Reznet

Actually in order to match how offensive Indian mascots and team names are those teams would have to be called the New York Niggers or the New Jersey kikes. I'd have to say that the fighting Irish team comes close to the sheer racism of such teams as the 'redskins. As an Irish-American I'm not offended by it (I have better things to be angry about) however it's a bit insulting for the following reasons:

A. The names fuels the stereotype that Irish people are a bunch of hard drinking hooligans who'll pick a fist fight for any reason.

B. The 'leprechaun' has been used to ridicule Irish people and culture, for example Celtic music (a blanket term not a single genre) has been called 'leprechuan music. Another example is the bigoted Ian Paisley (there's no room here to list how scummy that degenerate is) insulted the Gaelic language by calling it a 'leprechaun language'.

Is it just me does that message have a 'abandon all hope ye who enter here' feel to it?

Living on a reservation in Northern Montana, I have first hand knowledge and experience of the misconceptions people have about life on a reservation. I've seen articles and opinions written in local, and state papers about how awful it is to drive through our reservation much less stop there and contribute a few dollars into the local economy. Point being, until you lived on a reservation and put up with IHS, BIA, FBI, and Tribal Councils, dont throw the word reservation around at pep rally, or to intimidate other high school kids.

With all that is happening in this world, this is what we want to stand up and be heard about? I was born, raised, and to this day live on a reservation and this does not bother me one bit. Pro mascots, college mascots, and high school mascots do not offend me. The term mascot does not make reference to "pets" but, rather to a person, place, or thing that brings one good fortune. We need to grow some skin and toughen up. We don't need to ban or revolt against mascots or other issues but rather we should get on board and use them as educational tools. The reason people are ignorant to our issues is because all we want to do is rant and rave when people offend us. A lot of the time this happens out of pure ignorance so we have to take on the responsibility of educating America about our people. All I here is that we are victims of the government. People want to cry around about the poverty and unemployment rates or health care. We need to stop blaming everyone else and look internally to find solutions to our own problems. Bottom line we have to stop looking for hand outs and go back to old days of being hunters and gatherers.

I guess it's no worse than caling their school mascot the Japs and calling the campus the Relocation Compound, or calling them the Africans and calling the campus the Slave Quarters. I wonder how long it would take to hit the front page of every newspaper in America, with headlines containing words like "outrage," "debacle," "racist," or "idiots."
"Mascot" is Latin, French, and Spanish for "pet." Humans are not pets. Any questions?

Clyde Hodge
Delhi, CA
Secretary, California Indian Education Association
Citizen, Muscogee (Creek) Nation

It is without reservation why I say that the school has just trivialized afflictions found on almost all of our reservations: astronomical unemployment, proverty, infant mortality, and diabetes' rates.

Wow, I bet the school is so proud of themselves! And I suppose their School Song is Paul Revere and the Raiders', "Indian Rerservation" or is it XIT's, "Reservation of Education!?"

The school district, students, parents, teachers and administrators need to learn the meaning of Reservation. The need to be informed of the history and why reservations were instituted. Overcome this ignorance. I assume there are no native students in the district. If they knew they true meaning of being on "the rez," they would change or remove the slogan.

maybe some much needed support will be engendered as these students learn why they call their school a reservation, and why that is so silly a term for THEM to use. granted many students in TN are descendants of Cherokee (fully one quarter of one of my classes a few years ago, and some in every class), and this may propel them to research their ancestry, Native American history, and terminology. I dislike the name, and abhor the use of "reservation" but like many in forum, hope the poor choices turn into positive learning experiences.

Hey, cool.
I grew up on the rez. There are some aspects of living on the rez that I am proud of. One is the way it taught me to have dignity and culture awareness of my Nation. There are some who find that very degree degrading and are offended of the way the rez life is. I find nothing more profound than to say, "yeah. I grew up in the land of sub-standard of living.

anonymous

Stop and think of something.Here in TN Andrew Jackson pushed the law through that forbid recognition and thus we also had the removal.Well,maybe just maybe this school is making ole Andy J turn over in his grave as he said there would never be any tribes,nations,etc here in TN.Well,calling the school a reservation and calling the team Indians is sure a slap in his face.He might be long dead but we sure can appreciate the fact that it could be in defiance of his memory. Sure the history of the reservations is a black page in American history and today many white folks do not know what living on a reservation really is like. I grew up in the NE when my father's family left the rez so their daughters would not be raped or in other ways brutalized.I grew up in the White world but I have to tell you I am proud to be American Indian and never felt I belonged out here. I learned some tradition in secret from grandparents who feared being sent back.Bottom line we also have a school 6 miles from us whose team is called The Indians and that school's Vice Principal is a true Spiritual Leader who is a traditionalist.Its all in the way you look at it and anything that could disturb the eternal rest of Andrew Jackson....
We used to have more bands here in TN but the fight for recognition just wore many away.We also have a new BIA office here which works with those of recognized tribes who now live here in TN.A tone time there was individual recognition but after I believe 188 people ,mostly friends of that Governor, received recognition they closed it.Just politics here in TN. Maybe we have a lot of symbolism here because we are TN but I don't feel these schools mean it as an offense.rather they are honoring us.Then maybe I am just a Pollyanna

first of all does it have a fence and can the students be arrested if they leave the area without permision from the superintendent and tried by a federal court for escape if they are caught? real rez law is not that far behind us, and there are still people who would like to see the natives in pens like animals so what good is it going to do the children?
as an educator i try to get my students to understand there is a big world out there and the only thing that can stop them is them selves, they need to have dreams and the drive to fulfill those dreams.
i know every one likes to holler racism at every oppertunity but there are some things that need to just be tossed out and this is one of them, racism is a learned behavior , the children learn it from their parents we must change so our children will have a better life.
IS THIS THE TRUE CHOICE OF THE CHILDREN ? IF SO WHY?

What this high school has now is an opportunity to change. To move forward to learn about Native American tribes and culture. To learn and understand what reservation life is truly liked and that is definitely not something to be laughed about. We are not mascots, we are people are proud of who we are. They can learn and honor us and our culture. They can get rid of the mascot and get rid of the "welcome to the reservation," words on that building. Yes, this is racist and ignorant but now its time to learn, honor and respect Native peoples after so long!

As an Ojibway woman I do not approve of stereotypes, racism, sexism and prejudice directed at Native populations on Turtle Island (USA/Canada). We need to move forward now!

WELL IN THIS DAY AND AGE, HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE REQUIRED TO VOLUNTEER IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. HOW ABOUT WE START REQUIRING THESE KIDS TO VOLUNTEER ON OUR RESERVATIONS FOR A SUMMER. I BET THEY LEARN SOMETHING, LIKE BAD MEDICAL, DENTAL, FOODS THAT AREN'T AS FRESH AS THEY WOULD BE USED TO, COMMODITIES THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN DUMPING ON TRIBES FOR YEARS (OLD AND WITH BUGS). HOW ABOUT THE PAY SCALE, IF THEY CAN EVEN FIND A JOB TO HELP SUPPORT THEMSELVES. I THINK THEY NEED TO GO INTO NATIVE HOMES AND LIVE AS THEY DO. NOT THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM DOING IT CAUSE I DO IT ALL THE TIME, BUT THESE KIDS ARE SPOILED AND DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO TOUGH IT OUT. SOME PLACES STILL DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY, PLUMBING, RUNNING WATER BUT THEY CAN AND DO SURVIVE ANYTHING WITHOUT THOUGHT. IT IS JUST A WAY OF LIFE. LET THEM HUNT FOR MEAT AND SKIN, CLEAN, CUT UP AND FREEZE THE MEAT FOR WINTER. OR GO CUT LOTS OF WOOD FOR WOOD STOVES FOR THE WINTER. THEY STILL HAVE TO BUILD A WOOD FIRE IN THE AM TO GET THE HOUSE WARM. THEN THERE IS FARM AND RANCH JOBS. LET THEM PLOW THE DIRT WITH EQUIPMENT FROM 50 YEARS AGO OR RIDE HORSES ALL DAY TO MOVE CATTLE FROM ONE FIELD TO ANOTHER FOR GRAZING AND WATER. LET THEM LIVE IN THESE HUMID HOT DUSTY AREAS OR NORTHERN MONTANA AT 60 BELOW ZERO AND WORRY ABOUT GRIZZLIES. THESE SPOILE BRATS WOULD HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR NATIVES IF THEY SAW HOW THEY ARE TREATED

Would a high school in the US ever say "Welcome to the Internment Camp!" or "Welcome to the Plantation!" ?

My great-grandparents fought during the Indian Wars here in the US. My family members gave their lives fighting for the land that is referred to as "reservations". These wars tore our communities and familes apart and we continue to live this legacy of survival from genocide on our reservations today, in 2008. For a school administration to cavalierly call their campus a "reservation" because if fits into a school mascot theme shows an incredible lack of historical memory. That this has been approved by an institution of higher learning is almost comical. If a nation can not remember who they are, that nation will not survive.

in this day and age, in 2008, we STILL are fighting stereotypes, we are still fighting prejudice. The energy and effort that goes in to that could be used to better the society we live in.

Just yesterday, there was a news report locally, in Albuquerque, NM, about someone going around in a neighborhood and painting swastikas on Obama campaign signs.

And the day before, a news article about the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) going around after papers were delivered and putting a flyer lauding the KKK around people's newspapers!

So the Pilgrims came here for religious freedom. Did they allow us the same privilege? No, they did not.

What is wrong with these United States?

A true misunderstanding of the history between American Indians and the US Government.

They can't call it a reservation...not only is it not a reservation in the legal sense but the next thing you know, they'll be wanting a treaty, commodity distribution, water rights, hunting and fishing rights. Those things are reserved for us, the First Americans, the 500+ tribes that were here first and suffered under a New World mentality of cruelty and a savageness that they brought - and they thought "we" were savages. This "reservation" makes a mockery of all that we have gone through, all that we have accomplished since then, and once again, we have to challenge a mentality that does not know what this means to all American Indian people.

Yes there are still Native American Reservations in the U.S. Come on people!
I am Navajo also, and I strongly believe that any Native American aspect should not be portrayed as part of a mascot. It's plainly and simply offensive to our culture and our history. For a school in a town that does not recognize any Native American tribes it's wrong to have that message on their building. On a building!? To us the word "reservation" is not just a word... it's our home and the place where our culture thrives.

A "reservation" brings no pride to a school -the way I see it. And when I think about it, it doesn't make it seem in the least bit "cool" either -if that's what they're trying to get at. I don't think they know what a reservation is -I'm Navajo and I'm from the largest Native reservation, the Navajo Nation. And reservations are like the ugliest most barren regions of the U.S that the U.S put us in to seclude us, and kill us off so they don't have to do it themselves.
AND WE'RE NATIVE AMERICANS NOT INDIANS!!!!! WE'RE NOT FROM INDIA!!!!!! Columbus made that MISTAKE when he thought he arrived in India. But he didn't, he arrived in the Americas and WE'RE "NATIVE AMERICANS." We're not even "American Indian" either because our ancestors didn't come from India -not even close.
I'm Native American.
(A little lesson for the folks in Tennessee)

This is a complete embarassment to any educational institution. I wonder how the teachers and administrators can walk past this garbage everyday and still try to teach their students about tolerance and ignorance. This is why there is still massive amounts of ignorance out there, and it's because of people that think they are honoring people they don't even know about. Completely disgusting.

Wow, when you read the mission statement, "to provide a learning environment where students will know the information and skills necessary for them to be able to serve as contributing citizens who are tolerant of others and capable of developing a responsible future," and you see something like this you feel greatly disheartened.
I am from a reservation, born and raised. It is my home, and seeing this on a public school makes me wonder what these people are thinking by putting something so intolerant on their wall. "Welcome to the Reservation?" What is that supposed to mean anyway?
There is absolutely no excuse for this ignorance. It is intolerant, racist, and it goes against everything the schools mission supposedly stands for. This sends out a message that it is acceptable to stereotype people. This learning environment is saturated with racism and ignorance and the lessons that come from there are more than chilling.
In no way is this "honor." American Indians are people, not mascots. If this is some sorry attempt at humor, they failed miserably.
Look at it through our eyes. Say American Indians bought major sports teams and changed the mascots to "honor" certain people? Imagine what kind of reaction if major sports teams with Indian mascots changed their names and images. How well would it sit if the Kansas City Chiefs changed their names to the "Kansas City Catholics" and their new image was of a priest with a little boy on a leash? What would the reaction be if the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the "Cleveland Klan" and their image was of a klansman hitting a ball with a flaming cross?
Does this offend you? Do you find this not the least bit honoring? Does reading this fill you with anger?
GOOD!!!!
You should be outraged! You should be furious! But not the choice of words, you should be outraged that a public school would tolerate such ignorance and racism!
If anyone from that school ever visited a reservation, they would think differently. This is in no way an honor for any Indian person. It is an insult.
In the name of all that is right, get rid of that! The school should be condemned for their ignorance, and teaching it to children!
Shameful

In all fairness, this area in Tenn. simply doesn't understand what being native is about. I grew up without any understanding of what it was like to be native, and until this previous summer when I was immersed by the culture, I still didn't understand. The name Indianapolis Indians never bothered me until after I learned first hand from natives how that can be offensive. Now I see the team called a tribe in the Indianapolis Star and it drives me crazy.
Its easy to point fingers and say they are ignorant, but if they haven't had the opportunity to be educated, who can you blame? The administration? The state of Tennessee? None of those people understand and its hard to expect them to unless they are taught what its like to be a minority. We're talking about generations of people who don't understand. Its like expecting U.S. students to understand a culture they have never been taught. Its difficult, but once properly educated, it can be done.
And its not just Tennessee, its pracically the entire Midwest and east coast and I'm sure there are problems with this out west.

Just ignorance.

This should be an opportunity for the students and citizens of Jackson to learn something. Instead of pointing fingers, blame and breeding more ignorance, I would hope that local tribe leaders might offer to teach those high schoolers what it means to be Native American and why such things could be offensive. And hopefully the removal of that name would come as a result of that.

I feel bad for any Native student who attends that school. I hope they're not forced to hide who they truly are just to feel safe.
I imagine their homecoming dance is called a powwow and prom is called gathering of nations.

Just another example of racism gone unchecked! If they knew that reservations were created as places for indigenous people to die and how poverty stricken reservations are today...then they might think twice about using the term to promote school spirit. However, I don't have much faith in that outcome due to "their" inability to be compassionate and see indigenous people as human beings.

Earl Johnson (Navajo member from New Mexico)