What I was less impressed with was the school administration’s response to the issues they were raising. Although West Seattle High School’s 2001 Annual Report, states that its mission “is to provide a safe, constructive learning environment that honors the dignity and worth of every individual in the school community,” what we found out very quickly, as we began our campaign to change the mascot, was that the school maintains this policy loosely.

Students have been challenging the school on this issue of changing the racist and stereotypical Indian mascot for more than twenty years. This issue has dragged on for so long due to the financial threats that the West Seattle High School Alumni Association has made toward the school, in addition to the general ignorance of people on this issue.

Over the past six months, we have had many conversations with the principal and other administrators. We have conducted two press conferences, protests, and have generally worked to educate the community on why we find depictions of ourselves as sports mascots offensive. I am happy to share that the young people were successful in their campaign. On July 10, the Seattle School Board passed a resolution banning the use of First Nations images as mascots, nicknames and logos in the Seattle School District.

For the purpose of education, I thought with my story in Breadlines, I would share some arguments that the youth have put forward against the use of their images as mascots. The following are letters they wrote:

"This image does not honor, but objectifies and dehumanizes First Nations people -- not only students, but people in the community. As you know, many schools use animals or natural disasters as logos. Using a First Nations image as a logo places First Nations people in the same category with those animals and natural disasters. The use of these images as nicknames and logos establishes a stereotype of First Nations people as violent or no longer in existence, and neglects to show the diversity of tribal cultures. Once established, these stereotypes are very hard to combat."

"The West Seattle High School’s nickname and logo deepens and perpetuates stereotypes already held by people in the community and other students. When they are faced with real First Nations people, they have a hard time seeing through the stereotype to the American Indian person who doesn’t necessarily live in a teepee, or wield a tomahawk, or wear a feathered headdress, but does maintain his or her own tribal culture nonetheless. This wouldn’t happen to any other separate and oppressed cultural or ethnic group."

"The mascot is dehumanizing. Mascots make people believe that Indians only existed in the past. But here we are, and this affects those of us still alive and trying to maintain our cultures in this society today."

"As you may know, some Native people find these images to be an honor. As I see it, Native people have been dehumanized and oppressed to such a point that the only images of ourselves that we see in the media are caricatures such as the West Seattle mascot or as savages that had to be exterminated in our history books. Some of our people are desperate to have any image of our peoples present in today’s society. But don’t use us as symbols. Instead, partner with us to include our histories and cultures into our classrooms."

"Take this week, for example: President Bush said that the Duwamish peoples are extinct. Meanwhile, I stand looking at the television, watching a Duwamish elder telling the public that she and her people are still here. If the use of Indian images supposedly keeps Indian issues visible, then how come the First people of West Seattle are considered extinct? If West Seattle High School wants to honor Native peoples, then why don’t we advocate for the recognition and return of homelands to all indigenous peoples of what we call the United States. Let’s honor the Treaty of Point Elliot that promised the Duwamish land to live on."