 |
Warriors, Chiefs, Braves, Thunderbirds—the long-standing symbols of any number of local schools—are now prohibited as per a decree unanimously approved by the state Board of Regents last week in response to Indian communities that see the names as offensive. Those not in compliance by the end of the school year face the loss of state funds in a long-questioned education funding system that funnels local taxpayer dollars to the state and then back again to the districts—minus a big cut—with restrictions and mandates that have made New York one of the highest taxed states in the nation.
"The department’s position on this is clear," David Frank, an assistant commissioner with the state Department of Education, said last week. "If any team, mascots, logos or names have any connection to indigenous nations or peoples, either at the present time or in the past, they need to change their team name." The mandate left school officials in up to 60 districts statewide scrambling to assess the cost of changing signs, scoreboards, banners, uniforms, in-laid floor logos, and other assets that incorporate their mascot names.
“New York leads the nation in people fleeing from incredibly high taxes and now we get even more expenses dictated by the Board of Regents,” said an exasperated Joseph DeStefano, an assemblyman from Medford. “While I understand that Native Americans see this as an affront to their culture, I believe that we should be focused on other issues at the present time,” DeStefano said. “With the high taxes and inflation crippling the average taxpayer, this is not a good time to force the schools to spend even more money.”
DeStefano’s office compiled a rundown of the regent members and their association with symbols that could be considered offensive.
Roger Tilles attended a college named for Lord Jeffery Amherst, a colonial era leader criticized for his stance against native Americans.
Josephine Victoria Finn went to Oneonta where the city uses a native American in its seal.
Susan Mittler went to Cortland which has as its mascot a red dragon that appears to be a stereotypical Asian dragon, a symbol that could be seen as an affront to Asian-Americans.
Roger P. Catania went to the University of Virginia where its logo at the time symbolized keeping black slaves out of the university.
Elizabeth Hakanson went to Syracuse University at a time when the school used a native American symbol.
“None of this seemed to bother the regents at the time," DeStefano noted.
The regent mandate saw a flood of school districts and local residents expressing their disgust with the new restriction. In a recent letter, the president and founder of the Sachem Alumni Association, Chris R. Vaccaro, stated: “As the New York State Board of Regents votes and decides on parameters that will impact several school districts regarding Native American names and mascots, I want to be crystal clear that our entire school community was built on the premise of honoring Native American culture and heritage. Not only is the name of the district representative of the Native American term known as ‘chief,’ but nearly every building uses Native American names, and the moniker and logo is, of course, Flaming Arrows. These are distinct and consistent with our branding, tradition, and history since the district was formed and centralized in 1955. To change any of this would be devastating to our community’s identity. Remember, this is not just a school district; it’s a large community comprising several hamlets and villages with nearly 90,000 taxpayers.”
In Massapequa, the school board reported: "The Chief is more than a symbol to Massapequa–it celebrates the rich history of our town and honors Chief Tackapausha. We have heard from many members of our community upset by this decision, and we stand beside you. We are Massapequa and we will not sit idly by while an unelected group of officials tries to remove our history. We are in the process of reviewing the decision and investigating all options with legal counsel."
 |
In a statement, Amityville Superintendent Dr. Edward Fale said, "Our athletic teams and our students are the Amityville Warriors. The district has removed any native references from our logo. Years ago, there was imagery of a face with a headdress, which was removed several years ago and replaced by a large capital 'A' for Amityville. The former image may still appear on some random cafeteria tables but these will be repainted,” he noted adding that the name “'Warrior” would still be allowed since it refers to a person who shows "strength, vigor or courage," terms that he believes describe the school’s students.
Other affected Long Island schools include Brentwood, Manhasset, Sewanhaka, and Syosset.
"You can't do it with Jewish people. You can't do it with black people. You can't do it with the Hispanic people," said John Kane, a Mohawk Indian descendant from the upstate Seneca Territory who pushed for the measure. A member of the state education department’s Indigenous Advisory Council, Kane continued, "But you can still do it to us. We're the only people used this way. Don't just change the imagery, get rid of the whole thing," he said in published reports. According to Kane, "Every native organization across the country has weighed in on this thing and has condemned the practice. The bravery, the athleticism-- I mean, there's nothing to suggest that we were solely warriors or people on the warpath, but that's the way we're represented. I'm not saying that we're not a brave people, but honestly, if we were that successful, then why aren't we still on the very land that those schools sit on?"
Vaccaro, a member of the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame and the school’s Hall of Honor, offered suggestions on how the state could better handle the issue:
· Funds & Curriculum: The state should not force Sachem to spend hundreds of thousands – or millions – of dollars – to make these changes. Instead, carve out state aid to help build mandatory curricula for all districts and all grade levels that educate students and faculty on Native American culture and heritage. Not to mention, those funds will be taken away from other educational needs for our students.
· Open Dialogue: Can we agree to bring community stakeholders from the education department, Native American tribes, political sector, school district administration, student bodies, school board, and alumni organization to have an open and honest dialogue? I suggest this happens in every school district and would be happy to help organize on behalf of Sachem when the time is right.
· Day of Understanding: Students have several days throughout the year where they learn about different cultures. Can we institute a Native American Day of Understanding across all school districts in New York State, where students are learning and creating projects that reflect the full story of tribes in their area and beyond? Sachem students and faculty should also understand the history behind the district’s centralization and identity.
· Naming: While we’re still waiting for proper guidelines that school districts will use to make any changes, might I suggest a consolation for Sachem? Keep “Arrows,” and drop the word “Flaming.” Arrows and arrowheads are synonymous with history, fighting to feed tribes, in some cases peace alliance, and have been an artifact dug up for centuries across Long Island.
“Sachem can be a leader in this process and discussion,” Vaccaro said. “Just because the Board of Regents votes this week to make a change doesn’t mean we can’t advocate with our community and Native American heritage in mind. I look forward to being an active participant in these discussions and hope that we can find common ground among all stakeholders to preserve our community’s identity, honor our tradition and history and evolve with an honest reflection of the Native American people near our Sachem community on Long Island.”
Representatives of the Shinnecock Nation who pushed for the board of regent edict did not respond to a request for comment from the South Shore Press, nor did officials from Center Moriches, whose mascot, the Red Devils, is also being called into question. Another Long Island Indian Nation, the Unkechaugs, also supported the mascot decree.