Activists talk harm of schools’ Native American imagery

After several community members voiced concerns, a discussion about whether a change is due for Guilford High School’s nickname, the Indians, is on the horizon, officials said.

But even if the district does take action, at least 16 other high schools across the state are in similar situations.

Some of those schools have nicknames such as “the Indians,” “the Sachems” and “the Tomahawks.” Others have more ambiguous titles, including “the Warriors,” but imagery stereotypically associated with “Indians” appears in their logos or sports gear.

Representatives from the Native American community said the use of such names and symbols is hurtful, and that it perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

“They’re problematic because they dehumanize native people,” said Norman Clement, a Native American activist in the New Haven area.

Stereotypical images such as spears and tomahawks build a violent image of Native Americans, Clement said.

James Rawlings, former president of the Connecticut Native American InterTribal Urban Council, said not only is the imagery commonly seen in schools degrading, but it passes myths about what Native Americans are like on to young people.

“They have stolen our history without reading our history,” Rawlings said.

He sees the impact of this process in his grandchildren, he said, who are hurt by Native American stereotypes.

When schools use harmful imagery, it says, “this is the image of them (Native Americans). This is what they look like, this is who they are,” Clement said, adding that these stereotypes imply Native Americans cannot be professionals, like doctors and lawyers, who exist in modern society.

Instead, school mascots such as “the Indians” say that “Native Americans don’t exist anymore,” Clement said.

“If it was any other group of people, there would not be this discussion,” Clement said. “If you really want to honor native people, then honor their requests to stop using their symbols and mascots at your schools,” Clement said.

The schools

Hearst Connecticut Media reached out to representatives associated with all 17 schools whose mascots, nicknames and/ or logos have incorporated stereotypical Native American names or imagery. In most cases, those representatives were superintendents, but principals and Boards of Education also were contacted.

Only four returned requests for comment, including spokespeople from North Haven, Guilford High School, Windsor High School and Montville High School.

Other schools included Canton High School; Conard and Hall high schools in West Hartford; Derby High School; Farmington High School; Glastonbury High School; Newington High School; Nonnewaug High School; RHAM High School in Hebron; Torrington High School; Wamogo Regional High School; Watertown

High School; H.C. Wilcox Technical High School; and Windsor High School.

The use of imagery varies by district. Wamogo High School, for example, is nicknamed the Warriors, and the logo on the school district website does not allude to Native American stereotypes.

But just last year, the district distributed a survey to choose the logo, according to an announcement on the school website, which noted that a number of the images had appeared on school gear.

One of those images depicted a stereotypical Indian head; two others featured feathers.

Canton High School also is nicknamed the Warriors, and its website has a stereotypical Indian head as an icon at the top of the page. A similar image comes up in a photo taken earlier this year in the lobby of Derby High School, whose sports teams are called “the Red Raiders.”

The way forward

Guilford’s debate is not new; Zip06 reported that the same question made headlines in 2011.

Other districts have grappled with the issue, too — with varied results.

Earlier this year, Manchester changed its nickname from the Indians to the Red Hawks.

A mascot by the same name now also represents Killingly, formerly nicknamed the Redmen, the Norwich Bulletin reported.

West Hartford, whose mascots traditionally had been portrayed as Indian heads, removed all Native American imagery and symbolism from its logos and mascots in 2015, the Courant reported. But it kept the names — the Chieftans at Conard High School and the Warriors at Hall High School.

Rawlings said partial measures like these are inadequate.

Clement agreed. “They’re not enough. It should be gone completely.”

Clement believes the best way forward is through a statewide referendum; Maine, he pointed out, did away with “Indian” mascots al together.