Is there a ?third way” to address name change?
I recently attended a school board meeting in Kelseyville where the name of the school team was the subject of emotional debate. I agreed with the young athletes who said “The Knights” suck as a name. But it sounded like mostly they wanted to have a successful academic year and play sports with the whole town turning out to cheer them on. Young people are go-forward kind of spirits.
And it is hard to go back in time and awareness once we know better. I doubt they would really feel school spirit from sitting in the stands yelling, “Smash the Jews”, “Cream The White Man”, “Slaughter the Coyotes”, “Pummel The Mexicans”, “Butcher the Whales” or hear shouts from their opponents, “Kill The Indians”.
I don”t like that my great grandparents remained silent and condoned the killing of Indians. But it won”t help for me to pretend it didn”t happen. Truth is hard and then it liberates. Everything starts to change. I am not an Indian. I am sitting with the Indians. There is a big difference.
So, to the young people at Kelseyville High. Rise up. Call for a competition to find a new name for your team. Have art contests for logos and songs. Don”t get brought down in this mire. Your neighbors are telling you loud and clear, “This hurts. Please stop hurting us.” The cleanest response is, “OK. That is not our intention so we will find another name. We will find the third way.”
What is the third way? The third way is when the first and second way is unacceptable. So instead of choosing between two negatives, you create a positive alternative.
Way one is unacceptable which is to keep the name “The Knights”. Students hate it. Makes it hard for current and future generations to trust neighbors, feel safe at school, and get a good education.
Way two is unacceptable which is to keep the name “The Indians”. That hurts the Indians, again. Makes it hard for current and future generations to trust their neighbors, feel safe at school, get a good education
Way three? Take on a new name chosen by the current student body that is not offensive to any cultural or ethnic group, to women or to an endangered species. In a formal ceremony, ask the Pomo Indian committee, chosen by the Clayton Duncan family, to clarify that there is no offense in the new logo. In a public ceremony, offer up the new name, mascot, logo, and song to a new era of peace and understanding in the context of historic truth.
And be sure to invite 60 Minutes and The Today Show so that they can report on a student body that is moving forward, not with hate, denial and mistrust, but with full disclosure. Let it go down in history that in 2008, the student body of Kelseyville High decided not to call themselves “The Indians” but rather to actually be in community with their Indian neighbors.
Holly Near
Santa Rosa
