Identity Theft
We have taken everything else from Native Americans; now we’re stealing their identity too
Many of the arguments by Dartmouth High School mascot supporters involve ad hominems and claims that certain voices represent all Native Americans. There is a lot of nonsense being slung about. But two of the claims are simply wrong: (1) “no Native Americans are offended by mascots” and (2) “we are just honoring Native Americans.”
We are not honoring Native Americans at all with these mascots and they have noticed and are offended. We have taken everything else from them; now we’re stealing their identity too.
Those who designed the first Dartmouth High School “Indian” mascots – which even today’s supporters would probably agree are insulting – could never be accused of too much originality. Certainly not respect. The 1970 “Dartmouth Indian” was a knock-off of Quincy’s cartoonish Chief Yakoo:
Over the years the Dartmouth High School mascot became graphically somewhat less offensive. Here is a progression showing that it wasn’t until the 80’s that less cartoonish representations were introduced.
Lack of originality reared its ugly head again when Dartmouth High simply lifted Dartmouth College’s letter “D,” it’s “Big Green” nickname, their football anthem, and a virtually identical logo of an imagined “Indian.” This is Dartmouth College’s mascot on the left and the high school’s present-day mascot on the right:
In 1971 Dartmouth College was petitioned by Native American students to stop using the “Indian” mascot, and three years later the College acceded to their demands:
“Whereas, the historical function of Dartmouth College has been to promote the myth of a melting pot and to negate diverse beliefs, we Native Americans at Dartmouth, unequivocally declare that the”Indian symbol” is a mythical creation of a non-Indian culture and in no manner reflects the basic philosophies of Native American peoples, and, as such, cannot exist within an institution ostensibly committed to the education of Native Americans and others.”
“It is said that these ‘Indian’ symbols represent ‘pride’ and ‘respect’, yet pride and respect do not lie in caricatures of people but in self-awareness of fallibility. We, the Native Americans at Dartmouth, must request that the following actions be taken by the College Community as soon as possible: (1) Athletic teams shall refrain from the use of the ‘Indian’ as a mascot; (2) Reference to athletic teams as the ‘Dartmouth Indians’, or any allusion thereof, must cease; (3) Dartmouth cheer-leaders, band, students and alumni must cease use of ‘wha-hoo-wah’ and ‘Dartmouth-on-the-warpath’ cheers.”
To some in the Town of Dartmouth who can’t possibly imagine why a bunch of Ivy League academics would bow to a Native American petition, it’s important to look at the college’s history.
In 1769 Eleazar Wheelock founded both Dartmouth College and Moor’s Indian Charity School for the purpose of educating Native Americans. “Educating” might not be quite the right word: “Christianizing” is closer, but deracination – or some would use the less polite term cultural genocide – was in fact Wheelock’s “great Design.” This involved separating Native American children from their parents, converting them to Christianity, and Anglicizing them.
“I say when I have considered these things, it has been Settled in my Mind, the Most likely Expedient, for accomplishing the great Design, is to take of their own Children, (two or more of a Tribe, that they may not Loose their own Language) and give them an Education Among ourselves, under the Tuition, & Guidance of a godly, & Skillful Master; where they may, not only, have means to Make them Schollars, but the best Means to Make them Christians indeed. […] And besides this it will be a most likely Expedient to remove their Prejudices, attach them to the English & to the Crown of Great Brittain.”
Wheelock didn’t bother much to “Make them Schollars” since in all of Dartmouth College’s first two centuries only 19 Native American students ever graduated from the College. Much like affirmative action programs of today, it didn’t help the Native Americans half as much as it helped thousands of white men become ordained Congregationalist ministers.
Turning to Dartmouth College’s sports, the college mascot has had a long history. Dartmouth College’s mascot originated in 1898 as an “Indian head” knob on a cane (back when the dandies of the age used them), and a 1905 “Aegis” yearbook depicts a related image. It wasn’t until 1932 that someone noticed that the the College had been using the head of a Sioux all along, instead of a Mohegan resembling his star student, or an Abenaki, a tribe that actually lives around Hanover, NH – and a people, by the way, who reject “Indian” mascots.
Dartmouth’s new mascot became what it is now sometime between 1932 and 1937. A more slick-looking logo was eventually adapted but you can still see the similarities with the 1937 image.
But it wasn’t so much the accuracy of the image, or even the “romantic” nature of the cultural appropriation involved, that offended Native American students. It was the cultural appropriation itself – the right of indigenous people to define their own identity.
“We Native American people affirm our belief that the United States is not a monolithic society but a pluralistic society. As such, each component is accorded the Right to exist, the Right to maintain its identity and the Right to resist encroachment. Dartmouth College is a microcosm of a larger society, and must reflect prevailing conditions.”
First, Dartmouth High School took Dartmouth College’s sports symbols; then it proceeded to steal Native American identity istself by codifying in a student handbook the qualities of the Wampanoag:
“This symbol shall be used to signify PRIDE, DIGNITY and RESPECT, which are characteristics of the Apponagansett-Wampanoag people.”
God forbid that citizens of this 91% white town decide one day to define the characteristics of Blacks, Jews, or Latinos too.
Is some strange psychological process at work here, or is it privilege or simple ignorance that causes such blindness? Or is it simply the intentional whitewashing of settler history that makes Dartmouth residents fetishize a “romantic” Indian and not their own ancestors’ theft of indigenous lands and enslavement of its people?
It’s clear to me — with all the intellectual property and cultural expropriation involved, the Town of Dartmouth needs to start over, from scratch, using original designs and creating a new mascot appropriate to an honest history of the town.
Something that demonstrates respect for everyone.
And here’s another idea. if Dartmouth really wants to honor Native Americans, they have over 5000 acres in a land trust they could return to the original owners.