Indian Mascots- Assembly About to Escalate Dumb

The Wisconsin Assembly is going to go at it again; they are going to change the legislation around how school districts, with Indian based mascots, can be challenged and have their mascot changed.  Currently, one person can object to a mascot and the process begins, based on a 2010 law created by the blue team.  The current bill by the red team would change this system so more than one person must show harm - real or perceived.

From the Milwaukee JS 9/26
"This legislation is a good step in recognizing that a single individual should not be able to dictate their will over a whole community and in the process deprive an entire group of people their right to due process," said a statement issued by Craig, whose district includes part of the Mukwonago Area School District.


"The law change resulted in three districts changing their team names or logos. Additionally, Mukwonago has been ordered to make changes, but the School Board has refused to comply."

This issue is very interesting because no one is calling this for "what it is:" Indian identity theft.  Of course, that would require a greater appreciation of property rights (yes, names and logo's are legal property).  Additionally, no one is calling this "what it could be:" an opportunity for our Indian tribes to say to our schools, "if you want to use our images and play your games, then let us teach about the society and culture you wiped from the landscape."

The tribes are missing a huge opportunity and the legislature is trying to take bad legislation and make it worse.  Like teams named "Spartans," it is a sense of mythical greatness that brought these districts to use the Indian symbology.  Does no one see a chance to make something great out of this?  Does no one see a chance for a school to say, "we want not just the logo but the connection to Wisconsin's true historical heritage, and we invite the tribes of Wisconsin to teach us what we don't know and add historical pride and understanding to our mascot."

This would engender pride and understanding in Indian culture, in the life they led, and in their balance with nature as well as the cultural and spiritual history they struggle today to maintain.  Instead, we are enemies and must further division instead of understanding.  You can't legislate those results; they only come from an honest effort at open understanding.

But in a system where the implicit threat of force is the only possible solution, it is easily equated that when the only tool you have is a hammer then every problem is going to look like a nail.  According to the blue team it was swinging time, and according to the red team, we need more people swinging.

Swing away blue's and red's; this only exaggerates the sense Wisconsin has that you are clueless on fixing anything.  Division is all you can seem to create.

Join us for "Road Signs - Our Political Economy," Sunday September 29th, 6 PM.  Click for more information.