Should all schools end Native American-related nicknames?
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
A relatively small group of people reportedly is asking the Ohio Department of Education to implement a statewide ban on Native American-related nicknames and mascots for high school sports teams.
An interesting story in the Dayton Daily News by Jeremy P. Kelley delves into the matter this week at https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/should-ohio-schools-ban-indian-nicknames-group-asks-state-for-help/OmbjKZqaNskJcDNM7GZLdO/.
According to the DDN report, “Ohio ranks No. 1 nationally in use of Indian team nicknames and logos, with Ohio public schools using the ‘Redskins’ nickname more than any other state. More than 20 years ago, Miami University changed its athletic nickname from Redskins to RedHawks, but Ohio High School Athletic Association spokesman Tim Stried said he’s not aware of any Ohio K-12 schools that have changed their nickname away from an Indian-related version.
“Schools have complete control of their own mascots, logos, slogans, mottos and school colors,” Stried said. “The OHSAA is not involved in those local school decisions.”
Nor should the OHSAA be involved.
These are decisions best left to locally-elected school board members and the communities they represent.
Should Hillsboro City Schools end its longtime identity as the “Indians?”
Should the district go back to being called the “Cowboys” (HCP sports editor Stephen Forsha would probably like that since he’s a big Cowboys fan) and risk yet another potential identity crisis from Western cattle ranchers?
Should the school’s sports teams be called the “red and white” and risk yet another potential identity crisis from those who are neither red nor white?
This week, Hillsboro City Schools Superintendent Tim Davis confirmed that “We have not had any conversations about changing our school mascot in the last year and half while I have been superintendent.”
That’s good, in my opinion. To be sure, there are more important matters.
Thanks to quick research by HCP managing editor Caitlin Forsha, in addition to the Hillsboro Indians, within Ohio’s southeast district, we have: the Adena Warriors, Eastern Brown Warriors, Logan Chieftains/Lady Chiefs, Logan Elm Braves, (McDermott) Northwest Mohawks, Peebles Indians, Rock Hill Redmen, Valley Indians, Warren Warriors and Western (Latham) Indians. Not to mention the Goshen Warriors and London Red Raiders.
And what about those Devils and Dragons in Adams County and the G-Men in Georgetown? Who wants their son to play baseball or basketball for a team named the Devils? (Oops. Sorry, Colin E.M. Ryan.)
Since the Dayton Daily News made its reference that more than 20 years ago, Miami University changed its athletic nickname from Redskins to RedHawks, I’ll add this: I remember listening to Cincinnati Reds broadcaster and former Major League pitcher from Butler County, one Hamilton Joe Nuxhall, who said on the Reds radio network: “Miami will always be the Redskins to me.”
When watching NCAA basketball, I still call the Marquette basketball team the Warriors and the St. John’s basketball team the Redmen, so I am equally guilty in today’s politically (in)correct society.
Tecumseh Schools Superintendent Paula Crew told the Dayton Daily News that her district is “proudly named after the Native American Shawnee warrior and chief, Tecumseh.” She said she doesn’t believe the district has discussed the name with any Native American nation.
The DDN report also added this gem from Newton Local Schools Superintendent Pat McBride, who said the school’s “Indians” nickname is a symbol of school pride and should not be seen as offensive by Native Americans.
“In this country, the PC culture is continuing to fuel conflict where none should exist and in places where common sense prevails,” McBride told the newspaper. “As a person of Irish heritage and with a name of Patrick McBride, I could take offense of Notre Dame’s mascot, the ‘Fighting Irish.’ I don’t, because I have better things to do with my time.”
Leave it to an Irish Mick (can this Irishman call another Irishman a “Mick?”) to make sense of all this nonsense. Surely, all school boards, administrators and faculty have far more important issues than whether the Warriors should be called the non-Warriors.
Things have gotten so absolutely ridiculous in our oversensitivity these days that earlier this year in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (of all places), Dolly Parton changed the name of her popular dinner show from “Dixie Stampede” to "Dolly Parton's Stampede.”
As Professor Bill Horne and Charlie Brown used to say, good grief.
Hello, Dolly! What about the word “stampede?”
By definition, a stampede is a sudden panicked rush of a number of horses, cattle or other animals or a sudden rapid movement or reaction of a mass of people in response to a particular circumstance.
Are you calling visitors to your Great Smoky Mountains park “stampeders?”
That’s just doubly insensitive. But I digress.
Maybe the Ohio Department of Education, along with the governor and the General Assembly, will put this to rest once and for all by mandating that all Ohio high school nicknames are immediately changed to the Peaceful Boring Vapids, or PBVs, for short.
* * *
• On a more serious note, I learned this week that there is a remote chance that the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Ohio Ethics Commission may – just may – serve some useful purpose for some local residents and taxpayers, after all.
One can hope. We’ll see if either office has the intestinal fortitude to do what’s right. As always, we’ll keep our readers posted if anything develops.
That said, let’s keep in mind that the Nov. 6 general election will most likely be a higher priority than any potential local investigation.
Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press, Highland County’s only locally owned and operated newspaper.
An interesting story in the Dayton Daily News by Jeremy P. Kelley delves into the matter this week at https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/should-ohio-schools-ban-indian-nicknames-group-asks-state-for-help/OmbjKZqaNskJcDNM7GZLdO/.
According to the DDN report, “Ohio ranks No. 1 nationally in use of Indian team nicknames and logos, with Ohio public schools using the ‘Redskins’ nickname more than any other state. More than 20 years ago, Miami University changed its athletic nickname from Redskins to RedHawks, but Ohio High School Athletic Association spokesman Tim Stried said he’s not aware of any Ohio K-12 schools that have changed their nickname away from an Indian-related version.
“Schools have complete control of their own mascots, logos, slogans, mottos and school colors,” Stried said. “The OHSAA is not involved in those local school decisions.”
Nor should the OHSAA be involved.
These are decisions best left to locally-elected school board members and the communities they represent.
Should Hillsboro City Schools end its longtime identity as the “Indians?”
Should the district go back to being called the “Cowboys” (HCP sports editor Stephen Forsha would probably like that since he’s a big Cowboys fan) and risk yet another potential identity crisis from Western cattle ranchers?
Should the school’s sports teams be called the “red and white” and risk yet another potential identity crisis from those who are neither red nor white?
This week, Hillsboro City Schools Superintendent Tim Davis confirmed that “We have not had any conversations about changing our school mascot in the last year and half while I have been superintendent.”
That’s good, in my opinion. To be sure, there are more important matters.
Thanks to quick research by HCP managing editor Caitlin Forsha, in addition to the Hillsboro Indians, within Ohio’s southeast district, we have: the Adena Warriors, Eastern Brown Warriors, Logan Chieftains/Lady Chiefs, Logan Elm Braves, (McDermott) Northwest Mohawks, Peebles Indians, Rock Hill Redmen, Valley Indians, Warren Warriors and Western (Latham) Indians. Not to mention the Goshen Warriors and London Red Raiders.
And what about those Devils and Dragons in Adams County and the G-Men in Georgetown? Who wants their son to play baseball or basketball for a team named the Devils? (Oops. Sorry, Colin E.M. Ryan.)
Since the Dayton Daily News made its reference that more than 20 years ago, Miami University changed its athletic nickname from Redskins to RedHawks, I’ll add this: I remember listening to Cincinnati Reds broadcaster and former Major League pitcher from Butler County, one Hamilton Joe Nuxhall, who said on the Reds radio network: “Miami will always be the Redskins to me.”
When watching NCAA basketball, I still call the Marquette basketball team the Warriors and the St. John’s basketball team the Redmen, so I am equally guilty in today’s politically (in)correct society.
Tecumseh Schools Superintendent Paula Crew told the Dayton Daily News that her district is “proudly named after the Native American Shawnee warrior and chief, Tecumseh.” She said she doesn’t believe the district has discussed the name with any Native American nation.
The DDN report also added this gem from Newton Local Schools Superintendent Pat McBride, who said the school’s “Indians” nickname is a symbol of school pride and should not be seen as offensive by Native Americans.
“In this country, the PC culture is continuing to fuel conflict where none should exist and in places where common sense prevails,” McBride told the newspaper. “As a person of Irish heritage and with a name of Patrick McBride, I could take offense of Notre Dame’s mascot, the ‘Fighting Irish.’ I don’t, because I have better things to do with my time.”
Leave it to an Irish Mick (can this Irishman call another Irishman a “Mick?”) to make sense of all this nonsense. Surely, all school boards, administrators and faculty have far more important issues than whether the Warriors should be called the non-Warriors.
Things have gotten so absolutely ridiculous in our oversensitivity these days that earlier this year in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (of all places), Dolly Parton changed the name of her popular dinner show from “Dixie Stampede” to "Dolly Parton's Stampede.”
As Professor Bill Horne and Charlie Brown used to say, good grief.
Hello, Dolly! What about the word “stampede?”
By definition, a stampede is a sudden panicked rush of a number of horses, cattle or other animals or a sudden rapid movement or reaction of a mass of people in response to a particular circumstance.
Are you calling visitors to your Great Smoky Mountains park “stampeders?”
That’s just doubly insensitive. But I digress.
Maybe the Ohio Department of Education, along with the governor and the General Assembly, will put this to rest once and for all by mandating that all Ohio high school nicknames are immediately changed to the Peaceful Boring Vapids, or PBVs, for short.
* * *
• On a more serious note, I learned this week that there is a remote chance that the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Ohio Ethics Commission may – just may – serve some useful purpose for some local residents and taxpayers, after all.
One can hope. We’ll see if either office has the intestinal fortitude to do what’s right. As always, we’ll keep our readers posted if anything develops.
That said, let’s keep in mind that the Nov. 6 general election will most likely be a higher priority than any potential local investigation.
Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press, Highland County’s only locally owned and operated newspaper.