Bonnie Bing: It’s time to change Wichita North High School’s mascot
Redskins.
It’s a word that’s getting a lot of attention these days. It was not a racial slur in 1769 when an Indian Chief used the term in a letter to a British Lt., but by 1863 “redskin” was used as a pejorative in an article in a Minnesota newspaper.
Locally there’s more interest in the changing of the Wichita High School North team name than the Washington Redskins. North students, graduates, teachers, alumni and staff are wondering if they’ll start the school year with a new team name.
Some are adamant that the name should never be changed, some say in light of the fact it is now considered a racial slur it has to be changed.
I’m proud to say I’m a graduate of North High. But I’m not proud to say that not once in my time at North did I think about the term as being derogatory. I yelled “Once a Redskin, always a Redskin” along with everyone else.
The first time I realized there was some controversy was decades ago at The Eagle when Bob Lutz and Rod Pocowatchit did pro and con columns on the subject.
“At that time I took the ‘keep the nickname stance,” Bob said, “But when I wrote about it again later, I changed my tune. I feel like “Redskins” is derogatory.”
Rod, a full- blooded Native American hasn’t changed his tune. “I went to Southeast, but I’ve never liked the name Redskins. It is a racial slur, but for some reason all these years people seemed to think it’s been okay,” he said.
But more than the name, Rod says the actions, the behavior, such as the tomahawk chop and what are supposed to be war dances, are what has always bothered him.
Those in favor of keeping the name are just as adamant and many feel strongly that the changes won’t stop with just the name.
Bob Brewer, class of 1961, wrote in an email, “Why can’t we be proud, along with them (Native Americans) in their symbols on my high school and on the bridge I walked across twice every school day? Do you want to tear down the facades of the Minisa Bridge and North High also?”
Gary Shreve, class of 1965, says if people knew the history of the Native Americans in this area they wouldn’t think of changing the name. “The name Wichita is from the Indians that lived here on the concourse of the two rivers. Is the Keeper of the Plains coming down too? They going to tear down our bridge too?”
Elizabeth Anglin, 17, who will be a junior this year in the bio-med program at North says, “As a student I don’t really want it to change, but it probably should. A lot of people haven’t researched the term Redskin. When I was a freshman I looked it up. I thought, ‘That’s not good’ because it is a racial slur.”
I asked Elizabeth if she and her friends had come up with any alternative names. She said, “Well, maybe Warriors, or Prairie Dogs, Stallions.”
Stephanie Byers, who was the band and orchestra teacher for 28 years before retiring last year, says it’s time for a change. “Whether or not the word originally had a negative connotation, it is now considered derogatory. The spirit of the place is not the mascot,” she said.
Gaye Coburn who taught at North her entire teaching career, 37 years, thinks the reason this whole issue is so difficult is the deep devotion students, teachers and graduates have for the school.
“It is so hard to admit that a title that you are so devoted to could be, well, wrong,” she said.
The beautiful North High building has been at the corner of Rochester and 13th St. since 1929. The halls are filled with photos of graduates who cheered and got goosebumps during the War Cry spirit song. I wore my pep club uniform proudly with the Indian Chief applique on the front. I was a Redskin through and through.
But a lot has changed over the past few decades. Political correctness brought about changes in the way we think of many words. Many racial slurs have always been just that. There was no doubt if you used or heard one of them, you knew it was an insult. But it has taken some time for other words to be realized as truly offensive. It seems Redskin is one of them.
Some argue that having the Redskin team name and mascot is actually honoring Native Americans. But think it over. How can you honor someone or a group of people by calling them what is now considered a disrespectful and racist term?
When it comes down to it, my memories of high school days aren’t tied just to our mascot, but to my friends, to the teachers I won’t forget. I’ll always have the fun memories of parking where I wasn’t supposed to and jumping in the car with my friends to skip out during lunch. That was long before students were allowed to leave campus during lunch. And there was a strict dress code. My senior year Pep Club officers built a Viking ship in our garage and won Most Creative Float in the water parade at the end of the year. Memories are the important part of school. Nothing can change that.
Yes, changing the team name will be difficult, but it’s time to be respectful make the change.