PORT NECHES, Texas -- The Cherokee Nation and others are urging a high school in southeast Texas to reconsider use of its Indians mascot and associated traditions deemed stereotypes of Native American culture.
The predominantly white Port Neches-Groves High School has for decades used the Indian as its mascot with traditions that include "Indian Spirit," the "Indianettes," a "Cherokee" fight song and the use of headdresses and totem poles.
"Ethnicity is not a mascot," a 142,700-signature change.org petition asking for retirement of the mascot states. "A Native headdress is not a logo, it is a sacred rite of Native American peoples earned by honorable warriors. A school cannot be 'against racism' while actively promoting a generalized mimicry of an entire culture. We are simply asking that Port Neches-Groves High School stop the racist insensitivity toward Native Americans."
The school says it was issued a certificate by the Cherokee Nation in 1979 recognizing the institution as "Ambassadors of Goodwill." In July, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. officially rescinded the certificate and support for "use of Cherokee Nation's name and use of any Native American culture, practices or imagery in the name of supporting school traditions."
"We have reviewed certain traditions of your school... and find that each of these uses perpetuate inaccurate misconceptions of Native American culture and invokes ideations of savagery which only perpetuates harmful stereotypes and inaccurately depicts our culture," he wrote in a letter to school leaders. "While I recognize the value of using traditions to unite a community and understand that sentimentality will no doubt remain, times are changing and community traditions rooted in derogatory imagery and names should change with the times."
According to the latest Census data, no resident of either the 12,655-population Port Neches or 15,480-population Groves identifies as solely American Indian. Instead, the towns are 87.9% and 89.5% white respectively, the data shows.
In Facebook discussions about the mascot issue, one user told the school, "It wouldn't be so controversial if (a) your students weren't screaming 'scalp em' (b) your field wasn't named the reservation and (c) you weren't being so objectively racist."
The Port Neches-Groves issue is part of a larger call across the country for the removal of mascots and traditions deemed offensive. The Washington, D.C., NFL franchise, having gone by its "Redskins" nickname for 87 seasons, announced July 13 that the name was retired.
"Having the children play dress up in stereotypical cartoon character-like costumes beating a hand drum," the Port Neches-Groves-related change.org petition states, "carrying a play tomahawk, feather fans or headdresses, painting faces, doing the tomahawk chops, hand over the mouth yelling or putting their hand up in the air and saying 'how' are examples of inauthentic representations of American Indian cultures."
The Houston Chronicle newspaper conducted a Port Neches-Groves-specific poll, asking readers if the school should keep or remove its mascot. An overwhelming majority of the 12,547 respondents, nearly 78%, voted in favor of keeping it.
