Posted on 05/15/2018 3:27:50 PM PDT by TBP
In these days of just about anything bearing Native American imagery getting trashed in the name of cultural sensitivity — particularly team and school mascots — one Colorado high school and one tribe are showing America how real learning and communication comes to life.
Strasburg High School has always been “Home of the Indians,” but instead of banning the name and the logos that mark hallways and uniforms, students at the school decided to reach out to the region’s Northern Arapaho Tribe, KCNC-TV reported.
A collaboration is born
The students worked with the tribe to make subtle changes to the mascot — and as it turned out, to the school itself, the station said.
“I love their sense of community and the fact that the kids in the tribe they respect their elders so much,” junior Mati Douglas, who has taken charge of the three-year-old project, told KCNC.
A blessing is bestowed
Principal Jeff Rasp added to the station that the Northern Arapaho Tribe gave its blessing to the high school’s mission — and that one of the tribe members even drew Strasburg’s new logo.
“So in that process, they came to the school, they visited,” Rasp noted to KCNC. “We kept in correspondence with them.”
‘We can sit down and talk’
“You know it’s always good when we can sit down and talk and recognize the importance of our culture,” Anthony Addison of the tribe told the station.
Yet another powwow
KCNC cameras caught portions of a Northern Arapaho powwow at Strasburg High — the third there so far since the collaboration commenced, with many more anticpated in the future.
“Our young kids have lots to share with the kids of Strasburg,” Gail Ridgely, another member of the tribe, told the station.
Ridgely — a teacher for many years on their reservation in Wind River, Wyoming — told KCNC he loves the concept of students from different cultures teaching and learning from each other.
‘I’m honored to be here today’
“I’m honored to be here today, because this was one of my goals when I was in the classroom that something, somehow could happen down the road like this,” Ridgely added to the station.
img src="https://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/native-american-mascot-new-twist-3.jpg">
This writer’s perspective
The video of members of the Northern Arapaho Tribe holding hands with Strasburg students and dancing in a line is heartening — and an example to those in the oh-so-woke sectors of America that different cultures aren’t to be shunned or avoided or kept off limits or separate in name of political correctness and the fear of committing cultural appropriation, according to … somebody.
The students and the school did the right thing by approaching the tribe for their input about their mascot. The tribe and its members did the right thing by welcoming the dialogue and collaboration and imparting knowledge and experience.
Now a friendship is in full flight because each “side” took a risk and trusted the other. Talking, sharing, openness, vulnerability. Hopefully others are watching this unfold — because that’s how conflicts and enemies are avoided.
So much hate in America from the Left.
This is nice to see that we can all be Americans and not cubby-holed by the liberals into boxes they use to pit one against the other.
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That picture with their head down... are they praying? If so, isn’t that against the separation of church and state the lieberals whine about incessantly?
Good job, otherwise. Just like the Washington REDSKINS, who actually were named in HONOR of American Indians, and had the blessing of so many of them decades ago when we weren’t a pansy-ass country.
Notice that the tribe didn’t insist that the team be renamed the Strasburg “Native Americans”? All of these “culturally-sensitive” labels, like “Native American”, and “African American” were invented by white liberals. The folks who are actually from those ethnic backgrounds rarely refer to themselves with the white liberal, PC-approved titles.
Have long thought that naval warships be named after Native American warriors. The USS Crazy Horse has a nice ring to it
Attention Ward Churchill and AIM, Red Alert! Get your community organizers down to Strasburg and get people yelling at each other, quick! Rules for Radicals 13!
I second the motion...The Army names it’s helos after Native American tribes...Kiowa, Apache, Blackhawk, etc...Fitting tribute to the warrior spirit of our Native American brothers and sisters...
Amazing what can be accomplished when we don’t hate/murder one another.
No kidding. Honestly, I have wondered how any Indians would be upset about the generally war-like usage of names for sporting teams, and the real war practice of naming units and equipment after war-like Indian tribes.
Always seemed more respect than ridicule to me.
Then I thought about it and realized most of it probably comes from two sources: Indians to whom Leftism and victimhood are far more important than pride and masculinity, and graduates of Native American studies programs.
If I were a member of the Apache Tribe, and someone asked me how I felt about having a bad-ass weapon of war named after my tribe, I would probably say...”Yeah. Yeah. I like that.”
Of course, members of the Unicorn Fart Tribe may feel quite differently.
As US Navy, I like that idea.
Christ, anything is an improvement over the last nine years...the “Harvey Milk” made me so angry I couldn’t even think about it without nearly spitting. (I know, it is a USNS ship)
Never mind the Gabrielle Giffords. When I first heard of these namings, I felt certain they were standard Internet satire.
Boy, did I ever feel old when I found out they were real.
Need more of this!
Indian mascots show reverence to Indian’s.
A recognition and respect for the warrior inside them.
A Marxist paradise is a country without a history from which it grows.
There are a number of real Indians who see no problem with the Cleveland Indians and their mascot. Hire them.
We name teams for something we admire. That’s why we have Tigers, Lions, Bears, and the like. They’re intended to put the other teams on alert.
So when we name a team the Indians, it means we’e admiring them.
Remember the bozoids who printed up T-shirts for a fictional team called the Whiteboys? The idea was to show us how hurtful these names are. White folk ought the shirts and laughed.
If the Cleveland Indians were smart, they’d get a local tribe to help them design the NEW Chief Wahoo. (Wahoo Jr.?)
Reminds me of the old joke about how the chief’s son got his name.
Good post!
One of the under appreciated ‘issues’ I see in society today is an inability to laugh at ourselves.
We’re a nation of tight a$$es!
however a key point to note is that the mascot is very respectful. This really shows honour to the Arpaho tribe
But some are Loony=toon ridiculous like the Cleveland indian mascot
How it should be but seldom is.
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