The opposition has posted a counter petition in an effort to continue the complacency. I'm going to be honest, this petition will get more signatures. And that is OKAY! At the end of the day, this petition was created to show the superintendent and the school board that this movement is supported by hundreds of people and should not be overlooked, even if it is a minority opinion in our community. Let us remember that we are fighting for equity for a minority group, and their voice is what should determine whether or not we keep the mascot! This is not a decision that should be made by our community. It should be made by indigenous health experts and tribal leaders!

To aid in discussions with individuals that oppose this petition, here are a few FAQs that you can provide to educate and show that we are evidence-based in our arguments:

1) Argument: "We've always had the mascot and have never disrespected the Indian. This is a way for us to honor them!" - Answer: "Some members of these communities believe that the mascots honor or pay tribute to Native Americans and their culture.  However, most Native Americans appear to find the portrayal by others of their treasured cultural and religious symbols disparaging and disrespectful.  Many others who have looked at this issue concur[1]."~ Richard P. Mills Commissioner of Education of the State of New York - April 5, 2001

2) Argument: "Other sports teams aren't making this change...why should we?" Answer: "Local precedent for this initiative includes: Katonah-Lewisboro in 2019 and Ossining in 2002 which have effectively replaced their Indian mascots [2]. If you want more examples here is a website with a list of over 60 headlines denoting school districts that have changed their Indian mascot: http://aistm.org/ [3]. The precedent is tangible, yet non-evidence-based arguments and opinions have stymied this process throughout the United States."

3) Argument: "If we change the mascot, we will have to change the symbols on EMS as well!! What's next, the town's name?! Mahopac is an Indian name!" Answer: "This movement is specifically to remove the Indian as a mascot within the school district, which is where the evidence is in terms of harms to indigenous communities (I.e., "decreasing Native American Youths' Self-Esteem", "decreasing Native American youths' positive beliefs about their community", and "decreasing Native Americans youths' beliefs about their ability to reach their goals"[4]. Overtime we can remove those symbols throughout our community, but that is a different conversation. The name 'Mahopac' is not what we ever want to repeal. The utilization of native culture as a sports symbol and as a mascot is the issue, not the name of the town. Appropriation of a group of individuals to represent a primarily white community is the issue, not the name of the town, which was created by Native Americans."

4) Argument: "This is just PC culture!! [Insert Snowflake Emoji Here]" Answer: "We could care less about being PC! This is about giving voice and a platform to a minority group that has been colonized and experienced mass genocide at the hands of previous members of our community! The name 'Indian' is problematic, but the main issue is in us utilizing a culture that does not rightfully belong to our community."

5) Argument: "You don't even know if the Indians hate us being the Mahopac Indians!! So why change it?!" Answer: "Daniel Ehrenpreis is partnered with Dr. Melissa Walls and Dr. Melissa Lewis of the Center for American Indian Health. They are experts in the field of indigenous health and have clarified that this is an issue that affects Native American health."

6) Argument: "If you get rid of the Indian you are wiping their culture entirely from Mahopac! That's furthering the problem!" Answer: "Read the whole petition! This is addressed: "It is not my intention to eliminate Native American culture from Mahopac entirely. The biggest issue in our mascot, besides its racist connotation, is that there is no public education regarding the ancestors of our land. Together, we can celebrate and learn about the Wappinger tribe that lived on this territory, and how Mahopac as we know it came to be. There is irony surrounding our pride for the “Mahopac Indians” without knowing anything about the tribe’s history." - 4th to Last Paragraph

These are just a few of the top arguments that I have heard. Please feel free to use the answers I provided and add to the conversation using some of the references below! Together we can be a united front for this movement in the face of oppression!

Comment Below with your favorite non-evidence-based argument that you have heard so far! 

References:

1. New York State's Department of Education's Statement about Indigenous Mascot Usage - https://aistm.org/2001nysed.htm

2. Katonah-Lewisboro Decision Article - https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/lewisboro/schools/katonah-lewisboro-school-board-agrees-to-replace-indians-mascot/778954/

3. Change the Mascot's Website - http://aistm.org/

4. Fryberg, S. A., Markus, H. R., Oyserman, D., & Stone, J. M. (2008). Of warrior chiefs and Indian princesses: The psychological consequences of American Indian mascots. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 30(3), 208-218. 

5. 45 Minute Documentary about Changing Indian Mascots - 'In Whose Honor?' *Was on PBS. Highly suggest watching this despite the over-dramatization at times.*