Change Whiteland Community High School's Racist Warrior Mascot.
Change Whiteland Community High School's Racist Warrior Mascot.
The Issue
Whiteland Community High School (WCHS), located in Whiteland, IN, needs to change their mascot from a Warrior to something not racially insensitive.
According to DailyJournal.net, "The Warriors name was chosen in the 1960s, when Whiteland and Clark high schools merged as the Clark-Pleasant school district was formed. The Whiteland Wrens and Clark Chiefs names were scrapped, and school leadership sided with Warriors as a team name, to represent Native American warriors."
WCHS, a school which is comprised of 81% of white students, needs to set an example and create a welcoming space for all.
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation's Superintendent, Patrick Spray claims "we’re consciously doing more to recognize diversity, equity and inclusion." Which we've seen in the name for the new elementary school, set to open in Fall 2021, being named after Black Alum Ray Crowe.
But this isn't enough. Controversy in 2016 arose when the Facebook Group "Save the Whiteland Warrior" was started, over rumors that the logo would change from a warrior head to a W. Right then and there, the CPCSC could've chosen to give the mascot a much-needed update (even though the Facebook Page was stating they were against the change), but stayed silent instead. Nothing was changed then, and still nothing continues to change.
2020 brought to light issues about race and identity that folx have been trying to tell us about for centuries and enough is enough. You could go back to the Whiteland Wrens or pick something else - not make light of Indigenous folx by having a Spirit Stick during Pep Rallies, call yourselves "Warrior Country" or "Tribal Country", have "Warrior face paint" at the Homecoming football game, nickname a set of doors "Tipi Doors" and use a warrior head as your main school logo. Whiteland Warriors doesn't sit right, knowing it's a predominately white school sitting on stolen land (Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Kaskaskia, and Myaamia, according to https://native-land.ca/). Think about that.
About 1 in 25 high schools in America have a Native mascot. Native People Are Not Your Mascots. Period.
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The Issue
Whiteland Community High School (WCHS), located in Whiteland, IN, needs to change their mascot from a Warrior to something not racially insensitive.
According to DailyJournal.net, "The Warriors name was chosen in the 1960s, when Whiteland and Clark high schools merged as the Clark-Pleasant school district was formed. The Whiteland Wrens and Clark Chiefs names were scrapped, and school leadership sided with Warriors as a team name, to represent Native American warriors."
WCHS, a school which is comprised of 81% of white students, needs to set an example and create a welcoming space for all.
Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation's Superintendent, Patrick Spray claims "we’re consciously doing more to recognize diversity, equity and inclusion." Which we've seen in the name for the new elementary school, set to open in Fall 2021, being named after Black Alum Ray Crowe.
But this isn't enough. Controversy in 2016 arose when the Facebook Group "Save the Whiteland Warrior" was started, over rumors that the logo would change from a warrior head to a W. Right then and there, the CPCSC could've chosen to give the mascot a much-needed update (even though the Facebook Page was stating they were against the change), but stayed silent instead. Nothing was changed then, and still nothing continues to change.
2020 brought to light issues about race and identity that folx have been trying to tell us about for centuries and enough is enough. You could go back to the Whiteland Wrens or pick something else - not make light of Indigenous folx by having a Spirit Stick during Pep Rallies, call yourselves "Warrior Country" or "Tribal Country", have "Warrior face paint" at the Homecoming football game, nickname a set of doors "Tipi Doors" and use a warrior head as your main school logo. Whiteland Warriors doesn't sit right, knowing it's a predominately white school sitting on stolen land (Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Kaskaskia, and Myaamia, according to https://native-land.ca/). Think about that.
About 1 in 25 high schools in America have a Native mascot. Native People Are Not Your Mascots. Period.
81
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on April 17, 2021