This week’s question grapples with an issue that is front and center in Canisteo-Greenwood School District
By Andrew Harris
This isn’t a new question in the Canisteo valley. The Seneca nation and supporters asked the Canisteo-Greenwood School District to end the “Redskins” era many years ago. Contentious community debate took place and the district ultimately decided to keep the name.
Native American cultural activists have not stopped asking for the change and have been successful in retiring many mascots in the sports world, most notably the Washington Redskins of the NFL.
With the threat by the NYS Department of Education to demand such changes in the near future, the administration of the Canisteo-Greenwood school district has reached out to the community on the subject. Numerous local press reports, initially indicated that the school district was inevitably going to retire the “Redskins” name. District Administration immediately made it very clear that the decision will be community based and announced a community comment survey was online.
These changes are happening all over the nation, drawing cheers from Native Tribes and anti-cultural appropriation activsts. They are also meeting strong resistance from those who are philsophically opposed to politically correct/woke cultural agendas.
Interestingly, some of the pushback against retiring mascots which represent Native American culture is from Native Americans. “The Native American Guardians Association,” is a well-known group who argues that their culture needs the exposure and attention garnered from being a school or professional sports mascot:
“NAGA celebrates and promotes the rich history, legacies, and many national contributions of First Nation’s people which have historically been woven into the fabric of American identity.”
Learn more about that group and their perspective on the subject here: www.nagaeducation.org
Are you a resident of the Canisteo-Greenwood School District? Be sure to contact the committee charged with making the decision over the future CG mascot. Mascot Survey Link
Visit the district information page on the subject here www.cgcsd.org/page/mascot-committee-recources
Voting on the Hornell Sun ends Friday at midnight, thanks for voting and share with a friend !!
