Keep Sharing, We Are Making Progress!
Thank you for the new signatures and shares! As an American with indigenous DNA, I am saddened by the disregard and selfishness of those who want to return to the prior Red Raiders or Raiders name, and indigenous connected logo. The Indigenous population was not asked if they wanted to be mocked with this logo and mascot name. It was picked up and began after a slanderous and stereotype ridden film made its rounds across the nation.
This is that same film! SEE THIS: "
In the Rutland Herald article titled "Cassarino: Rutland 'Red Raiders' origins',
it states,(quote)
"What became apparent in reviewing archival material is local sportswriters used racist stereotypes of Indigenous people, especially the image of the “Noble Savage,” to make their articles more interesting to read for their audience. Most people’s understanding of Indigenous people was based on stereotypes and Hollywood movies. Right before local writers began to refer to Rutland as the “Red Raiders,” the film “The Red Raiders” (1927) was released and was screened in several local theaters.
The act of scalping was featured in many of these articles. This Native American stereotype reinforces the racist belief that Indigenous people are inherently savage. However, history reveals this practice existed in societies across the world and it was a far more common practice among white colonizers who were offered bounties for Indigenous scalps.
In fact, the derogatory term “red skin” originated because of these violent bounties. Most members of northeastern tribes did not value the practice of scalping. The usage of the term scalping in these articles is not based on local history but pulled from established and harmful stereotypes associated with all Indigenous people.
The use of “scalping” to sensationalize sports articles was pervasive. In a Dec. 31, 1934, article, a local sportswriter wrote, “Rutland, the surprise basketball team of southern Vermont, seeks to add another scalp to its mounting strings of victories when Windsor High School invades this city tonight.”
Another article from the Rutland Daily Herald published on Jan. 11, 1937, reads, “Though they were nearly sprawled in a hectic fourth quarter at Springfield, the Rutland Red Raiders, with seven scalps on dangling from their belts, rate about tops in southern hoop circles.” (Unquote)"
MY goal for this petition is to keep getting signatures and shares until the school board and the local population realizes the bold and negative impact it will have on the indigenous and their supporters - IF they break down and return to the savage libel of using the RED RAIDERS or RAIDERS, along with any other native stereotype.
We cannot slow down or wrongly accept the win, of the school board voting to change the mascot. Because there are those who will not sleep until the old one is returned!
We cannot let that happen. We have to shout with this petition, shares, signatures, and comments, which support NOT using an indigenous related mascot without the consent of those stereotypes and affected by such usage.
This is the contact information for the school board members at the present time: https://www.rutlandcitypublicschools.org/school-board/
Here is the important rule they have to follow. ...
"...the Vermont Principals’ Association, which last month encouraged schools to replace mascots that do not represent all students.“They should not perpetuate divisive stereotypes and contribute to the ongoing marginalization, erasure, and harm to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities,” the statement reads. “Any mascot, nickname, symbol, or logo that has marginalizing, racist, or exclusionary elements should be replaced to demonstrate what it means to be an inclusive, welcoming, and strong community.” from https://vtdigger.org/2020/09/27/schools-around-vermont-reconsider-mascots-that-have-racial-cultural-ties/