Tribe Wants New Colville School Mascots Leaders Say Use Of The Names Chiefs And Warriors Is Derogatory

The original Colville Indians want the Colville High School Indians to find another name.

A delegation from the tribal government asked the Colville School Board on Tuesday to change school mascot names they say are stereotypical or derogatory to Indians.

“We are trying to make a concerted effort throughout our Indian country to uplift our people,” tribal Councilman Jerry Stensgar said. “We’re not trying to be negative in any way.”

Lou Stone, a tribal member and Colville High graduate, said he felt “humiliated” as a high school athlete to see images he considered sacred used in a mocking way.

Several people in the audience agreed the school board should change school names, such as the Fort Colville Middle School Chiefs and Colville Junior High Warriors, who were the Savages until about five years ago.

A representative of the Upper Columbia Human Rights Coalition also urged the school board to honor the request.

Board members made no decision, but agreed to pursue the issue by attending a tribal council meeting next month. The request for new names is a departure from tribal assurances in 1992 and 1994 that there was room for two sets of Colville Indians.

Tribal Councilwoman Doll Watt said letters condoning use of the name may have represented the views of individual council members. Now, though, the tribal government has adopted an official resolution calling for all such names to be changed in the traditional territory of the Colville Confederated Tribes, she said.

Watt said the tribal council approved the resolution at the request of elders on the Cultural Resource Board. In addition to school mascots, the resolution calls for changing offensive geographic names, such as Squaw Creek and Squaw Mountain.

Stensgar said Indian-named mascots often are confusing to Indian children.

Watt said many schools may have adopted Indian names with good intentions, but they often present distorted views of Indian culture. A former teacher, Watt said the confusion often is compounded by history classes that often lump all Indians together.

One example is the totem pole outside the junior high where the school board met. Totem poles aren’t part of the culture of Indians in this area.

While the totem pole shows respect, Watt said, many school mascot names don’t.

“In 1492, we were first identified as savages and heathens,” Watt told the school board. “Did anyone ever stop to ask what we call ourselves?

Names are important to Indians, she said, noting that her Indian name, Hauticou, or Calm Water, refers to the spot near Inchelium where Stensgar Creek flows into the Columbia River.

Colville resident Norma Miller likened the situation to the “fair-fight rules” she teaches as a counselor. One of the rules is not to call somebody a name they don’t like, she said.

But another resident, Ruth Ray, questioned whether changing the school names would lead to requests to change river and city names.

Watt said she doesn’t know of any offensive river or city names.

“Hundreds” of tribal members have expressed support for the resolution, said tribal member Jalene Finley of Inchelium.

, DataTimes