As a Native American in today's society it is increasingly confusing to understand one's past. Looking at old history books depict cliche scenes of "Indians" greeting Pilgrims on the icy shores of the Atlantic felt out of balance as a child. Bringing these mixed emotions up to family members always bought about dark humor from the elder men and deep, furrowed brows from the women. I eventually stopped asking.

In college I learned to answer my own questions about my ancestor's genocidal past. About how we were once a powerful, great many independent nations...and yet today we are less than 1% of the face of America. 

To be an educated Native American in 2016, is equivalent to being a gold plated diamond. So very rare, people think you are not only the rarest thing they have laid eyes one, but so much so you MUST be fibbing. Truly, Native Americans cannot be real! And yet, we are and we hiding are in plain sight. 

But you may miss us due to the staggering, blinding statistics that scream "suicide", "alcoholic", and "depression". 

Believe me: ARE more.

And we would love to get to tell you but there are barriers out there which prevent us from starting the conversation. "Washington Redskins" and "Cleveland Indians" are two racially charged slurs many non Natives throw in random conversation pieces, attempting to somehow appease us...we are far from thankful or honored. 

But I'm here to share a bit about the "Olentangy Braves". A local high school which has a similar name to the aforementioned national teams, yet it is a smaller institution in a community people drive by everyday, rather than see on their TVs every other week. I am here to suggest that having a school with a racially charged named/mascot sends a deadlier, more subtle message that racism is accepted in our communities if no one speaks out, if the less than 1% are silent, if no one feels injured. 

Olentangy is an outstanding school academically. It is continuously growing. 

It is a school affecting numerous young minds; minds that see one particular ethnic group singled out, chanted over, yelled about...but do they know more than just the name "Brave"? What it means? Its history, the history of who it represents? Or are they, like many others, wearing it as a banner of sports comradery?

I did not intend to be so long winded, but it appears I had a lot to say. I hope you understand why I feel so passionate about using Native American imagery as sports mascots; there simply is no place for it - the two are as compatible as oil and ice. To use Native American imagery for mascots in local school districts is worse than at the national level. It is welcoming bigotry and racism into our very homes. 

Please join me and together stop the madness one local school at a time.

Thank you,

SE