As an incoming ninth grader last year, I was very nervous. I had always disliked the mascot of Edgewood. When applying to join last year, I was worried that the school would be filled with people who do not care about social justice and mocked Native Americans. After being a proud Edgewood student, I realized that is not the case. But, this mascot casts a negative light onto Edgewood as a whole. With the social climate continuously changing, it is no doubt this mascot will be questioned until it is changed. We need to change the mascot now, because it makes Edgewood look to be negligent about social issues.
I fully support the changing of the Edgewood mascot.
It shows our knowledge of past wrongs and our dedication to unlearning our ignorance. We must move forward and represent the world that is raising it's standards of tolerance.
The term "Indian" is based in ignorance, and does not accurately reflect the level of education we expect and strive for at Edgewood.
In acknowledging our shortcomings and racial insensitivities, we can be a real world example of changing when attitues that may have been commomplace in the past are no longer appropriate.
I think it is unnecessary to change the mascot. The word Indian is not derogatory. It has been the mascot for many years. Why change it now? Does Edgewood have that much extra money to put into new uniforms and promoting a new mascot?
I think that the new mascot should be an eagle. My mom thinks that it can connect to the feather logos even that we have now.
The Edgewood mascot is an insensitive portrayal of a group of people and their culture, and it should be amended to something much less offensive. Even just the thought of having a group of people, especially a race of people, as a mascot is very strange, and it can become very problematic, as it has in this case. Every year during spirit week, I am embarrassed to see my classmates wearing offensive costumes that devalue the culture of the Native American people, and devalue the image of students and staff of Edgewood. Not only is the imagery and use of this mascot offensive, but it insults the people of Edgewood, who are viewed as the kind of people who would support this devaluing of a rich culture and the people who cherish that culture.
The mascot in which we currently are discussing is very problematic for many reasons. One is that during spirit week we see people with headdresses and misappropriating somebody else's culture. The school as a whole should realize that we do not have any right to wear these pieces of culture. The way we use this mascot can come off as insulting to the people who identify with this culture. It simply isn't our place to as a school to encourage this misappropriation, it can get students in trouble in the future and can be very harmful. The process of changing a mascot can be very long and complicated but in the end, it would truly be beneficial to the school.
Change is never easy and many people want to hang on to the past and how things have been for a long time but times change and people start to see things differently. If there are people that are offended by our mascot then we should make a change. The United States has treated the American Indians very poorly in history with broken treaties and lies and stolen land. We owe it to them to make a change. I believe that they do not want to be represented that way, as someone's mascot. We have had problems in the past with our mascot and Edgewood does not need the negative publicity that would result in our not being considerate of people's feelings. It is probably already taken but maybe we could be the Edgewood Eagles, soaring to the top.
I am against removing the Indian as the Edgewood mascot. When I came to work at Edgewood the classes had a tradition of competing for a "Spirit" stick during spirit week at homecoming. Each day during Spirit Week was designated for students and staff to dress up as something fun and creative Favorite super hero, class color day, some one famous, pajama day, you get the idea. The best day was Indian Pride Day. This day was about school pride and Indian Pride. My first year, being new to Florida, I looked up the native Indians to Merritt Island, the Ais. I read about their history and how they fished and dealt with mosquitoes. I made a costume from a sheet, hand tied the side as if it were deer skin, got shell necklaces and a feather for my long hair. I was proud to represent the past and present, the heritage of my new home. The kids at school and other staff also dressed as Native Americans with pride in our red and black. We are the Edgewood Indians, proud of of who we are and what we do, just like those Ais. Our mascot is not one, nor will it ever be one of hate, shame, degradation or harm. Never has Edgewood Jr/Sr High School mocked or ridiculed Native Americans with its long standing mascot of the Indian. There was a beautiful mural of an Indian's face painted on the school's entrance wall, a symbol of pride and power. The injustice was painting over it! By removing the Indian you forget the heritage and the pride, you forget the history of this harsh land and those who tamed it long before us. We teach here how to face the future but how can we do that if we do not remember the past? We hold the value of pride but want to remove a great symbol of that pride. Who asked for this mascot to be removed? What are they afraid of? We can honor our history and the Native Americans who made it. Do not erase it. Do not erase us, the Edgewood Indians. Thank you.
We should not change the mascot
From my unique position here at Edgewood, I wanted to address one of the principle concerns about the mascot change: cost. First of all, none of the costs will necessarily be extraordinary, nor will they impact current programs. Gym floors and gym walls are repainted by the district on a regular schedule, so if we are unable to raise funds to do it on an accelerated schedule, we'll just wait until the regularly scheduled maintenance of the gym floor and walls. As for individual teams and their uniforms, we will NOT be asking any team to accelerate its jersey purchasing schedule. Most teams cycle through jerseys every two-three years anyway, so we'll just be saying that for their next uniform purchase, they should abide by the new mascot. There's no plan to change school colors, so all current uniforms and t-shirts will still be fine. Finally, an outside vendor has already offered to replace the mascot on our front marquee, so that cost isn’t a concern. Money shouldn't be the excuse we make to not get this done; moreover, some of the figures posited in the comments are ludicrously inflated to the point that they have no basis in reality and are clearly not figures from within the school system.
Now, let me mention three dates significant to the larger argument.
In 1968, the NCAI, the largest advocacy group of and for Native Americans, called for an end to all Native American-themed mascots, calling them “caricatures” that “perpetuate negative stereotypes”. That was fifty years ago. That's fifty years of ignoring what indigenous and native people have asked for.
In 2005, the NCAA, the governing body of collegiate athletics, forbade the use of Native American mascots in their sponsored events unless the team had the explicit sanction of the Native people for whom they were named. "Indians", a anachronistic misnomer with no direct connection to any native group, would not be allowed.
This topic has generated a lot of noise, with certain segments of the population loudly protesting this move despite the desires of the actual people who it impacts and a growing trend across the nation for great inclusivity and acceptance. As a leadership group, the SAC is in a position where they may have to make a decision that seems to not be the “popular” one, but is, in fact, the correct one. So I’ll leave you one more date:
In 1963, a survey of white Americans found that 78% of white people said they would move out of their neighborhood if a black family was allowed to move in. Instead of bowing to this pressure, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ending, among other things, housing discrimination. It was not a popular move, but it was the right move.
Changing our mascot may not seem popular, but it is the right thing to do.
Hello, I am a current student at Edgewood Jr/Sr Highschool. I have been here for 3 years, so I believe I have pretty good insight concerning the faculty and administration who work here. And it is because of that experience that I know our administration always has its students' best interests at heart when making decisions. There was no guarantee that our mascot didn't offend or insult someone, so removing our current mascot was the only logical thing to do. Also, I personally believe that giving students the opportunity to chose the new mascot is really a great idea.
We should keep the school's mascot because we got the right to use it when the school was first made back in the 60's. This key detail makes our school mascot not racist. Not only this but, the funding to change all images of the Indian, wether it be on walls or gym floors would be a huge loss of money that could go to more important matters.
The Edgewood Indians mascot should be changed to something else. It's incredibly offensive. Imagine if our mascot was, "The Edgewood Blacks" or "The Edgewood Hispanics". See how that is obviously offensive? It paints a group of people as a caricature. We also do not have permission from a tribe as far as I know, unlike FSU, who has permission from the Seminole Tribe. Also, many Native Americans don't like being called "Indians", as it is a harsh reminder of when Christopher Columbus came and killed thousands of their ancestors. I would suggest we go with the Edgewood Eagles, so we can keep the feathers and the logo and the big E logo can stand for both Edgewood and Eagles.
Change the Mascot. Why would we keep a mascot that has been tied with racism and a dark shadow over US History? We don't attempt to preserve any Native American culture instead we show a mockery of it, the well-known example being the staff and headdress worn at pep rallies. The staff and headdress are regarded as religious items that tribes have explicitly asked not to be used by outsiders. Why would we want to propagate the stereotype? Changing the mascot won't change anything except for causing the absence of obnoxious and racist props. You cant change the past but you can try to learn from it. This whole thing is annoying, just change it and be done.
I think it’s unfair to change the mascot. I believe simply assuming that our mascot targets the Indian native, then your racist yourself. It’s been proven with the Washington Redskins football team in 2016 and the majority of Indian American natives claimed that they supported the mascot. It isn’t a racial issue, it’s a cultural history, I believe this issue isn’t moral; Its actually a political stunt. Our history yea has problems. Just like every other country. You have to understand that these statues and mascots resemble HISTORY of this beloved country and not racism. Be respectful of the Indian name and I hope you guys make the right decision.
I support this mascot change wholeheartedly. As a student in the class of 2023 and a member of minority communities, the amount of white people who have the audacity to think that upholding tradition and the status quo despite all of the warning signs that they are being racist is hilarious in the "I can't believe it's 2020 and you think it's okay to uphold this" kind of way. We don't use other minority groups as mascots, why must we be okay with using Native Americans as a mascot in a derogatory way? Why must we continue to allow casual racist actions because of our mascot being a Native American? The status quo should not be upheld if it's harming people who are already being hurt by the government and racists.
It would be nice to say we don't have to change our mascot, but s someone in sports at Edgewood, it's embarrassing to have all of our sports shirt have the letter "E" on them instead of a mascot. And the sports teams won't put a mascot on our shirts until it changes to something that's not an Indian. The 'Indians' is outdated and as you may know, Native Americans are not from India; therefore not Indian. Even if we did use the correct term, the representation of Native Americans is poor, coloring them with bright red skin like they are cartoon characters. But they're not, they are real people, who have feelings too. If we do change the mascot, it will not be 'erasing' the memory of Native people, because it has not been helping them in anyway in the first place. When people think 'Edgewood Indians' they do not think about the hundreds of years of oppression that Native Americans still have to deal with today. It would be erasing the memory of Native people if we were properly educating others and/or donating to reservations in Florida as a way of supporting them while using their culture as a mascot (which seems disrespectful considering we don't know what their culture actually consists of). No one cared about Native Americans when they were being sent to 're-education camps' or when their women were being illegally sterilized, so why does everyone want something to do with them now? Also, a way we could keep all those letter "E" logos is to change the new mascot to start with the letter "E". A few I thought were good are the Elks, Eagles, Evergreens or Elms.
I fully support the change of the Edgewood mascot. The name is based off of ignorance and is characterizing an entire culture. No one would use other cultures as a mascot such as "Edgewood Hispanics" or "Edgewood African-Americans" because those have obvious issued. So why should "Indians" be any different? FSU has gotten permission from the Seminole Tribe to use their tribe as a mascot; as far as I know, Edgewood hasn't gotten permission from every tribe to use "Indians" as a broad term. Native-Americans is the term that should be used out of respect and no culture or race should be used as a character for a mascot.
some people may think the name is extremely racist. Others, think it is acceptable. First of all the Indians were the first people in America and basically almost founded a work life for us to grow up in. Second of all, think about how much money you will spend redoing everything that has a logo on it. The basketball court, the walls, and the jerseys. I feel like whatever the choice is people will disagree. But I don't think you wanna spend thousands of dollars that we probably don't have on redoing the school. Also how it will affect our learning environment. Loud noises all around the campus changing everything. People who go here have a culture that we believe in. I hope my statement comes through to the people and changes the mind of people. People are being very influenced by the movement at the moment. This would never have come up if these situations of this year would have happened.
The mascot name should not be changed. The term "Indians" is not referring to any specific tribe or group of people, and is not objectively a racist term or word. It also does not mean any harm to any indigenous groups. Calling ourselves the Indians is a form of our school identity. The Washington Redskins are an example of a team that had to change their mascot and name. The term "redskin" was inherently offensive because it was used to disassociate the Native Americans from the Europeans. European settlers would say that they were superior to the Native Americans since they had "red" skin and the Europeans had "white" skin. Indians, however, does not carry a negative connotation. It could be said that Indians could be a form of honoring the indigenous people that used to inhabit this land
Why are you even trying to change the mascot? It's too much work to deal with anyways, so just leave it the same.
When the school originally opened there was a Native American tribe that put their blessing on the school. With the Indian mascot, we are honoring the Native tradition and culture.
I sort of see how our mascot needs to be changed but Indians isn’t really offensive. It’s not like the red skins team. I personally don’t think we should change it because it’s a mark of past time. Nowadays people can view it as bad but a long time ago it was okay and now it’s a part of Edgewood’s history. We aren’t saying anything mean about Indians at all so unless people with Indian heritage feels offensive I feel no need to change our mascot.
I think it's a good idea to change the school mascot. Our current mascot is disrespectful to Native Americans. During spirit week, many students appropriate the culture and wear headdresses. This should not be encouraged. Changing the mascot is the best way to go. Some people will argue that we shouldn't change it because it's always been an Indian. Just because that's how it has been doesn't make it right. The mascot needs to be changed. There are many possibilities for a name change. It doesn't have to be one that uses a race/ethnicity and encourages stereotypes.
I think we should keep the current mascot. The "Edgewood Indians" honors the Ais Indians who lived in this area.
The fact that changing the mascot is even a question is absurd. The mascot should be changed. The title "Indians" is supposed to represent Native Americans. First Indians can be seen as an offensive term. Imagine if our mascot was a different ethnicity for example "The Edgewood Asians" this would most definitely be seen as racist. There is no difference. The main argument that we should keep the mascot is that we are celebrating the Native American cultural history. When do people at Edgewood celebrate any Native American cultural history! Parents and students are just coming up with a sorry excuse. I am fully in favor of changing the mascot.
If you are truly worried about being offensive to Native Americans, ask the nearest Native American tribe if we can name our school after them (with their approval, of course.)
Being in Edgewood for many years has made me realize that our mascot was never really a mascot, but rather a group of people, culture and heritage that I have come to honor. When speaking to my friends who have also been on this journey, they have voiced the same ideas as me. Ideas that I have to say now because I do not want this topic to be glossed over. I respectively disagree to those who say that we should not be worrying about this now, that we should be pushing this controversial issue over another year and another year just like in the past, but we have to face it head on even though it may be uncomfortable. To those who want to remove the Edgewood mascot, why? I do not mean to be frustrated, but rather straightforward. Many say its racist, but they only believe so. That too, many parents believe that the students will become racist by having a mascot as an Indian, but you underestimate our maturity. Just because one may be racist does not mean that we all are. I understand that a study by APA (American Psychological Association) states that "[the mascot] harm[s] native young people’s self-esteem and social identity ", so why are we not asking the Native Americans directly in our community? Why are we simply allowing those who may not understand the rich history of Native Indians in Brevard County to make this decision, just because we "think" its right? If we were to remove our Edgewood mascot, it would diminish the importance of Native Indians in our county and community and they would be forgotten into something called the past. In my years in Edgewood, we have never been racist to American Indians. We have Tribe, but in that we value family and great respect for others, not as a stereotype. I have never met a student who was racist to this cultural group; we removed all caricatures and our symbol is an "E" and a feather. We never were derogatory in nature calling them stereotypes and harmful names. Do you assume that we do? You want to remove the Edgewood mascot because we can't control other people? In understand, but by removing it wouldn't we just be giving in to other people? If we can't control people, we can keep the Edgewood mascot to promote cultural heritage and diversity in our thoughts. On another note, let's look at intentions. We should not be changing the mascot due to the fact its controversial or just because of politics; that would be the easy way out. I know that those who oppose the current mascot we have now just have the school's best interest, but that should be all. I disapprove those who have strong biases and suggest this debate to be a way to support their own political agenda. We must have honest conversations about what OUR mascot means and what the Edgewood Indians represent to US, and dig into what it might mean for people’s perceptions of OUR indigenous peoples in Brevard county. I know that I am graduating soon, and people may feel that I have no stake in this vote, but I do care about the future kids who do come to this school. I believe that my impact on Edgewood will not and should not be erased even when I graduate. We should not remove our Edgewood mascot but instead reframe our perspective on the importance of Native Americans to our community and not just as a controversial topic to avoid. We should instead remove the idea of "war-paints" and "headdresses". I know that my voice may not be taken seriously as others have more experience than me in life, but in whatever decisions our SAC committee chooses, I hope that they will choose for our students best interests. Thank you.
As a former student of a school that for over 90 years had a mascot of the "indians", I can not tell you the disappointment when the school changed the mascot to the "Eagles". without any input from previous or current students. Our Mascot was a proud Indian warrior that would work hard to protect what was his and although at the time we as students did not realize it we were striving to be like our mascot. Although change is inevitable, I will tell you this when we have reunions for our school Rabun Gap Naccochee School and the time comes to sing the school song. We are always proud to sing the original version and others sing the new and improved version. Two different mascots in one song. My point is that you can change the mascot, but you can not change the great memories that the students will have; when they identified as Indians.
Dear committee members: Before going the trouble and expense of changing the name of the mascot, those entrusted to make this decision should ask themselves, "what are the consequences of this decision?" If the name "Indians" is considered derogatory, by whom, and what stake do they have in proposing a change? As an individual of non-native American/Indian background, I have always thought of the name as one celebrating the rich history of the native people of North America, and their positive qualities of bravery, tradition, and respect for the land. The negative connotation suggested is not immediately apparent to me. Are those pushing for the name change actual native Americans who are genuinely offended by the name, or have they designated themselves as the arbiters of what is right and wrong, even though they have no true stake in the supposed offense that the name imparts? If we allow the few who are insisting on a name change (and who likely have no personal stake in the personal offense they are alleging that the name creates), what are we teaching the students? Is the lesson to be learned that the majority's wishes should be cancelled out by a loud and self-righteous minority, irrespective of the fact that no clear offense has been alleged by the very people that are supposedly being diminished by the mascot name? Surely the Edgewood student body would be better served by a fair discussion and majority vote on the issue, and not a timid acquiescence to the so-called "squeaky wheel", as the very premise of the term "Indian" being defamatory is surely up for debate. Even better, perhaps a session could be devoted to teaching the students the history and merits of the native Americans, and how they should be proud to have their mascot represent such a noble people. It saddens (but doesn't surprise) me that the administration at Edgewood is seriously considering changing the name based on the doctrine of "political correctness", to satisfy the faux and subjective outrage of the few, without regard to the long-term consequences to the many. Therefore, I am a strong "No" vote on changing the mascot name.
Edgewood Jr. / Sr. High School is built on many awesome foundations! One of these pillars is our mascot, the INDIAN! Brevard County's historic memories of Indians are part of our heritage. PLEASE do not change the mascot, it represents our school, our County and our students!
Edgewood Jr/Sr High’s Mascot, the Indian, was chosen when the school opened over 60 years ago to honor the Ais Indians and their descendants who helped build the school. The Ais was a major tribe that dominated east central coastal Florida, from Cape Canaveral to Sant Lucia inlet, which is now known as Brevard County, up through the 18th century. They lived along the present-day Indian River and became extinct as individual groups during the 18th century. The Edgewood Indian tradition honors the Ais heritage of the area in which the school was built.
Changing a mascot not only dishonors tradition but also brings on exorbitant costs to change facility signage, logos, uniforms, etc. Upon speaking with the principal of Edgewood, she explained that she plans to use fundraising to cover the cost. In my opinion, it is reprehensible to ask Edgewood families and the community to donate to the mascot change as it is something that is not necessary. The cost for changing the high school mascot by other schools ranges from a low of $70,000 to a high of over $300,000. Everything that has an Indian logo or verbiage would need updated including the gymnasium floor, facility signage, uniforms, scoreboards, etc. $70,000 could buy Edgewood the much-needed technology upgrades and facility improvement including covered walk ways to the portables, more science labs, update the track and athletic facilities, and more. Finally, a decision of this magnitude should not rest only with the school. The Board of Education, who are elected by the community, should have the final vote on whether to approve. This would help prevent further financial waste and nonsense in the future if a principal decides on his/her own or a group of individuals persuade the principal to make a mascot change for whatever political reason is popular at the time.
I am completely opposed to changing our mascot. Edgewood Indians is a name that we have had since this school was founded. This should be the last of our worries & concerns at this point.
Please consider the unnecessary expense of new uniforms for all the school sports, and changes this would entail throughout the entire school.
A mascot change for our school is not in our best interest.
I am in favor of changing the Edgewood mascot. Using the blanket term "Indian" is a misnomer rooted in ignorance, and as such is not an appropriate representation for our school. I believe it's time for us to leave the well-intentioned but heavy-handed labelling of the past and join the 21st century in acknowledging the racism inherent in our system, and doing what we can to make a change for the better. This move will not only take an important step towards healing in our country but also show our children that it's never too late to change and grow as we become more aware of the consequences our actions and attitudes can have on others.
I am writing today to provide an argument for mascot change. I agree with the many individuals who argue that this is not the time to be dealing with a mascot change. They are correct. This isn't the time. It has long-since passed! I am going to defer to what the experts have to say on the matter. The following statement is from the American Psychological Association. "In 2005, the APA called for the immediate retirement of all American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities by schools, colleges, universities, athletic teams and organizations. APA's position is based on a growing body of social science literature that shows the harmful effects of racial stereotyping and inaccurate racial portrayals, including the particularly harmful effects of American Indian sports mascots on the social identity development and self-esteem of American Indian young people." "Research has shown that the continued use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities has a negative effect on not only American Indian students but all students by: Undermining the educational experiences of members of all communities-especially those who have had little or no contact with indigenous peoples. The symbols, images and mascots teach non-Indian children that it's acceptable to participate in culturally abusive behavior and perpetuate inaccurate misconceptions about American Indian culture. AND establishing an unwelcome and often times hostile learning environment for American Indian students that affirms negative images/stereotypes that are promoted in mainstream society." "Oppression, covert and overt racism, and perceived racism can have serious negative consequences for the mental health of American Indian and Alaska native people. The discontinued use of American Indian mascots is a gesture to show that this kind of racism toward and the disrespect of, all people in our country and in the larger global context, will not be tolerated." If there is still a question as to why this matters, we should welcome in a relevant, informed ‘voice’ from outside that school’s community. Let's seek input from someone who understands the issue and who has native heritage and identity. Thank you.
I believe that the term "Indian" relates or denotes indigenous peoples in general. it is not pointed to any specific tribe. Also, Indian is a race like Indian, Asian, black, or white. I think Edgewood is a very good school and it shouldn't be involved in this type of political debate. I am pretty sure that there are no Indians insulted out there, and they (the Indians) should be the only ones to ask their opinions because the term doesn't concern any other race. Are we changing the name of the Indian river too?, deleting Columbus from the history books? this insanity has to stop. I also believe in democracy, and I believe the vote of everyone should be taken into consideration, not just a few. I always thought of the name "Indians" as a tribute, not as an offense.
I believe that the timing of announcing the mascot change was in poor taste. The school is short teachers with everyone telling everyone how hard and busy they are with all of the items related to covid yet the principal has time to focus on this. I send my students to school to be taught by a teacher yet the school has enrolled them in Florida virtual school why is this? Could other teachers not have filled in these gaps. Maybe more focus should be spent on ensuring that the students are getting what they need and visit the mascot at a different time. If this has been an issue for a long time as the principal mentioned then another small delay would not make a big difference. My fear is that the minds have already been made up from a very small group and no amount of public comment will change this and the mascot will be changed no matter what. Why does the school not team up with an indian tribe keep the mascot and teach the kids some things about Indian culture instead of sweeping it under the rug. I think that the school should keep the mascot.
I believe you should keep the Indian mascot. My husband’s grandfather was an Indigenous , we are not offended by it. The people who are offended by it need to stop! They knew Edgewood mascot was an Indian and yet still applied to go there. All of sudden they are offended by it. Go to a different school if you don’t like it.
I firmly believe we should keep the mascot of the Edgewood Indian. Our belief is that a mascot is valued, praised, and loved, not disrespected in any way. Mascots are honored at schools and should not be removed to fit certain agendas brought on by the tensions in the media. There is no true value of getting rid of the Edgewood Indian. In the end it will cost the school district unknown amounts of money to replace the mascot on buildings, signs, clothing/uniforms, etc. when that money can be spent on plenty of other worthy items/services that are needed in today's educational systems. Please keep the Edgewood Indian so we can continue to honor and cherish our school mascot for years to come!! Indian Pride is so strong at Edgewood and we are so happy to be a part of it.
I fully support keeping the Edgewood Indians mascot. It is celebrating a strong and brave cultural history. It is not condescending or misused. Additionally, if any changes are to be made, while we are still struggling with a global pandemic is not the time for change. The people who brought up this mascot scandal are trying to take advantage of the situation in which everyone has their mind on other things right now. This is not an appropriate time for any change, even if it were appropriate to change the Mascot. Please revisit only once we have Normal classes, activities, and no masks. Thank you.
There is no need to change the school mascot. The so-called committee members that voted unanimously to proceed with this change was clearly chosen to ensure that outcome. Had this been announced and the committee been fairly picked, the vote would have been quite different. We do not want "wokeness" nor progressive indoctrination here in Brevard County. Leave the mascot as it is and get on with the business of educating our children in the fundamentals.
I support the decision reached by those at Edgewood to retire the current mascot. Though I am certain it was not an easy decision to come to, I know it is the right one. On several occasions I have heard others argue that the term "Indian" is not derogatory or that it is meant to celebrate the group of people it represents, and though that may be true, that argument does not address the broader problem. As a Hispanic person myself, I imagined what I might feel like if we were the Edgewood Hispanics. Again, not derogatory and perhaps well intended but that would just not feel right. I would feel uncomfortable seeing my culture and my people being used as mascots. That is enough for me to know that moving forward with a new symbol to represent this great school is the right thing to do. I applaud the Edgewood administration for taking these steps especially since they surely were well aware of the barrage of calls, emails, and commentary it would bring. It serves as a great example to our students that doing the right thing, especially when it is not the easy thing, is always the right choice.
I wanted to express my wholehearted support for Edgewood taking the positive step to retire the "Indians" mascot. This support is not based on subjective personal feelings or opinions, but rather on objective data and well-publicized findings by national groups with academic and Tribal authority which have concluded that mascots based on Native Americans, even if well-intentioned, have detrimental effects. There are many (many) published articles and resolutions documenting these facts. To date, over 1,500 national Native organizations and advocates have called for a ban on all Native imagery, names, mascots, terms, redface, arrows, feathers, and appropriation of Native culture in schools and sports. Over 115 professional organizations representing civil rights, educational, athletic, and scientific experts have adopted resolutions or policies that state that the use of Native American names and/or symbols by non-native sports teams is a form of ethnic stereotyping that promotes misunderstanding and prejudice which contributes to other problems faced by Native Americans. Examples of appropriation at Edgewood include the use of terms such as "Powwow" and "Tribe" - which have significant cultural meanings for Native Americans but are trivialized when used for mundane school activities - as well as the temptation to use stereotyped Indian representations (redface, war paint, feathers in hair, etc.) during sports competition and other displays of school "pride." It is worth noting that even long-established sports organizations which have used Indian names and mascots are recognizing the issues and moving away from those names, including the NFL team formerly known as the Washington Redskins (new name TBD) and MLB's Cleveland Indians. Sports organizations such as the NCAA and US Lacrosse have banned the use of such names/mascots. You will likely hear from many people complaining that they "just don't see anything wrong with it" and "it's always been this way, why change it" and possibly even some "I have Native Americans in my family tree" (though no mention of actual Tribal membership or involvement). But this issue should not be trivialized or allowed to be reduced to a debate about personal feelings and opinions by non-marginalized people largely - if not completely - unaffected by the negative effects of such mascots who simply want to maintain the status quo. The decision should be based on facts, data, and input from Native leaders and Tribal authorities. Below I will include a number of links and quotes which contain just some of the information on which my support for a mascot change is based. I hope you will take the time to read them and understand this issue from a national and civil rights perspective. I respect the administration at Edgewood for taking a stand and proposing this change, not because it is popular but because it is right. And to those who will argue that there are "other things" going on in the world right now, I would point out that it is always the right time to do the right thing.
United States Commission on Civil Rights (2001) https://www.usccr.gov/files/2020-07-17-Official-Native-American-Mascots-Statement.pdf
The Commission has long held that the use of Native American nicknames and imagery for sports teams and in schools is offensive, as it mocks and trivializes Native American culture. In the context of schools, we noted these portrayals detract from schools’ educational mission, have the potential to create racially hostile environments intimidating to Native students, and “prevent non-Native Americans from understanding the true historical and cultural experiences of American Indians.” It normalizes the legacy of oppression perpetrated against tribes culminating in dislocation, relocation, and death of many Native Americans."
American Psychological Association (2005) https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/indian-mascots
"Research has shown that the continued use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities has a negative effect on not only American Indian students but all students by:
-Undermining the educational experiences of members of all communities--especially those who have had little or no contact with indigenous peoples. The symbols, images and mascots teach non-Indian children that it's acceptable to participate in culturally abusive behavior and perpetuate inaccurate misconceptions about American Indian culture.
-Establishes an unwelcome and oftentimes hostile learning environment for American Indian students that affirms negative images/stereotypes that are promoted in mainstream society.
-Undermines the ability of American Indian Nations to portray accurate and respectful images of their culture, spirituality and traditions. Many American Indians report that they find today's typical portrayal of American Indian culture disrespectful and offensive to their spiritual beliefs.
-Presents stereotypical images of American Indians. Such mascots are a contemporary example of prejudice by the dominant culture against racial and ethnic minority groups.
-Is a form of discrimination against American Indian Nations that can lead to negative relations between groups."
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) http://www.ncai.org/proudtobe
"As the nation’s oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, NCAI has long held a clear position against derogatory and harmful stereotypes of Native people—including sports mascots—in media and popular culture...As documented in a comprehensive review of decades of social science research, derogatory "Indian" sports mascots have serious psychological, social and cultural consequences for Native Americans, especially Native youth"
See also: http://www.ncai.org/resources/ncai_publications/ending-the-legacy-of-racism-in-sports-the-era-of-harmful-indian-sports-mascots
NCAA Sports - banned use of Native American mascots http://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/where-pride-meets-prejudice/index.php?division=d3
“There comes a point in time where you’ve got to take a stand on what’s right and what’s not right,” says Robert Vowels, now the athletics director at the University of Detroit Mercy, who chaired the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee during the NCAA discussions about Native American mascots. “I think this issue had a kind of magnitude – a sense that this was important, and we were trying to resolve the challenges of that day.”
US Lacrosse https://www.uslacrosse.org/diversity-inclusion/native-american-advisory-council
"As the sport’s national governing body, US Lacrosse believes that the misuse of Native American nicknames, logos, and mascots reflect and promote misleading stereotypes that are degrading and harmful to Native Americans. We will make every effort to assure that offensive or stereotypical mascots and logos will not be visible or promoted at events that US Lacrosse controls."
Interview with Professor James Riding In, Pawnee Nation citizen: https://asunow.asu.edu/20180906-global-engagement-football-season-returns-so-does-sports-name-controversy
"Question: Many people who follow sports, especially teams with indigenous names and mascots, say the names are meant to be respectful and to pay homage to Native American people, and their mascots focus on bravery and courage rather than anything derogatory. What would you like to say to them?
Answer: I flatly reject the contention of team owners and sports fans that American Indian-oriented team names, logos and mascots in professional and amateur sports pay homage to Indian bravery and courage. Their so-called honoring celebrations of Indian heroism are not only misguided, harmful and offensive to Indians but are also inextricably tied to this nation’s history of racism. Because their behavior falls within a historical pattern of white American privilege that includes devising images of others for self-servicing purposes, they are participating in a disingenuous culture of honor. Indians, victims of this unwanted attention, should be the ones to determine what constitutes honor and respect in instances such as these."
From https://www.changethemascot.org/supporters-of-change/:
Several recent studies show that the use of Native American mascots does have serious social effects on Native American communities. Here are some additional examples of the published, peer-reviewed research:
Chaney, Burke and Burkley (2011) Do American Indian Mascot = American Indian People? Examining Implicit Bias Towards American Indian People and American Indian Mascots
Kim-Prieto, Okazaki, Goldstein and Kirschner (2009) Effect of Exposure to an American Indian Mascot on the Tendency to Stereotype a Different Minority Group
Steinfeldt, Foltz, Kaladow, Carlson, Pagano, Benton and Steinfeldt (2010) Racism in the Electronic Age: Role of Online Forums in Expressing Racial Attitudes About American Indians
LaRocque, McDonald, Weatherly and Ferraro Indian sports nicknames/logos: affective difference between American Indian and non-Indian college students
Freng and Willis-Esqueda A question of honor: Chief Wahoo and American Indian stereotype activation among a university based sample
I would like clarification as to who was on the committee that made the unanimous decision to change the school mascot And how they were chosen. Are there meeting minutes from any of these meetings detailing the discussions. Additionally, I do not support the changing of the mascot. If there is an actual public outcry perhaps this could be used as a learning opportunity to teach the students about the Native Americans (Ais) that once lived in the area. I would also like know where the funds are coming from to support all of the "re-branding" of the school when money is tight for needed supplies that actually benefit everyone's education. As it is, I know that in many cases donations are what allow for additional science research equipment and supplies as well as sports equipment and uniforms.
It is time to retire the word "Indian", the school mascot and associated imagery. There has been a significant movement nationwide and because I don't see how they are related to the school, if we don't change them now, we are just going to have to revisit the subject again. Though the mascot has been troubling, it is a little more out of sight to a lot of parents because there is not much imagery on the exterior of the school, what causes me more pause is the "Indian" language that has been of daily use. Around our house, we say "office hours" instead of "Indian time" and we say "homeroom" instead of "tribe" because I find it grating to use the appropriated names. Maybe it was helpful in the beginning to sell the concept and differentiate the school, but times have changed and society has evolved against non-Native Americans using these terms. As a school, we are supposed to be preparing our students for the future and to make their way in the world. Holding on to some antiquated language and imagery just because that's what some committee chose or assigned when they built the school a couple of decades ago does not help the students in the future and it is not communicating the right values, especially when there's no obvious connection between the current mascot and the local community or the school. It looks to have been just an arbitrary choice.
keep the Indian, or change to the falcon or the owls
Let’s brainstorm a new nickname. Something with good qualities like intelligence, strength, & victory. Let’s not pick something that implies weakness, failure or losers. Then we’ll start eliminating names from the list until we get to something that we can take pride in. This is most likely the process on how Edgewood got the Indian as its nickname. It wasn’t because we wanted a loser as a representative, it’s because of the positive qualities that the name invokes. The term “Indian” was not created out of racism. It was created out of error when Christopher Columbus thought he landed in India, calling the native people Indians. "Indian" has been in use for such a long period of time that many people are just accustomed to it and do not consider it a slur. It’s still widely used today without insult. "American Indian" appears often in treaties between the United States and the indigenous peoples with whom they have been negotiating since the colonial period. Many federal, state and local laws also use it to recognize the strength and fortitude of native peoples. Even today, some tribes still refer to themselves as Indians. Historical, traditional use of the term as a name which many elders have known all their lives, and their families continue to use the familiar term. A term that might be acceptable to some might be offensive to others. But that is also true of some other names like Minutemen, Raiders, Commodores, or Pirates. It’s also safe to say that some animal rights activists would not be pleased some animal mascots. And what about the State of Indiana? Are they all the residents racist because they live there? How about the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission that promotes employment and civil rights for Indians? An honest assessment is that having the name “Indian” representing Edgewood could only be meant to be a compliment. The name is most certainly meant to be associated with winning, persevering and achieving. No one would choose “losers” for a nickname. What is amiss here is that people are being widely labeled as racists when a simple “thanks for the compliment” would do.
My family is fairly new to the Edgewood community I admit that I was surprised to learn that the school mascot was an Indian at the student informational meeting in the fall of 2018. It wasn't anything that would deter me from enrolling my children in such an amazing school but I was caught off guard. I have been following the debate about the mascot change and I appreciate the topic being brought up for discussion. I realize that this is a difficult decision and I understand that there is a lot of backlash regarding the decision. I have heard the arguement that the mascot is a tradition at Edgewood. Although I appreciate and respect the mascot and understand some parents desire to keep this tradition I find myself asking "Just because it is a tradition does that mean it should stay the same?" Throughout history there have been many things that are considered "tradition" that people resist changing however once we learn that our tradition is unfair or hurtful then we have adjusted. If we can reverse the tradition of spanking children can we not look critically at other traditions as well. As responsible community members, when we know better we should do better. It has been made clear through several sources that Native American groups find the Indian mascot to be a diragotory image. As a caucasian person it is not my right to judge wether this feeling is right or wrong. It is my responsibility to respect others feelings and make choices that reflect my respect towards those individuals. I have also heard the arguement that this "is not the time". Like many things in life there is never a convenient time to make a tough decision. Regarless that does not mean that the discussion shouldn't be brought up. To delay this discussion for a "good time" will mean that it never happens. If more time is needed, then take more time. This is a heavy topic and shouldn't be rushed and I would hope that the Edgwood community would respect that. Lastly I have heard that the decision to change the mascot would be a big financial responsibility for the school. Being a teacher in Brevard county I can truely understand this arguement however, I feel that this can be done in a managable way. Knowing all of these arguements I would propose that the school select a new mascot and use the two mascot togehter (the old and the new) through a four year transition. By hyphinating the mascot it will allow for a smooth transition. Over the course of four years (they cycle of a high school student) the mascot could be a cullimation of the two mascots. The students who started high school under the Indians mascot would still have their "tradition" while introducing a new mascot which would be racially sensitive. Four years would also give the school extra time to transition over to the new mascot financially. Divinding the cost into the budget over the course of four years rather than asking for a large budget the first year. This would allow parents who are argueing about keeping tradition as well as those argueing the additional cost would feel heard. Regardless of the decision you make, to change the mascot or to keep the mascot, people are going to be upset. I would just ask that you do what is in the best interest of ALL students no matter what his or her skin color. Be an example for our children. We are teaching them to read, write, and do artithmatic but we also have to teach them to be productive members of our society. As stated earlier, when we know better we should do better. Thank you for volunteering to be on this committee and listening to everyones concerns. This is a monumentous task and I apprecitate you reading my thoughts and taking them into consideration. I don't envy the task that you have been handed but I will respect your decision whatever it may be. I, as well as my family (including two Edgwood students) are in favor of the mascot being changed.
My name is ___, a resident of Merritt Island and parent to a 7th Grader at Edgewood. I am also, by blood quantum, a descendent of two members of the Cherokee Nation: Maud Davis (Dawes Roll# 32066) and Jacob Padget (Dawes Roll# 16368). Our family does not support the removal of the current mascot. With all of the new challenges of this school year, Edgewood does not need the additional distraction, divisiveness, and waste of monetary and time resources to proceed with the mascot revision. I was concerned to learn that a committee was formed, in secret, to review the mascot change and after only 1 meeting, the committee agreed unanimously, to proceed with replacement of the mascot. The meeting, in coordination with a "data dump" on August 27, 2020 that consisted of an email from Edgewood Adminstration, an article in Florida Today, and an article in the Merritt Island Now magazine, proves that there were a lot of behind the scene, undermined attempts to give the perception that a majority of community members and stakeholders were in agreement with the mascot replacement. This is NOT the case. There are so many questions I have: How was the committee chosen? What minority group specifically opposed the Edgewood mascot, in particular? Were any representatives of the Ais People allowed to provide input? What marketing/cost analysis research has been done to give transparency to the mascot change? I remind you that the US Government still recognizes the term "Indian" in many government offices and departments: Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior, Indian Health Services in the Department of Human and Health Services, The National Congress of American Indians, and the 2020 US Census lists "American Indian" as a data profile choice. The Edgewood Indians have a 60 year legacy. What is the rush to instigate a mascot change at this moment in time, unless its sole purpose is meet a narrow social/political agenda?
My son is a Native American. He is NOT offended by the Indian. Given the history of our part of Florida, an Indian in an appropriate mascot. IF there were any objection to the mascot, it SHOULD have been raised by a Native American group. Not a group of parents deciding for the appropriate group. I am saddened to think we are wasting school resources/time on an insignificant issue like a mascot in the middle of a pandemic. Our focus should solely be on student health. Not a mascot.
Our family believes that the present mascot is offensive to the Native American (Indian*) community and should therefore be discontinued in its representation of the school. This is in agreement with the current sentiment of similar representations for sports teams, etc. within our country. However, we are open-minded and welcome input from the very community our mascot represents in order to derive a mascot that is of appropriate representation of their culture. This can then serve as a bridge between both opposing sides, with, perhaps, a school representative reaching out to multiple native-American groups within the state and/or elsewhere to get their input on what they believe is a non-offensive representation of their culture. As an alternative thought, a mascot not tied to a specific culture could also be explored. *This classification/label is a misnomer to begin with.
Our family is sick and tired of our society constantly acquiescing to small groups who are constantly triggered and offended by everything they disagree with today. In the email we received from Edgewood on August 27th, it stated that “Since our founding, Edgewood has honored the indigenous peoples of Florida” with the current mascot. How is it now possible to continue honoring them by removing the mascot without any public input. Thankfully, enough of the parents and students have stood up in protest and will not stand for this ridiculous catering to the extreme opinion of a small group of students/parents. Please let us know how many true indigenous people have actually been offended and complained about the current mascot. Also please disclose how much this will cost the school district to implement such a drastic change. I’m sure the money wasted on such an endeavor would be better spent on giving teachers raises or upgrading the school infrastructure.
The Edgewood Indian mascot/name should stay the same. The purpose of the name is intended to honor Native Americans, of which the name Indian is also used in the English language. As long as the mascot and namesake are used in the context of honoring the Indian people, it is a wonderful mascot. Florida State University (and as a Florida Gator it's hard to admit) has done a fantastic job to ensure that it properly honors the Seminole Indian tribe with its mascot and namesake. FSU has a great writeup about the history and meaning behind the mascot on their website also. While the Edgewood Indian is not specific to a tribe, we can still honor the great native Florida tribes in a more broad sense. They are and have been a very important part of this state and county even. Did you know that the Ais Indians lived right here in Brevard, and that the famous/infamous Hernandez trail ran right through where Capron Ridge neighborhood is today? The focus of any mascot discussion should be in making sure we are in fact honoring the Indians properly.
The original idea has been described as a way to honor the Native Americans heritage and to increase cultural awareness. However in this day and age we have to reflect and note that even the name is not that which they would have chosen. Native American tribes have their own names. The word “Indians” came from settlers and conquerors comparing them to East Indians. It is neither educational nor accurate. We should look for a new mascot that is more respectful, inclusive and does not encourage using a culture for our benefits. Terms like Edgewood Indians and “Indian time”, dressing as “Native Americans” at sporting events can certainly appear at least disrespectful if not racist. Now is the time to retire these and look for a mascot that we can instill pride, respect and represent our community in a less divisive way.
There are two reasons why we are here today. One is a concern that Edgewood is denigrating the Native American community. The second is a fear that Edgewood will receiver negative press attention if it becomes widely known that its mascot is an Indian. To the first point, the decision to use an Indian as the Edgewood mascot was not make lightly nor in a vacuum of Edgewood staff and students. My understanding is that the local Native American community was consulted and gave their firm approval. They were pleased to be asked to be a part of a prestigious school like Edgewood as their mascot. Further, the staff and students at Edgewood are proud to be Edgewood Indians; they are not scornful nor ashamed of this mascot. They do not ridicule it or make it appear foolish. Rather, they hold it up as any mascot, a symbol of the positive spirit of their Edgewood community. I see no way in which this mascot causes Edgewood staff or students to disparage Native Americans. In fact, I see the opposite. The Native American community can be proud to be associated with a high performing nationally ranked school. This mascot is a way in which the Edgewood community honors Native Americans. To the second point—fear of negative press. If we believe that our mascot was selected to honor Native Americans and does this because students and staff are proud to be the Edgewood Indians, then our community must not fear the cancel culture that is prevalent today. In fact, we must teach our children, these students, to stand for what they believe is right and true even when there may be unwanted consequences. Doing anything less is paramount to telling students that their first amendment right is only valid if their beliefs align with the media. Our students deserve better than that. Stand strong against cancel culture, Edgewood.
This is the beginning of 14th consecutive year at Edgewood as a parent. I have one graduate of the class of 2012, a second graduate of the class of 2019 and a current 8th grader. I do not support the change of our school mascot. I have been involved in our school community for well over 14 years and this is the first time I’m hearing about such a push to change our mascot. This seems to similar to the “cancel culture” that is occurring around our country. It has been a family tradition to be a “Edgewood Indian” with my boys and also three of their Aunts and one Uncle who also graduated from Edgewood. I do not believe there is anything derogatory or negative related to our mascot. I have seen for over 14 years of pride during spirit week, on the senior patio in the form of their amazing artwork and in countless school programs and yearbooks that proudly display some form of our mascot. How do I explain to my youngest son that our family are all “Edgewood Indians” - but he isn’t because....?? I support No change in our school mascot.....because we are the Edgewood Indians!
We are in favor of keeping the current mascot in honor of Native Americans. As an individual with Native American heritage, it is not offensive to us, and honors the history of the area. Furthermore, we are not in favor of “cancel culture.” Thank you.
We can not allow a few voices to change our culture. There is nothing wrong with honoring the Florida Indians which have been a historical part of Florida for decades. If we allow this we will be soon be allowing Cancellation of many traditions, like canceling Father’s Day and Mother’s Day as it offends same sex couples, cancelling Christmas as it offends non christians, and the list could go on and on. When does it end?
When considering this issue we should ask, what's the effect of changing the mascot? What's the effect of not changing the mascot? Who could potentially be hurt by each decision? The reality is that a number of First Nations have publically declared their disagreement with indigenous figures being used as mascots. Furthermore, many Native American tribes abhor "Indian" as a moniker, it is looked at as a racial slur. Clearly these groups, could be hurt by choosing to continue to use "Indian" as a mascot. If we could avoid this potential hurt, simply by choosing a different mascot, why wouldn't we? Choosing a different mascot is not turning our back on Edgewood's proud history. Choosing another mascot is cementing Edgewood's future. Choosing another mascot is teaching our children to consider the feelings of others when they speak and act and not selfishly fall back on patterns of behavior just because change is difficult. Why is it considered reasonable to use people groups as mascots in the first place? People are not mascots. I know a number of professional sport teams and colleges use people groups as mascots - - too many to list here - - but just because something is popular or common doesn't make it right. We should endeavor to celebrate and learn about the First Peoples who once called Brevard County home, but appropriating Native American culture via mascots and war chants and pow wows and tribe time and smoke signals is not the way to honor or learn about a culture. Thank you.
While I applaud the effort of a few to voice their opinion to remove the historical Edgewood Indian from the school and our community, I strongly disagree with the course of action. Change for the sake of change removes our basis, our history, our community, our way of thinking. We are teaching people to change what they don't like and, when we do, empowering our future citizens to accept division as fact of life. Does the Edgewood Indian logo offend? Everything offends somebody. Maybe we move to rename our beloved Indian River Lagoon or Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary as well? Better, do we allow a few to rule the many? This is the wrong message to provide our children. In closing, consider that ten's of thousands of students have graced the halls of Edgewood and worn the Indian with pride and honor. Those same students learn about history and we, effectively, are changing their history because a few people don't like it. I suggest the new students wanting change go read some history.
While I recognize that the Indian mascot was not intended to be disrespectful, the truth is that it is possible to be disrespectful without intending to be. It is a simple fact of history that Native Americans are a conquered people, and whatever the intent behind it, the descendants of conquerors using a stereotyped image of a conquered people as a mascot is inherently disrespectful. I understand that many people in the community disagree with the decision to retire the Indian mascot, and I sympathize. But the simple truth is that whether we like it or not, agree with it or not, intend it or not, this mascot is disrespectful to Native Americans and should be changed. Imagine we were talking about some other historically disadvantaged or oppressed people group in America. Imagine that this mascot was a stereotyped image of a Black person, a Hispanic person, an Asian person. No one (I hope) would deny that using a member of those groups as a mascot would be inappropriate and disrespectful. Why then the resistance to change this one? While emotions around this issue are undoubtedly running high on all sides, I implore you to recognize that there are things more important than emotion when making a decision. There is logic, there is history, there is hard data - such as the numerous studies that have demonstrated the harmful effects of using Native Americans as mascots. And even when it comes to emotions, some people's emotions deserve more consideration than others. The fact is that the Native American community has universally condemned the use of their people as mascots. What right do I have to argue with them about it? I'm not the person being depicted. I would hope that we are all teaching our children the kind of simple, basic courtesy that helps them understand that when a person says, "this offends me," or "this hurts me," we don't get to say, "no it doesn't." We have an obligation to listen to the voices of those this mascot represents, and they are unanimously asking us to stop. Thank you for your attention.
While this isn’t a change that I would have pushed for, it’s a change that I support as does my student.
My thoughts on the matter come from my two Native friends that had educated me on why they were not in support of Natives as mascots. I don’t generally believe it to be my place to speak for others but since it’s on the table, this is a change I support. Either way, Edgewood is so much more than a mascot!
AM AN INDIAN. According to one of today’s easily accessible DNA testing services, my lineage includes the Creek Indian tribe. I am also an Edgewood Indian, my memorable Junior High years happening back in the 80s. Now, I am a proud Indian parent as my son currently attends Edgewood.
While there are a select few that are opposed or offended by the Edgewood mascot being an Indian, I believe it is an honor and privilege to continue to represent the heritage of the Indians that lived on this land long before us. Just as the Seminole tribe is proud to be affiliated with Florida State University, I believe the if the Ais Indian tribe still had representation today, they would be proud to be represented by the scholastic and athletic representation and achievements being accomplished at Edgewood Jr/Sr High School.
Edgewood and its mascot have been in existence for 60 years. Thousands of students have walked those halls and I am sure the majority of them are proud to call themselves Indians. I do not believe being called an Indian is derogatory or that current and future students should be ashamed to be affiliated with the Indian heritage. Changing the mascot and in essence the history of the school would be a disgrace to the alumni and the Indians that once called Merritt Island home.
I disagree with removing Edgewood’s Indian Mascot. I am both an alumni and a parent of a current student; I am enormously proud to be an Edgewood Indian. Indians played a significant role in Florida’s history. I discovered recently that the Ais Indian tribe once made their home in Merritt Island. The following is an excerpt from a recent article on the Ulumay Sanctuary in the Merritt Island Now magazine (Volume 6, Issue 7, September 2020), “Ulumay once was home to the Ais Indian tribe. On March 21, 2009, a marker was dedicated to the Ulumay’s history. According to the marker, the Ais were one of the most influential and powerful tribes in Florida when Spanish Army Lt. Alvaro Mexia mapped the Ulumay Lagoon in 1605.” The Ulumay Sanctuary is only 1.6 miles northeast of Edgewood. It is reasonable to assume that the Ais Indian’s once lived on the land that is now the school and we should celebrate our history and those who walked these areas before us. More proof of Ais Indians in Brevard County, the Floridan Nature website (http://www.floridiannature.com/ais.htm), “Ais lived in what is now Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and northernmost Martin counties. Many lived along the shores of the great lagoon called Rio de Ais now known as the Indian River.” According to The Florida Historical Society website (https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/31), “It was the Ais people that Ponce first encountered as he made stops along the Florida coast in 1513. Ais villages could be found throughout what is now Brevard County. Their territory began north of today’s Titusville and continued down the east coast all the way into present-day Martin County.” We should celebrate our history and be proud to associate ourselves with our Indian ancestry. Being called an Indian, is not a derogatory term, in my humble opinion; our family has connections to the Creek Indians, and we are very proud of that. I strongly feel that the Indian should remain Edgewood’s mascot as it has since the 1960’s.
Brevard County and Central Florida were not always Mickey ears and space rockets. Long before these things came to our area, native peoples struggled to survive the harsh environment, invasions of Europeans, and warring tribal nations. They persevered in times of great difficulty. They flourished under less than ideal conditions. If we change Edgewood's mascot, we are basically forgetting these people, these survivors, these natives that called this little island home 500 years ago, long before Mickey and Rockets. Do not dishonor their memory by erasing them from our minds. Rename the Edgewood Indians, the Edgewood Ais Indians. To honor, to remember, to persevere.
I do not agree with the name change. The Indians were here before us and have known heritage on the Island, it’s in history books for out children to learn about. Let’s not change history or try to discredit it. Leave the mascot alone and do not change it. Thank you!
I do not support changing the school mascot. I believe doing so would be caving into a small but vocal special interest group trying to force their misguided beliefs on to the school community. There is nothing derogatory or racial about the schools mascot. The school has a long and proud tradition in the community and that tradition should be allowed to continue, including the mascot. Embracing the current cancel culture sends entirely the wrong message to our leaders of tomorrow.
Life is all about timing. This timing is bad. When Edgewood is not in jeopardy of falling off the top 100 schools list, has teachers for brick and mortar students, has student schedules correct (including moving off of block to help assure AP and Florida testing success), can answer phone calls in under 5 days, and offers electives children actually want you can fight these issues. COVID is a time to focus on our community especially our children and elderly. As a family are very disappointed in the schools choice of the first week of school, during a pandemic, for timing to address the mascot. Due to the controversy around any mascot you can possibly choose in today's world we recommend tabling this or if that is not an option eliminating the mascot completely and getting focused back to what is important...our children, their education, and their feeling of security and safety during these uncertain times.
The purpose of this document is to emphatically support the retention of the Indian as the mascot for Edgewood Junior Senior High School (EJSHS). I will focus on PRIDE, PRECEDENCE and EXTINCTION as the reason for our family’s desire to always be an “Indian” family (literally and figuratively).
PRIDE -- ___ are students at Edgewood Junior Senior High School (EJSHS), home of the Indians. Furthermore, they have a very unique and personal bond to their school mascot. __ and __are members of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma and have a Certified Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) of 25%. They are extremely proud of their Indian heritage and the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma is extremely proud of them for being exceptional students at a nationally ranked high school. So much so, that they are annually rewarded by the tribe for academic achievement. The fact that the mascot for this illustrious school is the “Indian”, makes them exude with pride even more. However, the source of their pride is now under attack from a misinformed, self-righteous, and ignorant small group of individuals who do not truly understand what it means to be an Indian. Growing up in a household where their mother (CDIB – 50%) and grandmother (CDIB – 100%) actively convey the ideals and morals of their proud Kickapoo Indian heritage, ___ and ___ embrace that knowledge and apply it in all of their efforts of being an Edgewood Indian. Moreover, their mother and grandmother distinctly refer to themselves as Indians, not as Indigenous People or any other name that is categorized as politically correct. This is because they are proud of their heritage and wish to pass this on to ___ and ___.
PRECEDENCE – There are numerous precedencies where American Indian themed mascots have come under attack. One such example that is close to our family occurred in McLoud, OK. McLoud is home to the Kickapoo Tribe and also home to the McLoud High School Redskins. As reported by the local NBC news affiliate in Oklahoma City (KFOR News) on Dec 10, 2015, Lorne Fultonberg wrote, “The board of education in a small central Oklahoma town has voted to keep a controversial mascot after a long and contentious session of public comment.” The agenda to remove the Redskins mascot was brought about by a few members of the community who felt the name was “inappropriate and hurtful”. In an overwhelming response to these individuals, Fultonberg went on to state, “The crowd for the meeting was over capacity. Many sat on the floor. Some stood outside the building peeking through the blinds and straining to hear testimony. The tension and emotion in the room was evident. Several speakers were moved to tears. Supporters of the school's mascot became agitated when several opponents talked longer than their allotted two minutes. In response, a teary and frustrated 14-year-old girl gave the crowd the middle finger and stormed away from the podium. Ultimately, the school board sided with tradition and the members of the community who seemed to be overwhelmingly behind the Redskins. "We've got a lot of history," said Albert Baldwin, 74, a life-long resident of McLoud. "I don't know anyone around here that objects to being a Redskin. If there is, I don't know about it. MHS (McLoud High School) senior and valedictorian Alyxandra Moon agrees, adding it's only become a hot button issue recently. "Everyone's really trying to fight for this," she said. "I can see both sides, but this is our home and, for as long as I can remember, we've been the Redskins." Other supporters argued changing the name would break tradition and a common historical bond, noting that the local Kickapoo population supported the name. McLoud High School will still be known as the 'Redskins,' as it has been for generations.” Just like the citizens of McLoud, OK, the citizens of Merritt Island, FL are proud of our current EJSHS Indians and alumni and how they’ve represented us historically and how they will represent us in the future.
EXTINCTION -- Ever since the first European settlers set foot on this continent, they have systematically drove a plethora of Indian tribes to extinction such as the Timucua tribe and the Ais tribe. Many tribes assimilated and very few never quit fighting but managed to win out. One such tribe that never succumbed to European invaders was the Seminole tribe. They managed to maintain their sovereignty and even authorized their name to become the mascot of Florida State University because of the tradition, pride and ideals that define them. Just like the Seminole Tribe, my family supports the tradition, pride and ideals that define what it means to be an Edgewood Indian. Stripping the Indian mascot from EJSHS is nothing more than an act of furthering the extinction of the American Indian by cloaking it in the name of political correctness. In closing, ___, and the rest of the ___ family give our strongest support in retaining the Indian as the mascot of Edgewood Junior Senior High School. To do anything to the contrary would be a furtherance of the systemic extinction of a long-time persecuted and under represented group in our American history and our local history.
In 1968 The National Congress of American Indians (the largest and most representative of native organizations in the US) launched a campaign to address stereotypes of Native people in popular culture and media, as well as in sports. They asked that all school and professional sports drop the use of Native Americans as mascots. That was 52 years ago. In the years since then, we have seen an estimated two-thirds of all Native sports mascots retired and over 90% of stereotypical Native imagery removed from American pop culture including media and advertising. In 2005, the American Psychological Association called for the immediate retirement of all American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities by schools, colleges, universities, athletic teams and organizations. According to the APA, the use of American Indian mascots as symbols in schools and university athletic programs is particularly troubling because schools are places of learning. These mascots are teaching stereotypical, misleading, or too often, insulting images of American Indians. These negative lessons are not just affecting American Indian students; they undermine the educational experiences of those who have had little or no contact with indigenous peoples.
Some will cite this as an over-extension of the tedious concept of political correctness, which has come to mean ridiculous oversensitivity and over-correction. It is not an effort to be politically correct, but rather an effort to honor the wishes of those whose imagery we’ve taken. Indigenous peoples inhabited FL for more that 12,000 years before the arrival of Europeans. Tribal communities laid the foundation of our state. The “Indian” we call a mascot has faced war and genocide, bounties, forced removal, internment camps, and disease. Only 2 tribes of the hundreds in Florida remain. Florida saw the longest and most expensive Indian Wars in US history. Can we not take their earnest request as something worth our time to consider without knee-jerk contrarianism.
Some will say our mascot is a tribute. Native Americans are people, not mascots, and do not wish to have this sort of tribute. Our mascot is not a tribute, it is a parody. The sacrifices and contributions of their ancestors are caricatured. If we in fact wanted to honor the Native American, we would do what they have been asking us to do for the last 50+ years.
I'm thankful for this opportunity to speak AGAINST the renaming of the Edgewood Indian mascot. Not only is the Indian Mascot part of this school's history, it's also a part of the history of Merritt Island. As a small community with many locals and Florida natives, to remove the Indian Mascot is in direct defiance of respect to the history of our community. No doubt there are some who may not like the mascot, it's difficult to comprehend why our Administration would make such a drastic change. I can only imagine that trying to appease every personality, belief, complaint, grief, opinion, and perspective certainly comes with many challenges. These all change with the rotation of the student body. The longest experience any student will have at Edgewood is 6 years. It seems like changing the mascot for every group that decides it doesn't fit their agenda would, at some point, become laborious. I took the liberty to review some of the other school names and mascots in Brevard County. There are, to name a few, Eagles, Tigers, Panthers, Dolphins, Wildcats, Dogs of various breeds, Hawks, Scorpions, Horses, Pirates, and even another Indian (The Madison Mohawks). Now I would have to wonder, if this is a change for Edgewood, does that set a precedence for other schools or groups that may have students that do not approve of their school mascot to expect a change? Should the Rockledge Raiders find it offensive that their mascot resembles a pirate? Pirates aren't known for their upstanding morals. Is that offensive to Rockledge? I don't like snakes. If I were a student at Space Coast, would I then have the right to change the mascot? I could go on and on with examples that set a frivolous tone but I prefer to try and understand the logic behind the change of the Edgewood Indian Mascot. What is it really? What are the reasons for the consideration of a change? How about the names of Presidential schools? Do those offend? Will they be changed to follow today's culture? My point is this: to change a mascot name based on some people not "liking" it, is offering up the suggestion that they don't have to be tolerant of any opinions or belief systems that differ from their own. Our students need to be taught that everyone is different and entitled to their opinions. But to change the historical mascot, when these few students will only experience it for a short time, is not teaching them to be neither tolerant nor accepting. Thank you for your time.
I fully support the mascot change for Edgewood
I feel that removing the name that was originally meant to honor the Ays Indians is actually dishonoring the history of Merritt Island.
From the National Congress of American Indians http://www.ncai.org/proudtobe
The intolerance and harm promoted by these “Indian” sports mascots, logos, or symbols, have very real consequences for Native people. Specifically, rather than honoring Native peoples, these caricatures and stereotypes are harmful, perpetuate negative stereotypes of America’s first peoples, and contribute to a disregard for the personhood of Native peoples."
From the American Psychological Association https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/indian-mascots
"The use of American Indian mascots as symbols in schools and university athletic programs is particularly troubling because schools are places of learning. These mascots are teaching stereotypical, misleading and too often, insulting images of American Indians. These negative lessons are not just affecting American Indian students; they are sending the wrong message to all students."- Former APA President Ronald F. Levant, EdD
Info a 2/20 University of Michigan study https://news.umich.edu/native-american-mascots-names-chants-more-offensive-than-previously-reported/
"The results run contrary to polls reported by national news outlets, which suggest that as few as 10% of Native peoples are offended by Native mascots and, specifically, the Redskins team name. The study, which involved researchers at U-M and University of California, Berkeley, found that about half of the respondents in the sample of 1,000 Native Americans—the largest of its kind to date—are offended by the tomahawk chop or mascots in chief headdresses. But opposition is even higher among people who most strongly identify with being Native American. For example, among Native Americans who frequently engage in tribal/cultural practices, 67% find the Redskins team name offensive; 70% find sports fans wearing chief headdresses offensive; 65% find sports fans chanting the tomahawk chop offensive; and 73% find sports fans imitating Native American dances offensive."
Thank you for this opportunity. I regret that I cannot address this issue in person but I will be working. I commend the committee who decided to change the Edgewood JSHS mascot. The change is long overdue. There is a large body of evidence that Native American imagery as a mascot is harmful (not just the racial slur beginning with an "R") . This is not opinion, this is fact and is supported by a large body of social and psychological research. Please see this study: Laurel R. Davis-Delano , Joseph P. Gone & Stephanie A. Fryberg (2020): The psychosocial effects of Native American mascots: a comprehensive review of empirical research findings, Race Ethnicity and Education To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2020.1772221
Also, see this very detailed report summarizing data on the effects on youth and others in the Native community: https://www.changethemascot.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/DrFriedmanReport.pdf
Stopping the use of Native imagery by non-Native people is supported by the American Psychological Association, the NAACP and the American Sociological Association as outlined in the October 2013 report by the National Congress of American Indians. This is not a matter of being "politically correct", it is a long overdue correction to ending a harmful practice of using Native people in imagery that causes direct harm to Native youth and perpetuates violence and stereotypical behavior against Native people. This wouldn't be a debate if the image of another ethnic minority was being used as our mascot. We would never stand for our children being dressed in blackface but we do allow our teachers, staff and students to take on Native images in their dress/costumes during pep rallies (face paint, traditional Native costumes) and other school functions which we now recognize as harmful to Native people, just as painting their faces brown or black would be to Black students. Edgewood can do better and should do better as an example of the highest standards in American education. I urge you to move forward with finding a new mascot for this amazing school. References available if you would like me to provide them.
I think changing the mascot for Edgewood is a sad and tragic sign of the times that we currently live in. As stated in Ms. Ingratta's email when parents were notified of this change, the heritage, traditions and culture of the Ais Indian Tribe who inhabited Merritt Island, are greatly respected and cherished by Edgewood teachers, staff, parents and students. Therefore, I see no reason to change the name of the mascot. I do not feel that we are disrespecting their heritage or culture by using the name Indian for our mascot. On the contrary, if there were any living descendants of the Ais Indian Tribe, I feel they would not agree with this decision to change the mascot for these reasons. In fact, the same thing was tried a few years ago at Florida State University ( The Seminoles) for the same reasons and the Seminole Indian Tribe leaders said they disagreed with changing the name of the mascot for the University. They liked the fact that FSU represented the Seminole Indian Tribe with their mascot and were proud to let them honor their traditions and heritage by using their mascot to represent Florida State University. That being said, if the people who share my opinion are outnumbered and the Mascot will definitely change, then I wanted to make a few suggestions as alternatives. The Edgewood Eagles or the Edgewood Pirates. Thank-you.
I think changing the mascot is being rushed and done under extreme pressure to be politically correct without really evaluating the whole situation. This current time in all our lives is very full and stress filled; if we didn't have so many other things that are critical in our lives we could devote serious discussion and research on the Indian mascot. As it is I feel too many of us are pulled in other directions, and I wish you would delay this decision - in fact what is the rush?
Students and faculty have initiated this call to eliminate the current mascot perhaps out of a sense of what they believe is doing the right thing on behalf of the Native American community. However, I don't know if any Native Americans were a part of that initial request. It is my understanding, though, that the opinion among the Native Americans that have given their input on our specific school mascot is divided, with some seeing it as a tribute and others finding it disrespectful. And honestly, their opinion is the one that should truly matter. However, if THEY are divided on this issue, why are we deciding to completely retire the mascot? Before we do that, could we come up with a compromise like contacting the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida with the intent of honoring them and have them help us make the mascot more authentic to their tribe? Many times, mascots are chosen based on historical events and peoples (ie: knights, vikings, raiders, minutemen, buccaneers, cowboys, etc) so I don't think the intention of choosing "Indian" was ever purposefully intended to be insensitive. Some might even argue that it was chosen as a symbol of strength and pride. Therefore, I believe a compromise of involving one of our state's tribes could eliminate insensitivity and bring honor to their tribe from a school that is dedicated to excellence like Edgewood.
The Florida State Seminoles work closely with the Seminole Tribe of Florida to ensure that the school’s use of the mascot is respectful. Why couldn’t Edgewood do the same?
So here we are, the politics of the cancel culture has found its way to Merritt Island to erase the history of Edgewood Jr./ Sr. High School by “cancelling” its mascot. It amazes me that because a small number of individuals voice their opinion on how the Indian mascot is offensive the wheels of change start turning. So the question is, who is offended, and why? What does the symbolic nature of an Indian that has been the mascot of this school since it’s inception do to offend these individuals that haven’t been offended up until now? Is it truly the offensive gesture of the Indian or is it a political movement that has found its way to those that have chosen to follow the movement and can’t decipher for themselves the politics of it all. And who are these individuals that want this change? Are they themselves alumni, are they even from Merritt Island, do they have a stake in this community or did they bring their ideas from out of town to the Island with the hopes to have us think their way? As a proud and unapologetic alumnus and someone that comes from a family that has been rooted here in this community for 5 generations and has had countless relatives attend this school I would ask that the committee that has been appointed look at the facts and not be moved by the politics that have become a movement for the moment. The facts are simple... it’s a symbolic resemblance of an Indian, not an Indian of any one certain tribe being used in an offensive manner, no tribe has written to Edgewood to express their discontent with the symbolic nature of this mascot, no poll has been taken of the current student body, their parents or the proud alumni of the institution. These facts and not being influenced by the politics of the moment should be considered when contemplating the future of a long standing tradition for the Edgewood community and keeping the Indian as the mascot of Edgewood Jr. / Sr. High School.
As a parent of a minority student at Edgewood I feel compelled to share our experience. We were hesitant to enroll our children at Edgewood based on the the lack of diversity of the student body as well as the mascot. The rules have since been changed but at the time we were not able to apply to West Shore; if given the choice we would have picked West Shore. The cultural appropriation exhibited at the open house was off putting and raised serious concern about how our children would be treated. Unfortunately our fears were justified and our daughters experienced racism at Edgewood. While the vast majority of the students, teachers and administrators are exceptional and welcoming, there have been several disturbing incidents. My daughters have been called the vilest racist terms imaginable. They have not only had to hear racist “jokes”, they have been called the very worst racial slurs and they have had to see these words written on the walls at Edgewood as well as even had their friends receive notes slipped into their lockers with these names written on them. I have even had a teacher (who is no longer employed at Edgewood) make horrific racist comments to me at a parent teacher meeting. I am ashamed to admit that I pushed back on the teacher and explained my belief that social economic factors should be considered the truth is I should have notified the administration when the teacher told me black student were not as good at math as white students and that this was a proven fact. It is only now I realize my hesitation to come forward was based on my fear that her beliefs were shared by others. Our family did eventually meet with the administration about the racist comments my children endured and they were fantastic. But as I expressed to them years ago and as I still believe, there should be a zero tolerance of racism at Edgewood just as there is a zero tolerance of tobacco and drugs. I think it is difficult for young adults to understand why some racist slurs and cultural appropriation is acceptable while other racist slurs are not. The current mascot is dehumanizing towards native Americans, and having a mascot of that nature contributes to the normalization of racism, which contributes directly to the racist incidents my children have had to endure. Obviously changing the school mascot will not result in a sudden change of heart and eliminate racism from Edgewood but I do think it will be a giant step in the right direction.
The issue of a mascot change is a community issue, and should take into account the local history and reason for the mascot in the first place. We as a community should celebrate local history, not erase it. If anything, research and use the name Ais in place of Indian and keep the mascot the same. On the issue of the "committee" of "students past and present, teachers, administrators, community members and other stakeholders" (as per the email sent earlier this year), there was no awareness that such a committee was being formed. There should have been community (at the very least the current student body and families) involvement and an opportunity for ALL to be involved in this committee. It is quite odd that the first we heard about this seemingly secret committee was that "a decision has been reached to retire the Indian mascot". The decision to put together this committee without inviting those that may have a differing opinion is a poor way to represent your community, and shows great bias.
To the members of the Edgewood Student Advisory Committee: I thank you for taking a tangible step towards bringing the issue of the Edgewood mascot to the forefront of progress for our school. As an African-american, I find the ongoing use of our mascot, “The Indians”, to be offensive and, just as importantly, outdated. Edgewood has done a remarkable job of transitioning from a junior high school to a junior/senior high school. In doing so, it vaulted to the perennial top 2 high schools in Brevard County. Such an impressive feat should be rewarded with a complete rebranding of the school’s image. Our children need a mascot with a name and a battle call that instills respect, intimidation and fear, not laughter and derision. While I know this is not the meeting to address the actual new mascot. I am putting my hat in the ring for the Edgewood Storm. It is timeless, it allows the use of thunder, lightning, dark clouds and howling winds for sound and visual effect. It is very much appropriate for a Central Florida School and I think it fits well with the current times. Tribe time can become cloud time. References to the cloud are actually modern and can segue into an e-sports team without any issue. Grey, black and yellow would be the ideal colors, but the current colors could likewise work. In these contentious times, I know that there is a large amount of vitriol that comes with this change. This decision is, however, an easy one. It is unfortunate that the opportunity to rebrand wasn’t taken when the school evolved into a Junior/Senior High School. Don’t miss the opportunity to appropriately retire the old mascot and usher in a new one. Thank you for the opportunity to be heard.
Absolutely ridiculous and completely unnecessary. As a former student, it is imperative that you all worry about more important things like new art, science, math, etc. supplies OR even the mental health of your students. There are 100000 things more prevalent to the success of the children than a mascot. Instead, how about you all worry about teaching the significance of the mascot and why there is controversy in the first place. I know my history teachers did a terrible job at teaching the history from an unbiased point of view. Thanks.
As a former Edgewood student, I’m incredibly proud that Edgewood has taken the initiative to make these changes. In my college years, I have also attended Florida State University, with the mascot of the Seminoles. I hold both of these schools to the same standard, and believe change should be made. In reality, native Indians are still a marginalized group. We would never take another group from this category and deem them a mascot. For example, African Americans, children in foster care, or the LGBTQ community. None of these would ever be considered to be used as a mascot for a school, so what makes it okay that we call ourselves “The Indians”. I’ll even admit, I was not educated about the history of our mascot or the reasons why we embody their chants. But what I do know is, Native Indians are a group of people who have endured major pain in this country, and I don’t feel it’s appropriate that I try to assimilate to a culture that I have no direct connection to.
I am an Edgewood Jr. High alumni. I attended there from 1976-1979. I am extremely proud to be an Edgewood Indian. I do not believe there is anything wrong with how we represent the Indians by having that as our mascot. We are in no way discrediting them or being negative. Please do not change the Edgewood Indian Mascot. I believe that would be a horrible mistake to do that. I'm proud to be an Edgewood Indian and always will be!
I was one of the very first student to help put the keys in the front door. I was asked to attend the 50th Réunion of the school to share the history. Also my life started on merritt island beginning in 1945 many years before any Board member that presently existed. Merritt island has no statues except our school and what is sad that not many people are from here and now outsiders are making decisions for thousands of students who loved the Indian mascot. If you don't know the history don't don't Vote.
It is my understanding that you are taking this action because a “few” people are offended because of the Indian Mascot. The “majority” of the people are offended that you would even consider removing it. Why do we not count? So much of the history of our country is being dismantled because of the opinions of a few. This is so wrong. WE THE PEOPLE demand to be heard and we demand that no action be taken in removing the Indian Mascot.
I am in favor of changing Edgewood’s mascot and believe it is long overdue. While the original intent may have to be honor indigenous people, I don’t recall any attention or time directed to learning about the tribe or honor the land - just cultural appropriation and mocking during spirit week.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an Edgewood Indian, however I do acknowledge the problematic nature of our mascot. Although the name might not be offensive to members of the Edgewood community, it is offensive to those with American Indian heritage. Our acceptance of the mascot does not erase the experiences and feelings of others, and they cannot be ignored. The continuation of the mascot encourages the idea that Native Americans can be caricatured, dehumanizing the people and the discriminations they face every day. Having empathy for the struggles of Natives does not cancel out the fact that the use of the mascot perpetuates the image of them as lesser people. It’s a small change that does not affect our community, and does not change what Edgewood stands for.
Our current mascot does not align with the views and current climate; instead, it represents a deeply racist history. The First Nations people that were murder we here and their land was stolen. As a fellow alum, I want to be proud of our school. I want our school to truly live its commitments to respecting others, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Our current mascot is in direct contrast with human good.
My name is __, and I graduated from Edgewood In 2018. My brief two years there as a student were largely characterized by my identity as one of two black men in my entire graduating class of approximately 130 people. With that lack of diversity, we have an essential responsibility, as members of a community which prides itself on excellence, to be empathetic, welcoming, and compassionate to others. Edgewood’s current mascot, however, makes that responsibility nearly impossible to fulfill. Within the walls of this school, I learned how indigenous peoples were incorrectly labeled “Indians” and “savages” by Christopher Columbus. This mischaracterization, coupled with European expansion throughout the latter half of the past millennium, destroyed (as its legacy continues to destroy and debilitate) indigenous cultures in America. To continue using such language for the purpose of “school pride” is, as we learn in the actual school itself, historically inaccurate, and, above anything else, morally reprehensible. I don’t believe I ever encountered a student of native descent at Edgewood, but I can only imagine how they would feel attending a school that mocks their identity for sport; how would I feel if we were the “Edgewood Slaves”? As you make your decision, I hope you take into account the feelings of young marginalized students who attend Edgewood—the past, the present, and the future.
I think the most important thing to state first is that we shouldn't be using human beings as mascots. It dehumanizes whole groups of people, for what? So that we can dress up as them for spirit week? It's not a cute look, especially not in 2020. Edgewood prides itself of teaching its students to think critically, to celebrate our differences and learn how to be better academics. Rallying behind an "Indian" which is no longer even a politically correct term goes against the learning and growing that we are encouraged to do. Some people may say that the mascot doesn't harm anyone and that Native people don't really care. I have seen these polls, but I am suggesting that regardless of if Natives care or not, it is the job of white people to correct their mistakes. And unless the demographics of Edgewood have significantly changed since 2007-2014, we're pretty white. The historically inaccurate caricatures that we use as sports mascots across the nation are stereotypes of Natives. They perpetuate a harmful narrative of who Natives are. They lump all Natives together, despite their significant differences and traditions, under the same tan man with a large nose and feather headdress. It allows us to ignore the nuances and experiences of Natives who have been continuously oppressed by us, white people. We don't learn an accurate history of Natives in Florida, yet we paint our faces and cry out war cries during basketball games. We should absolutely rebrand our school. However, I propose that if a rebrand doesn't happen, reparations must be paid. We owe Natives for the use of their imagery and likeness. We should include in the school budget a significant payment to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, if we are to continue to use their image.
Edgewood’s use of the “Indians” as a mascot is racist and offensive, and is overdue for a change. It is dehumanizing and insensitive to trivialize a group of people with different and intricate cultures and histories into a caricature. Not only is the term ‘Indian’ outdated and incorrect, but there isn’t any kind of affiliation, relationship or consistency to a particular tribe of Native Americans that the symbols and depictions found in Edgewood’s mascot could be based on. Native Americans are human beings that have faced oppression and indescribable hardship for hundreds of years, and to minimize their humanity by allowing them to be generalized and mocked in this way is unconscionable. The fact that their use as a mascot was ever okay is bad enough, but to not do what we can now to rectify this situation would be irresponsible. To me, this debate is not about a mascot, but rather an unwillingness for individuals to confront their own racism and biases. As a proud Edgewood alumni, the value that my experience at the school holds is based on the wonderful memories and lifelong friendships I made, not on the existence of a mascot, especially not one based in racism and ignorance. To say otherwise would be to disregard the amazing staff and students that made my high school experience so great.
Indians (or more properly, natives) as a mascot was pretty much born in the racist era, and while I don’t think we’re quite out of that era yet, it’s important to challenge the beliefs of yesteryear to help combat racism in the community and teach the youth how to 1) recognize racism (both passive and active) and 2) be actively anti racist. This derogatory portrayal creatives stereotypes that harm natives. (Hate crimes as well as psychological problems) This also normalizes cultural appropriation at a young age. I recall many spirit weeks where students dressed up as natives in the most exaggerated ways. While I didn’t realize there was something bad about that back then, I realize it now and I hate that I ever partook in such practice. I hope future students can learn how harmful those actions are at the age where it’s important to form these values and not later on when they look back at their actions as a teenager.
A people and a culture are not a mascot. The notion that Edgewood can claim the diverse, varied peoples who would be considered "Indians" is irresponsible at best and dehumanizing at worst. I am in favor of changing the "mascot."
We need to change the mascot of this school because, just as we tell Edgewood's students to do, we are continuously learning and growing and adapting. We need to learn from our mistakes and correct them now that we understand the racism inherent in our mascot and practices. I have pictures of me back in 2014 with face paint mocking native american war paint that I realize now is horrid practice. I learned and recognize my mistake and Edgewood should do the same if it hopes to continue to be a leading academic institution that instills correct values. As an Edgewood alumni, I expect my school to do the right thing and admit an error then work to correct it, just as I was taught to do while at school there.
While I believe the Indian mascot was not ill-intended in its creation, I feel it is in the best interest of the school to move forward. During my time at Edgewood, I have felt uncomfortable with how the school itself and its students have depicted Native Americans. Seeing people with no Native American heritage wearing face paint and headdresses during Spirit Week has never felt right. I also feel our mascot costume, featuring a cartoony version of a Native American with bright red skin, has been wrong. The use of the spirit stick during Spirit Week has also been an instance of appropriating Native American culture. I do feel that those who participated in such activities did not have ill intentions when doing so, but that does not change that it is wrong. I believe it is in the best interest of the school to change the mascot in order to take a step forward. There is simply no reason for us to keep such a mascot for our school. In a world filled with possible mascots, there is no reason to keep a mascot so many find offensive. I am proud of my alma mater and I want to see it grow. I genuinely feel that this is the next step for Edgewood. Thank you for your time.
A high school mascot should be an animal, or another type of generic term. “Warriors, pirates, etc. The difference between that and “indians” is that the term was wrongfully given to Native Americans, who were then subjected to horrible acts/ treatment by Europeans. Also, mascots are supposed to be comical and taken as a joke. By using “indians” as mascots, it allows people to make crude costumes and other mocking actions imitating their culture/ way of life. Such as spirit weeks, having a white kid paint his face, wear a headress, and run around the basketball court. Anyone claiming that the school mascot being an indian helped them learn more about their culture and history, is lying. At no time did the mascot influence teachings or courses at Edgewood focusing on Native American history, and as high schoolers we weren’t just going to look it up on our own accord. At the end of the day, theres no good argument to keep it because its a high school mascot, it wont change our lives to change it, but it will show respect towards an entire culture that we want to improve ourselves. Times change, schools should too
Hello, as an alumni I greatly urge the official change of the school’s mascot. I do not see any benefit to keeping the mascot as the “Indians” beyond maintaining the status quo and appeasing those who passionately defend racism and cultural appropriation. Not once as a student did I learn about the Native people that once lived here (the Ais). However, our planners and T-shirts and walls were covered in arrow heads and beads. The inappropriate use of “tribe” as our homeroom slots demonstrate how normalized this level of appropriation is. I was a student at Edgewood for 5 years. Not once did I question the use of headdresses, our name being “the indians”. I did not realize the weight of the cultural appropriation and the disrespect these act carried. Now I do. There may be people that are opposed to the change because they cannot handle the admittance that any of these things that they participated in were harmful. Please do not allow this to continue for the sake of comforting those that are not ready to learn from their mistakes. In their defense, some may suggest the argument that this was to honor Native people. First, I would suggest researching the difference between cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation. But secondly to that I would ask: Were they being honored or was their culture being used as a “fun and easy” school theme? Were students actively being taught about advocating for indigenous people (I was not.)? Do you believe it is possible to pay tribute to the Native people that lived here without having our school mascot be the “Indians”? If anything I believe that addressing the appropriation and racism of having our school theme as the “Indians” is a powerful way to be accountable and truly pay tribute and respect students to First Nations people. Students should be taught about the people our land was stolen from and that is very possible regardless while having the school is decorated with mangroves rather than arrowheads and have a mascot that is a sea turtle rather than a caricature of an entire race.
As an alumna of Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School, I am in favor of changing the mascot.
As a class of 2011 graduate from Edgewood, I feel an immense sense of pride for the school that set me up for success in my career in the military, later education, and future career in teaching. The school has always remained close to me, both in terms of what it has given me personally and what the institution itself stands for. Part of that pride has slowly but surely decayed as I reflect back on how we, as current students and alumni, faculty present, past, and future, parents, and volunteers, have all chosen to identify ourselves. Though I doubt the vast majority of us truly saw the damage that can be done with our current mascot and willfully partook in it, ignorance ceases to be an excuse once your wrongs are shown clearly. I support the changing of our mascot not simply so I can regain that pride personally, but so every student regardless of race or creed can feel safe within the family that I was privileged enough to join. The decision is not one to be taken lightly, nor is the change one of aesthetics. Any decision, right or wrong, done without the motives of empathy, compassion, and equality is ultimately an empty gesture. I challenge the school and the committee to act with the same virtues and values that the institution claims to stand for, to move past and beyond the iconography that has undoubtedly done damage in our community and abroad, to separate itself from a symbol of hate, and move into the world as a continued beacon of excellence in everything it (and we) do. We cannot truly claim to bear the standard of greatness that we wish to hold while operating under racist and demeaning images of minority persons. That only serves to continue the distribution of hate that plagues our country and world, not simply toward Native Americans and all indigenous peoples, but toward every person who is disenfranchised, every minority that seeks equality and equity in our actions, and every marginalized group that lacks a voice. Tearing down the systemic racism in our society is done through constant surveillance of the prejudices we each hold and starts with admitting our wrongs and working to reconcile them. Changing the mascot is merely the first step of a journey that I know Edgewood and everyone who has ever stepped through its halls is capable of taking on.
This change will happen sooner or later, so might as well sooner than later.
I believe that the current mascot of Edgewood Junior/Senior High should be changed. While those who are not Native American may not readily recognize how the mascot may offend others, the ‘“indian” logo representing our school has a red face which propagates racist American Indian stereotypes, for one; we have a duty in recognizing this inherent racism in our mascot and enacting change if we know it is wrong. There are numerous other examples of how the use of these images or the Native American culture have been used in a manner which is offensive. By no means do I believe the faculty intends to perpetuate these biases, but in use we are allowing them to persist. Changing the mascot is a small change in the long term, something that does not hurt anybody, and would equate to a big step in the right direction. I loved being a student at Edgewood, and a new mascot in no way would alter my past experiences or disappoint me. On the contrary, I would be proud and happy to embrace the change. A new mascot which eliminates these systemic biases is something I hope for to push an already great school to be just that much better.
I loved my time at Edgewood through middle and high school, but to feel truly proud of my former school, I would love to know that it is making the proper strides in making Edgewood a welcoming environment for everyone. A culture is not a mascot. There is nothing honorable about seeing your culture boiled down to gross stereotypes. I hope Edgewood will change the school’s mascot so we can truly become a school of excellence.
Please change the mascot. As a former student I felt that I could not show school spirit without feeling like I was making fun of Native American culture. It has been a long time coming I am very glad the decision has finally been made to change it. Please change it to the Edgewood Lions :)
I do believe the mascot should change because as a school I believe we misrepresent the mascot year after year. Especially with spirit week and through the yearbook. We don’t want to look back through our yearbooks seeing our fellow students culturally appropriating a group of people. We should be teaching students to be respectful and not use it as a costume or design.
As an alum of EJSHS, I am in full support of changing the mascot. I think that having an Indian as a mascot is racially insensitive. It was racially insensitive when I went there seven years ago and it still is today.
As an alum, I am for changing the Edgewood mascot. We learned at this school that this type of stuff was wrong, so it’s surprising that it has taken this long to start the conversation. Just because it’s not explicitly offensive doesn’t mean that we can’t do better. As a school of choice Edgewood is held to a higher standard than surrounding school and that should reflect in our choices of a mascot. Thank you.
The mascot is subtly racist in that it generalizes a marginalized but culturally rich people. While it doesn’t do this directly, it inadvertently characterizes every one of the Native American nations using symbolism that may alienate certain students.
For a school of repute, Edgewood is not gaining anything or furthering the potential of any of their students by standing behind an indecorous, disparaging depiction of a Native American as a "mascot". This imagery is incredibly insensitive to Native Americans, and by reducing the liking of an entire people to this caricature gives others (especially young minds) the impression that America's first peoples are nothing more than their stereotypes, rather than vibrant, productive human beings. The fact this is even up for debate is disappointing and about 15 years behind the rest of the country. Credentials: current medical student. And a mascot had absolutely no influence in my successes outside of Edgewood.
I believe the idea of an Indian mascot is inappropriate. I believe this because America came in and took land from the Native Americans and treated them harshly. To use them as mascots is very rude to what they went through as a people.
I fully support the retirement of the Edgewood Indian as the mascot of Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School. Research and representatives within Native American communities show evidence that co-opting symbols of Native American people have a negative impact on their self esteem and perception. I hope the school and committee can find a positive replacement that everyone can be proud of. Thanks for considering my comments.
The Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School mascot should be retired and replaced. To support this call to action, I would like to respond directly to the reasons I have seen online from alumni and other members of the community used to justify keeping the current mascot, such as "this is our history" and "we are honoring these peoples". There are 2 main problems regarding the current mascot: (1) the name and (2) the depiction/representation. (1) - The term "Indian" is misnomer due to the error of European settlers who had believed they had arrived in India. The term "Indian" should only be used related to the peoples of Asian continent India. Also, the continued use of the term "Indian" when referring to indigenous peoples of the Americas excludes the wide breadth and diversity of these peoples. (2) - The depiction of the mascot is a caricature of a specific group of indigenous peoples, which along with the term "Indian" further excludes the diversity of indigenous peoples of the Americas. The representation of indigenous peoples both with the mascot's costume and with students' costumes during spirit week or similar are insensitive and examples of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriate alienates the appropriated culture and does not celebrate the culture but, often, disrespects the culture, such as with misuse of items like headdresses or dream catchers that some indigenous peoples have meaningful and sometimes sacred uses for. In conclusion, "this is our history" and "we are honoring these people" are invalid arguments because our history is rife with errors, generalization of peoples, severe oppression, genocide, and continued disrespect and misrepresentation. For all the pain, suffering, disrespect, and misrepresentation that the indigenous peoples of the Americas have endured and continue to endure every day, the very least that we can do is change the mascot.
The use of ‘Edgewood Indians’ is offensive to the Native American Timucuans. Although this culture is now extinct (forced to move from their homes and land to Cuba, where their population rapidly shrunk) the memories of their tribe lives on. Disrespecting the Timucuans by not teaching any of their history in class or donating money to charities in their name to other Native American tribes while using their (racist) name as a mascot for the school is insensitive and offensive.
Proud of you folks for making the call to adopt a more inclusive identity. You have my enthusiastic support in this venture.
Not sure what other options are yet, I see it fit to change the mascot
Edgewood should follow the lead set by others and rename or change the school mascot.
I shouldn’t have to tell adults that racist caricatures are wrong, but here we are. I thought it was wrong when I was 12 and I think it’s wrong today. Reducing an entire group of people into an abjectly horrible portrayal mascot character only serves to further harmful stereotypes towards these people. It goes even beyond this in that I remember when I was a student there would be other students who “dressed up” as Native Americans by wearing face paint and headdresses. How could you not see how disgusting this is? Real people are not mascots. Make it a wildcat or something.
I believe that it is in the best interest of our campus and local community to change the EJSHS mascot from the Indians. While the intent may be to honor native people, the school has only used the mascot in derogatory ways. During my 6 years at Edgewood, there was never any indigenous representation, guest speakers, or even curriculum focused on native people. Instead we appropriated the culture during spirit week and sports events in the most shameful of ways. Changing the mascot will make room for more respectful, nuanced conversations about these cultures and allow for a new mascot to be celebrated without hesitation.
It’s no secret that our society is becoming increasingly fragmented, whether from the algorithms streamlining our newsfeeds or the more recent physical separations we’ve had to endure. It’s no secret that Americans of all faiths and ideologies are growing further apart and that the national conversation has broken down into a series of partisan or apolitical echo chambers. As we grapple with reforming our society, it’s no secret that our headline-driven news absorption suffers from a criminal lack of subtlety. That having been said, it disappoints me greatly that this is the conversation we’re still choosing to have. Native Americans are people. This isn’t about insult or about policing free speech. It’s not “political correctness run amok.” Caricaturing a culture and slapping on an exonym is fundamentally an act of cultural supremacy—in the context of the rampant historical genocide that led to the settlement of western Europe on this continent, this image is, at the very least, quite tone deaf. Is this a question of a price tag? I’ll say this: do not claim to be a venerable academic institution if you aren’t willing to stand at the forefront of public discourse. Let’s do better.
The use of Native American caricatures in branding and promotional material is outdated, disrespectful, and gauche - at it's best, it can only aspire to be unintentionally offensive. Encouraging students to wear facsimiles of Native American attire, engage in parodies of Native American tradition, and toy with the terminology applied to Native American life reduces the indigenous peoples, the victims of American genocide, to decoration and aesthetic. Those who invent excuses for it are already on the wrong side of history, and the passage of time will rank them in the company of minstrel show audiences and blackface defenders. To know that my alma mater is on the path to amend this disrespect fills me with pride. I personally believe that our local wildlife - such as the burrowing owl, the alligator, or the Florida panther - would make for an excellent replacement, but I am not exaggerating when I say that any symbol whatsoever would likely be an improvement. Thank you for taking the steps to make this right.
I am disheartened at the thought of our beloved Edgewood Indian being rebranded by the few. The Indian is beloved by most former and current students and parents. My understanding is the Indian was chosen to honor the Ais Indian Tribe. Instead of trying to remove our mascot, let us educate our students on the history of the Ais Tribe and what they went through so they can learn and be proud to represent them. The other issue is cost, cost that would be incurred to rebrand Edgewood’s Mascot the Indian would be prohibitive during this time of Covid where extra costs are abundant. All the schools team uniforms and the Edgewood signage alone would be extremely costly. I am against this move as is my Son, a 2019 graduate. Thank you for your time and consideration.
I do not support changing the name of the Edgewood Jr/Sr High School mascot.
I think the mascot should remain the same since this has been the same mascot for about 60 years and I do not see how this is harming anyone. I think this honors them and speaking to friends that heritage is Indian they do not see how the Indian mascot is affecting them or anyone else.
Keep the "Indians". I have lived in Merritt Island for 55 years. I attended Tropical, Jefferson and Merritt Island High. We raised our children here who have attended these schools including Edgewood and now our grandchildren. We all have history here being proud of the schools we attended and all the memorabilia that goes with it. Changing the Mascot would be changing all prior attendees history. The request to make this change is not rational. Someone needs to stand ground and stop this vicious cycle.
Keep the Indian mascot.
Longstanding traditions should not be changed for light and transient, even if those feelings are strongly held. There is nothing about the name or the image used as Edgewood's mascot that would strike the average person, applying contemporary community standards, as offensive. This is the test created by the courts to determine whether something is obscene and its use is appropriate here. The mascot was not chosen to insult any group or make a demeaning caricature, and does not do so. The name “Indian” is not offensive. It is the generally accepted name of a group of people. It doesn’t describe any feature of the people, nor their appearance, nor disparage their history or culture. Although many people prefer the term Native American, many still refer to themselves as Indians. The image of the mascot is of a man’s face. It does not contain any exaggerated features or other elements that would cause it to be offensive. The depiction of feathers is neither exaggerated nor unduly stereotypical, because feathered headdress was very common among natives. The name and mascot should not be changed.
I do not see any good reason to change the name of Edgewood! Please keep the Edgewood Indians name! In this season of changes it seems that people becoming more and more offended by things might either grow up or get a grip on things that truly matter.
I applaud you for making a change to the mascot that is insensitive to our indigenous population.
I am very much OPPOSED to Edgewood Junior/Senior High changing its mascot from the Indian to anything else. My opposition is grounded in the belief that history and tradition is important and must be valued. Educational institutions have always chosen their mascots for positive attributes creating a source of school pride. Edgewood’s choice of the Indian for its mascot is no doubt based on our beliefs that Indians were and are strong, resourceful, creative, resilient, fierce and certainly loyal to their tribe. I would suggest that Edgewood retain its history and emphasize all the positive attributes of native Americans. The Ais Indians should be emphasized as they were some of our earliest ancestors. The school can bring in experts on native American culture and skills. Have any of you decision makers ever tried to start fire with a bow drill? Do you have any idea what an atlatl is or have you ever thrown one? If not, you should. And these are just simple suggestions of the kinds of early American history that you and your students could become aware of, amazed at, and impressed by, continuing your pride and belief that being called an Indian is a matter of honor since our native American Indians were skilled, smart and resourceful. Have you considered the fact that to change your mascot to anything else will bring forth objections in the future? You must realize that there is a positive and a negative side to every possible mascot. However, YOU and the student body has the duty, obligation, and responsibility to establish your own, positive, strong, self-identity and culture. You CAN do that with any mascot. Stand strong and embrace yourselves positively for who you are and what you stand for: the Indian is strong, resourceful, creative, resilient, fierce and certainly loyal to their tribe.
Waste of time and money
Don’t change the Mascot name. Enough is enough. Unless you have Native American Indians protesting there is no good reason to appease the elitists!
Trying to change the history of Edgewood as part of the political cancel culture is a disgrace. This move is being made by a group of people that want to prove they hold power over history and how the school came to proudly choose this mascot. If you speak to those that this mascot represents, I am sure you would find it offensive to them to erase their history. The mascot serves as a reminder for all of us. One that we are in desperate need of right now, tonight. It’s a sign of appreciation that this mascot is here to remind us where we came from. It is also a chance to keep educating our students of our true history. Not the ones this cancel culture are trying to rewrite. My husband and kids have grown up in Melbourne, we know the history. The mascot needs to stay. Thank you.
My thought is that the issue of changing the mascot is another example of political correctness run amok. It seems in our society today everyone is offended by something. It seems to me that more time should be spent on that which unites us. It would be far more productive and far less divisive. And would teach our kids and quite a few of our adults to be less critical of each other. Think about it. Everybody is offended by something. When and where does it all stop?
Dear Principal Ingratta, Assistant Principal Stewart, Superintendent Mullins, the Edgewood School Advisory Council, and the School Board of Brevard County:
On behalf of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), I am writing in response to a request for assistance that we received from a member of the Edgewood Junior/High School community. This individual informed us that the Edgewood Junior/High School community is currently engaged in a conversation about whether to retire its "Indians" name and mascot, and asked if NCAI would provide the school and school board with some general information about the facts concerning the harms caused by the continued use of Native “themed” mascots in sports and popular culture. That is the purpose of this email.
NCAI is the oldest, largest, and most representative national organization representing tribal nations and peoples. It has been leading Indian Country’s consensus-driven movement to eradicate offensive Native “themed” mascots from sports and popular culture for the past fifty years. As a resolution passed by NCAI’s membership in 2005 explains, “the use of ‘Native American’ sports mascots, logos, or symbols perpetuates stereotypes of American Indians that are very harmful. The ‘warrior savage’ myth has plagued this country’s relationships with the Indian people, as it reinforces the racist view that Indians are uncivilized and uneducated and it has been used to justify policies of forced assimilation and destruction of Indian culture.”
Below are linked resources that provide additional details about NCAI and tribal nations’ broad and longstanding opposition to the use of these mascots, as well as the harms that they cause:
NCAI’s “Ending the Legacy of Racism” Report<http://www.ncai.org/attachments/PolicyPaper_mijApMoUWDbjqFtjAYzQWlqLdrwZvsYfakBwTHpMATcOroYolpN_NCAI_Harmful_Mascots_Report_Ending_the_Legacy_of_Racism_10_2013.pdf>
NCAI Native "Themed" School Mascot National Tracking Database: The Current Numbers<http://bit.ly/schoolmascotdatabase>
NCAI: Learn About Tribal Nations, Citizenship, History, and Contemporary Issues<http://www.ncai.org/initiatives/partnerships-initiatives/Learn_About_Tribal_Nations_FINAL.pdf>
NCAI Statement on Washington Football Team's Retirement of Racist Mascot<http://www.ncai.org/news/articles/2020/07/13/ncai-statement-on-the-washington-football-team-s-retirement-of-racist-mascot>
Washington Post: NCAI President Op-ed: Ridding Football of Racial Slurs<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/heres-something-id-be-thankful-for-ridding-football-of-racial-slurs/2018/11/21/455be8da-edc3-11e8-8679-934a2b33be52_story.html>
NCAI Applauds Decision by Little League International to Ban Racially Offensive Team Names and Mascots<http://www.ncai.org/news/articles/2019/01/11/ncai-applauds-decision-by-little-league-international-to-ban-racially-offensive-team-names-and-mascots>
Cleveland Indians manager says it’s time to change the team name<https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/05/us/cleveland-indians-mascot-trnd/index.html>
National Education Association Resolution: Supporting Removal of Native Themed Mascots<https://ra.nea.org/business-item/2018-nbi-120/>
National Indian Education Association Resolution: Elimination of Race-Based Indian Logos, Mascots, and Names<https://www.niea.org/niea-blog-2009/elimination-of-race-based-indian-logos-mascots-andnames>
American Psychological Association Resolution - Retiring American Indian Mascots<https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/indian-mascots>
Study finds only harmful effects from Native themed mascots<https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/study-finds-only-harmful-effects-from-native-themed-mascots-Gr8ez-HtvkeB-Q5SPNhmhw>
Leading National Civil Rights and Racial Justice Organizations Announce Joint Opposition to Washington NFL Team Locating New Stadium in District of Columbia<http://www.ncai.org/news/articles/2018/08/24/leading-national-civil-rights-and-racial-justice-organizations-announce-joint-opposition-to-washington-nfl-team-locating-new-stadium-in-district-of-columbia>
CNN: Maine to become first state to ban Native American mascots in public schools<https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/17/us/maine-bans-native-american-mascots/index.html>
NCAI: Ending the Era of Harmful “Indian” Mascots<http://www.ncai.org/proudtobe>
NCAI 2013 Resolution: Commending Efforts to Eliminate Racist Stereotypes in Sports and Calling on the U.S. President and Congress to Combat These Continuing Affronts to Native Peoples<http://www.ncai.org/attachments/Resolution_OYdGFAZFMqQHpjvyNLpIcWKmsrTcaUnlcqeMnyetmhetMvcyVZn_TUL-13-050%20Final.pdf>
NCAI 2005 Resolution: Support for NCAA Ban on “Indian” Mascots<http://www.ncai.org/attachments/Resolution_dZoHILXNEzXOuYlebzAihFwqFzfNnTHDGJVwjaujdNvnsFtxUVd_TUL-05-087.pdf>
Op-ed: The destructive dynamic of dehumanizing Native Americans<https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/civil-rights/296846-the-destructive-dynamic-of-dehumanizing-native-americans>
Why Educators Can’t Ignore Indian Mascots<http://aistm.org/cornel.why.educators.htm>
Please let me know if you have any questions or require additional information as you deliberate this critical issue. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, Ian Record; Ph.D; Vice President, Tribal Governance and Special Projects National Congress of American Indians