R.I.P.The Dartmouth Indian Mascot(and all talks about bringing it back)1769- 2010
Mr. Lott, please know this isn't directed at you. I believe in freshmen mistakes and not knowing any better. But you know what? I'm sick and tired that we as a student body still don't know any better. It is simply unacceptable.
After four years at this College on the Hill, I'm still surprised and shocked by the debate this issue generates. "Is it offensive? Well, what makes it offensive, because you know I don't really find it all that offensive? Explain yourselves, Native community."Posted by Anonymous who has nothing better to do with his or her life than to continue the "debate" with seemingly innocuous comments that are, in actuality, stupid.
Yes, there are such things as stupid questions. I'm sorry no one ever told you that.
So, let me catch you up to speed. Listen up. And yes, I'm talking to you too, Dartmouth Review writers, who still insist on calling our sports teams, the "Indians." And to all of you who thinking wearing the Dartmouth Indian shirt is "vintage and cool and real, real fratty": This isn't the 18th century anymore. We no longer all take Latin in order to graduate. Women go to Dartmouth now. And guess what? Our mission is no longer to evangelize Native communities.
Newsflash: Dartmouth's changed in the last 200 years. So why can't you?
In light of our school's history being formed to educate and evangelize the Native population I ask: What are we actually talking about when we say we should use the Dartmouth Indian, or the Abenaki tribe, as our mascot? A mascot is meant to rally team spirit and camaraderie. And typically, a mascot represents either an animal or an object not a person, or an entire group of people. So how does having the Dartmouth Indian be it Abenaki, Cherokee or Navajo honor our school's commitment to Native Americans? It doesn't. Rather it treats them as merchandise, caricaturizing them as redskins with tomahawks and war paint.
So, is it really too much to ask that we be respectful of a community that has felt marginalized not only by our school's history, but by America's history as well? This isn't a matter of freedom of speech. Or taking your rights away. It's a matter of being a decent human being.
And yes, I'm going to couch it in those terms. Because too often we assuage our consciences by thinking it's not us that's the problem, it's them. You know, the douchebags that actually decide to wear the Dartmouth Indian T-shirt. "Oh, he's in a frat. So, it's not like he can really be held accountable." I suppose that applies to the frat brothers who get the Dartmouth Indian head tattoo, as well. They weren't even here when it was the mascot.
But the fact of the matter is, by continuing to remain silent, we are all complicit. By not taking a stand on this as a College, we continue to have this conversation year in and year out, and you know what? It's utterly pointless. All we do is make old wounds fester and promote ignorance on an issue that could be very easily resolved once and for all.
You wanna build a better Dartmouth? Well, let's start here. No, I'm serious. Let's put an end to this. Right now. Because how can we profess to take on the problems of the world as our own when we can't even support members in our own Dartmouth community?
Oh, ok you say. Well, "Frosty" or "Sarah" or whoever the hell you are, so far you've been really polemical in what you've had to say, so what do you have to offer that's actually constructive?
Well, I've got two ideas:
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I figured people would balk at the idea of requiring every student to take a class in the Native American Studies Program in order to graduate, so instead I propose that during Orientation we have a session where we learn about the controversy surrounding Dartmouth's mascot and why it is controversial. Because it is only through education that we will ultimately dispel the ignorance and confusion currently surrounding the issue. Not to mention, if Dartmouth has such a strong commitment to Native American students why do so many of us know so little of Dartmouth's history with Native Americans? This is unacceptable.
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Let's start a campaign of awareness surrounding the Dartmouth Indian shirt. We can't outright ban it, but we can discourage it being worn. Because contrary to popular belief, student activism isn't dead. We can change the culture currently surrounding the t-shirt if we care enough to try. I'm not asking for lynch mobs and pitchforks, but I am asking for an on-going dialogue.
R.I.P. Dartmouth Indian Mascot and all the conservations we've had over the years.
It's time.
Build a new Dartmouth. Today.
