letter to berlin school board - teach respect not racism
DESCRIPTION
What does the Berlin Area School Board win by retaining a controversial race-based Indian stereotype as a team name and logo? What has been lost are multiple educational opportunities for Berlin students offered by Wisconsin Indian Education Association and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council in January of 2014. Offers to assist in improving the accuracy, authenticity and scope of Berlin’s Wisconsin Indian Studies curriculum, to engage in developing educational partnerships and to aid in enhancing professional development of Berlin’s teaching staff came from Wisconsin Indian people and from American Indian Studies professionals in a variety of k-12 and higher education programs throughout the state. Who loses? All of the students, staff and educational professionals who might have gained knowledge and understanding by engaging in these partnerships and educational opportunities. Who loses most, are Berlin students. Research shows that American Indian students and cultures experience negative impact from race-based Indian team names and logos, other minority students are subjected to increased stereotyping and all students learn to tolerate a form of racial discrimination. Your entire student body learns to stereotype a racial group and, just by attending your school, these students are forced to be complicit in the process. Over the past year, the Berlin Area School District rejected thoroughly exploring the issue and developing relationships with education partners throughout the state; opting, instead, to allow misunderstanding, bias and stereotype to win out over education, exploration and dialogue. The misadventures of the year culminated in having student’s vote without first providing essential education about complex current events and civil rights issues of National significance directly impacting their lives. Failure to educate reinforces myth and confusion among Berlin students. Far from preparing them for life in a diverse society, unchallenged misinformation and the lack of adequate education teaches the student body to stereotype a race of people with impunity. Read more ...TRANSCRIPT
Wisconsin Indian Education Association
“Indian” Mascot & Logo Taskforce
Barbara E. Munson, Chair • 231 Steeple Rd. • Mosinee, WI 54455
Phone (715) 693-6238 • FAX (715) 693-1756 • E-Mail [email protected]
TEACH RESPECT
NOT RACISM
February 18, 2015
To: Berlin Area School District Board
From: Barbara E. Munson (Oneida)
What does the Berlin Area School Board win by retaining a controversial race-based
Indian stereotype as a team name and logo?
What has been lost are multiple educational opportunities for Berlin students offered by
Wisconsin Indian Education Association and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council in
January of 2014. Offers to assist in improving the accuracy, authenticity and scope of
Berlin’s Wisconsin Indian Studies curriculum, to engage in developing educational
partnerships and to aid in enhancing professional development of Berlin’s teaching staff
came from Wisconsin Indian people and from American Indian Studies professionals in a
variety of k-12 and higher education programs throughout the state.
Who loses? All of the students, staff and educational professionals who might have
gained knowledge and understanding by engaging in these partnerships and educational
opportunities. Who loses most, are Berlin students. Research shows that American Indian
students and cultures experience negative impact from race-based Indian team names and
logos, other minority students are subjected to increased stereotyping and all students
learn to tolerate a form of racial discrimination. Your entire student body learns to
stereotype a racial group and, just by attending your school, these students are forced to
be complicit in the process.
Over the past year, the Berlin Area School District rejected thoroughly exploring the
issue and developing relationships with education partners throughout the state; opting,
instead, to allow misunderstanding, bias and stereotype to win out over education,
exploration and dialogue. The misadventures of the year culminated in having student’s
vote without first providing essential education about complex current events and civil
rights issues of National significance directly impacting their lives. Failure to educate
reinforces myth and confusion among Berlin students. Far from preparing them for life in
a diverse society, unchallenged misinformation and the lack of adequate education
teaches the student body to stereotype a race of people with impunity.
Wisconsin Indian Education Association
“Indian” Mascot & Logo Taskforce
Barbara E. Munson, Chair • 231 Steeple Rd. • Mosinee, WI 54455
Phone (715) 693-6238 • FAX (715) 693-1756 • E-Mail [email protected]
How will your school prepare the 2015 graduating class to be culturally competent? How
will you teach them that they are not the ‘Indians,’ that they have never been the
‘Indians’ and that there are real people whose identities are defined by being Indian living
nearby. People who do not fit the stereotypes and myths that students in the Berlin
Schools promote and have come to believe are true? People who are demeaned and
disrespected by race-based ‘Indian’ team name branding and the playacting and
pageantry that accompanies Indian mascots. When will you teach them? How will you
prepare your sons and daughters to enter the larger community post high school?
The book about race-based Indian mascots in Wisconsin is not finished, but the most
recent chapter, has certainly not been about the District opening hearts and minds by
applying good educational practices, but rather about Berlin repeatedly avoiding
educational engagement. Perhaps the next chapters will be about how the Berlin
community learns to undo the damage perpetrated by years of tolerating race-based
stereotyping wrapped up in high school athletics and justified by bits of local history and
a claim to be honoring people whose children and cultures are harmed by the practice.
Keeping the “Indian” branding keeps controversy alive and brings a dubious reputation to
the community. It insures that the Berlin Area School District will continue to have
decisions to make around this issue. I hope you will reach out to the resources offered to
you on January 16 of 2014. When you do, you will still find many willing partners, eager
to support you on a pathway to change. May you choose well moving forward.