The following is a copy of a letter sent to the William S. Hart Union High School District.
We are the Native American Guardian’s Association, the national voice of a proven 90% of Native people who support or have no problem with the respectful use of our names and imagery in sports and the mainstream. This figure comes from over two decades of polling Native Americans by independent, professional research companies including Annenberg Public Policy, Harris Research Group, the Associated Press and the Washington Post.
This destructive campaign to erase every vestige of Native presence in the public has extended from sports teams to now Native imagery from state flags, removal of Indian artifacts from museums, Native themed companies, and the list goes on. We ask your school board not to participate in this modern-day Indian removal campaign.
People often ask us why Native people would side with whites in academia pushing this eradication. We can only speculate based upon their own words on websites like Unsettling America, whereby their hatred for whites and America more generally fuels a revenge mentality. These decolonization extremists do not speak for the vast majority of Native people who are largely proud Americans who serve in our military in the highest numbers per capita than any other race. The vengeance they seek serves no positive outcome, but rather only serves to cause division where for decades there had been none, and this includes the Hart Indians. That same name and similar imagery to the Hart logo is very prevalent in Indian country, especially in reservation schools.
NAGA offers a positive alternative to eradication. Our partner school program is something that has been implemented by Native-themed schools nationally. We do an honest assessment of the school’s Native name, logo and any associated traditions. We make recommendations based on the assessment. If the school agrees to abide by our recommendations plus use their platform to educate about Native Americans, we verify that school as a “center of excellence” for American Indian education and remembrance.
We sincerely hope you make the decision to educate and not eradicate.
Eunice Davidson, President
Tony Henson, Executive Director
Native American Guardian’s Association
