemplary Schools Program, even with its many academic accomplishments, strictly because it chooses to keep the name Redskin. Beyond the practical aspect of the school’s choice, she noted, as did others, the hurtful nature of the mascot name and hoped the board members would use education as a tool for honoring the Native American people. “Education is the way. We all need to be educated on many different levels with many different people,” she said.

One parent, Troy Bevier, did note his support of the Redskin name and in support of the way that Pray has handled the controversy after commenting on the school’s advance placement program. 1989 Clinton High School graduate Shawn Phillips, a Chippewa, chose not to speak during public comment, although, he and his brother, Jeremy, who could not make the meeting because of recent surgery, have supported the district’s decision to keep the name. “I’m not offended at all by it. I did do a lot of research. I’ve mentioned it to other Indians in conversations and haven’t found any who take offense to it,” he said following the meeting.

Not present at the meeting were representatives from the local organization Leh-Nah-Weh Native American Organization based in Lenawee County.

The school board did not take action, but Pray remained firm on putting the issue to rest, stating that petitions show the community supports keeping the mascot and logo. “The reason why we issued the petition is because in 2003 the school board made a decision to say they were not going change the mascot without input from the community. Community members came forward later saying they would have liked input. Our community is very strong on the issue,” he said. He added that he under

stood the view of the people who spoke, but the community supports keeping the name.
Elspeth Geiger said, however, that the issue is not over. “We really need to all get together and discuss where we go from here. I can tell you that this is not going to be the end, but I don’t know where we go from here,” she said.