Residents of Massachusetts Town Vote to Keep High School Indian Logo
“When you’re wearing that logo, we expect you to lose with grace, and win with dignity.”
The vote wasn’t even close, and it’s worth noting that the logo was designed by a member of the Wampanoag Tribe.
ABC 6 in Rhode Island reports:
Dartmouth residents vote to keep ‘Dartmouth Indian’ logo
Dartmouth residents voted Tuesday through referendum to determine the fate of the controversial high school logo.
The total votes in favor of keeping the “Dartmouth Indian” was 4,048. The number against keeping it was 969.
The Dartmouth Indians logo was designed by Clyde Andrews, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah, in 1974.
Sean Carney, Andrews nephew and fellow member of the tribe, explained why he believes the school uses the logo with honor.
“You don’t see it at half court, you don’t see it at the 50-yard line, you don’t see it in the end zone, you don’t see it anywhere it would be stepped on,” Carney continued. “When you wear that Indian logo on a your football helmet, just by putting that on you’re not being held to a higher standard. When you’re wearing that logo, we expect you to lose with grace, and win with dignity.”
Others felt differently, like Megan ‘Running Dear’ Page of the Pocasset Wampanoag tribe.
“As a tribe with past and present ties to Dartmouth, we the Pocasset are asking that the Dartmouth Indian logo be removed,” Page said. “For us, this is about so much more than a logo or mascot. Its use to Dartmouth High School is to symbolize the strength of the sports teams, the warrior strength. We feel that the Dartmouth Green Indian head doesn’t represent who we are, what we have been through, or the challenges the indigenous people still face.”
See the logo below:
#NOW It’s Election Day in Dartmouth!
Voters weighing in on whether or not the high school’s Indian logo should be changed. It’s been a hot topic for months but residents I’ve spoken to today want to keep the historic symbol in place arguing it is not disrepectful @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/tE8cRY5afz
— Brittany Schaefer (@BrittanyTVNews) April 5, 2022
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Comments
Good. And in Massachusetts yet!
Designed by a Wampanoag and opposed by the Pocasset tribe of the Wampanoag. Notice the letters P and C are in the name Pocasset.
How about meeting with school leaders in concert to discuss ways to honor traditions instead?
Note that Megan Page represents one faction of the Wampanoag Tribe. she’s not a spokesperson for a unified opinion. Funny how the reporter doesn’t mention that.
Yes. And? There’s something missing here, since she seems to think that’s a bad thing, but doesn’t say why.
That’s true. And? It’s not intended to represent those things. Why would you want a school team’s logo to do that, unless it was your tribe’s school? Suppose the school did design a new logo that accurately represented all of those things, would you not object to its using it?