I am from Northampton. A blue devil. Whatever that is. However, I never played a sport or held my school’s mascot in any regard. My daughters all attended the Turners Falls High School at one time or another. They are all “Indians.”
They all have played on a team at the high school at one time or another. Except they are not Indians. They don’t and never have identified with the mascot. When talking about what team they are up against they always referred to them by the school name or town. “Who ya playing tonight?” “Greenfield,” or “Pioneer,” or “Hopkins,” etc. There is no need for a mascot. I can’t believe there is even a debate or a discussion about this. A race of people should not be used as a mascot for any reason. It is a no brainer. End of discussion.
Times have changed. People have become educated and understanding. Well, not all people. Recently at the Thanksgiving Day game, certain people took it upon themselves to find an Indian headdress to wear at the game and do the tomahawk chop. This was banned years ago and students were told if anyone does it they would be suspended. I hope that still stands.
These kids behaved so disrespectfully. First of all, knowing it was banned. Secondly, the entire community is holding forums, meetings and educational discussions on this very topic. And lastly, because they are still missing the point. Anyone who thinks that keeping a race as a mascot is not educating themselves. The fact that the School Committee banned the chop in 2009 speaks volumes to this whole debate. Everyone has known for years that the mascot needs to go. People are not understanding what an Indian is, what a headdress is for, what it is like to be a minority, why their actions are hurtful and disrespectful, and that they themselves are unable to grow and change as people and human beings and realize that tradition is not always right. “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change” — Stephen Hawkins
Montague, show your intelligence.
Monica M. Lane
Montague