Local Control, Or Local Out-of-Control?

Me looking on as my sister Hope talks to the Waterville Morning Sentinel about why the mascot should be retired.
"Sisters taking up Indian mascot issue with Skowhegan school board" 11/19/18  photo credit: David Leaming

My sister Hope has a way with words. Her "I Listened" essay from remarks to the school board back in November currently has 7,698 views on my repost of it.

Yesterday, she sent emails to all of Maine's Democratic Senators.

Dear Maine Lawmakers, 

I write today urging you to pass LD944, a bill to ban the use of Native Americans as mascots.   

Lest you think I am “from away” as has been charged by those wishing to keep the SAD54 “Indian” mascot against those advocating for changing the mascot, let me say now I am a resident and homeowner in Skowhegan and live on the same block as my family has resided for eight generations.

Our dad Mark Elliott Savage (1932-1988) played many sports for Skowhegan.

My grandfather, Brooks Savage, served in the Maine Senate. My great nieces and nephews attend Skowhegan Area High School currently.  

Also not “from away” are the Penobscot Tribal Nation members, the original inhabitants of these lands, who have strongly asked that SAD54 refrain from insulting them by stereotyped usage of them as school mascots and pretending to be them, insisting it is an “honor” to be so used. It is because of the objection of the four tribes of the Wabanaki Federation that I advocate for the passage of this law.

Leaving this issue in the hands of locals has not been successful at resolving this civil rights issue. 

People who went to Skowhegan High School insist they be allowed to “keep our dear name” because it has always been used (though it was not in use when my grandfather attended SHS), and demand that Native Americans see it as an honor, despite being told it is insulting. 

Here’s how I see it...if your race has slaughtered another race in order to steal their land, banishing them and making laws prohibiting them from using their own language, religion and customs, stolen their children and put them in residential schools to train them to not act like their tribe..you don’t get to now pretend to be them and demand they feel honored by it.

Our Native American friends, neighbors and classmates deserve to be protected from being mocked, stereotyped and degraded by Maine’s educational institutions. 

We would not allow SAHS to call themselves Skowhegan Negros and have the gym floor depict a stereotype of a black man’s head!  This no different and the behavior of those wishing to continue using Native Americans this way make comments online like “we conquered them and can use them however we want."  A seated SAD54 school board member, Jennifer Poirier, hosts these hostile, racist comments on her Skowhegan Indian Pride Facebook page and actively undermines the school board’s vote to remove the mascot, against all ethics rules and agreements to which board members have agreed to be held. 

The level of racist rhetoric, on a scale of 1-10 in Skowhegan right now is 11.  High school students are flying confederate flags on their cars! Penobscot Nation representatives receive threats of death, gang rape and being traded for beaver grease and beer. Memes saying things like “My Indian Name Is Runs With Beer” depicting a drunk stereotyped Indian are common. Citizens are being harassed and threatened at their workplaces and in town for advocating for changing the mascot. So much for honor being the motive.

Local control unfortunately has led to local abuse and malfeasance. 

Let’s make sure our state can puts this behavior behind us by outlawing outdated racial abuse.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you agree that racism has no place in our schools and vote yes on LD944.

Hope Savage

Skowhegan, Maine

Several Maine lawmakers have responded to me that they support LD 944, including Senate Majority Leader Nate Libby. Here's a reply Hope received from a senator she sent her message to:

Thanks to everyone advocating for the passage of LD 944. And special thanks to Skowhegan alumna Allison Dorko for permission to use a phrase she coined as my headline today:

Local control, or local out-of-control?