The community of Kelseyville was not willing nor would they ever change the name of their town or would they?
At the hearing at Kelseyville High School last month many people said they honored the Indians. Well, no one offered to change the name of the town Kelseyville and honor the Indians with Pomoville, Indianville or Nativeville! This is their town and their decision, not my request.
To suggest a bronze Indian statue in combat or a spectacular mural of a warrior just about to claim victory is just another insult to native people. This world is at war and there is no need to glorify combat with an opponent.
US historians documented that Andrew Kelsey starved, beat, raped and murdered natives at Bloody Island, located near Nice. Those natives were my ancestors.
A 3-year-old girl survived the massacre and she was my fourth-generation great-grandmother. Her name was Lucy Moore. She lived to be 114.
Andrew Kelsey was honored with a town named after him, Kelseyville. To associate the Kelseyville name with the mascot nickname The Indians and The Braves is an outright disgrace. The native people were brave when they tried to defend themselves against Kelsey s army that took their gift of land, food, and our native ways and their lives, given to them by the creator.
Imagine if you will a town named after a vicious terrorist. Terrorist High School named their mascot the Americans. If American children and their parents went to a ball game and heard, Kill those Americans, while opposing fans held dolls of Americans with the heads removed, chanting degrading ugly slurs, how would they explain to their children that it s all for the sport, and the school is honoring the Americans?
Americans pride is offended when someone burns the US flag, right?
A nationwide campaign should be started to honor those who recognize that native people and people of other nationalities are offended by such activity. Stop the hate and start the healing.
To the sisters and brothers of Lake County, let us work together to clean up the mercury left behind from the gold rush days leaking into Clearlake!
I would like to thank the Creator of Life; my great, great, great, great-grandmother Lucy Moore for her survival; my family; the residents of Lake County who supported this change; Clayton Duncan; and the Kelseyville School Board for believing with their heart and putting an end to the mascot nightmare of the Kelseyville Indians. Thank you.
Remember, natives have pride and so do you!
Michael A. Pena
Robinson Rancheria tribal member
Nice
