KELSEYVILLE – Despite March”s unanimous 5-0 vote by the Kelseyville Unified High School District Board to drop the 85-year-old Indian mascot at the Kelseyville High School, the issue is apparently not settled.
Two Kelseyville Business leaders, identified as representatives of the community, have told KUSD Superintendent Boyce McClain and two members of the board that a majority of the people in Kelseyville are opposed to the change.
During an informal meeting last Friday night that was carefully set up in order to comply with Brown Act provisions, the two leaders told McClain and the two board members that they could muster the required number of signatures (1,600) to petition for a recall of the board, McClain said.
The segment of the community favoring the Indian mascot could then vote members of that community to the board to reverse the earlier decision.
But Marr Olson, one of the two Kelseyville leaders opposing the change, said, “To be honest with you, this recall thing is on hold until we”re able to get something worked out so that there”s no problem regarding the mascot change. At this point, it”s too preliminary to say anything.”
Alluding to the KUSD board”s next meeting on Wednesday, May 24, where the mascot-change issue is expected to be formally reintroduced, Olson told a reporter, “I”m sure there”ll be something to report. I”d like to have a scoop for you, but until we have that meeting there is no scoop.”
McClain said that as an alternative to a recall move, the mascot-change issue could be put on the November ballot to allow the public to vote on it. And that apparently is what Olson is referring to in saying that efforts are being made to work things out.
Still, Olson and the second Kelseyville business leader, who wishes to remain anonymous, are serious enough to have consulted with Lake County Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley about the options.
McClain said he was hoping against a recall.
“I don”t want to lose a good board,” he said. “The administration supports all of this [changing the mascot], but it”s a cultural issue and if the community wants to vote to keep it or not keep it, I think that”s a better position to take than a recall vote.”
Clayton Duncan, a spokesman for the region”s American Indians, was initially surprised to learn of the effort to reopen the mascot-change issue, and then angered.
“Whoever”s doing this, using their energy like that to keep us down, has no respect for us native people as human beings,” he said. “We were all happy [after the Kelseyville board”s vote]. I went to San Francisco to do a presentation and I mentioned that. People were clapping. It was a good and positive thing for us. Now, these guys want to continue to call us Indians.”
In an effort to stay clear of controversy, McClain said that KHS is quietly moving away from the Indian symbol. Mountain Vista Middle School, according to Principal John Berry, has already virtually wiped out its Warrior symbol. But with this new development there”s still a possibility all that could be reversed.
“It”s not a done deal until it”s finally over,” said McClain.
Contact John Lindblom at jlwordsmith@mchsi.com.
