In our community and our district, we have a wonderful opportunity to shift from controversy to collaboration.

It's been a long and often frustrating discussion - this difficult topic of the Marquette Senior High School identity.

Much has already been done to attempt a compromise.  While we acknowledge that moving gradually away from the use of legacy branding, naming and identity - we the undersigned also hold that these efforts have fallen short of really addressing the issue and of changing the perceptions of our district's identity and character as a result.

We believe and propose that there is a way forward for our district and community that represents a path of collaborative future-making.

We believe that an honorable transition entirely away from legacy branding can be made through adopting a formal change of how we refer to and characterize our district's high school and high school sporting identies.

The Marquette Alternative High School has for many years used the Eagles as their visual and inspirational identity.

In and around the Marquette area, many nesting pairs of eagles soar and remind us not only of the beauty and majesty of this land, but of its natural and spiritual power, energy and purity.

The Eagle is the bird of our nation, as well as a spiritually-significant entity for our country's First Nation People.  The Eagle represents a collaborative totem around which we have the potential to rally in unity, in honor, in healing forward and in showing our collective willingness to find a new path.... together.

We the undersigned come together in solidarity, acknowledging that the historic names, identities, colors, achievements and camaraderie, friendships and honor are important, are meaningful and will always live on as a part of who we are in this community and our district.....  

And we further acknowledge that we are eager, excited and passionate about a shared future for our district and community that can create even more incredible legacies, memories and honor for future generations.

We further acknowledge and assert that in taking this step, we the 'elders' of our district, community, families and nation will do for our children and ourselves the most important thing we can offer them - we will come together, set aside hurt and frustration, opinion and agenda, and show that on the other side of conflict, can always come collaborative renewal and through this, the rising to ever-greater heights.... together.

We the undersigned call upon the members of the Marquette Community - regardless your views of what has passed in the troubled waters under the bridge - to join us in building support for this idea.

We do not wish to 'force' this.....

We do not wish to appeal to the MAPS board to mandate it.....  their jobs are hard enough.

We do not wish the teachers, students or staff to endure even a SINGLE minute of further contention.

What we wish to achieve is to begin a movement, however long it may take, of the citizens, the students, the administrators, the businesses, the politicians.....  who all eventually come to a conclusion together that is something along the lines of:

"The Marquette Alternative High School has established - through Love, Patience, Dedication, Acceptance of ALL, Openness, Authenticity and good old fashioned GRIT - a model of leadership in education that we can ALL be deeply proud of and grateful for.  As an extension of and a part of our MSHS community - they ARE Marquette Senior High School.  Their experimental grounds and their space of safe innovation and possibility has demonstrated incredible outcomes time and time again; for students, teachers and community.  This is true, regardless of race, creed, sex, sexual identity, or political affiliation.   In light of that and in HONOR of that, it simply makes sense to honor that role and walk through the door of potential that creates, and EMBRACE an identity that already means so much to our community, has served our community and has offered us a genuine gift of unity".

We humbly ask that you join us in paving a soaring future in which the legacy of the Redmen will live on in the flight of the Marquette Eagles.....

Thank you...

Migwech...

~Citizens for the highest good of our district and community~