Here's a snip, w/o permission. I think its pretty funny and would have to guess that would be a pretty hot-selling logo. Sorry if someone else already posted it.
By Joe Garner, News Staff Writer
GREELEY -- A leader of the protest against Eaton High School's Indian mascot said Monday that he isn't retaliating against the school, although his wife resigned her teaching job there out of anger.
Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at the University of Northern Colorado, is a member of an intramural basketball team that has adopted the name "The Fighting Whities." Team members say they want to raise awareness of the issue of painful cultural stereotypes.
The team, made up of American Indian, Anglo and Hispanic players, is protesting nearby Eaton's use of the team name "Fightin' Reds" and an Indian caricature as a mascot -- both identified with the school for generations.
Little Owl's wife, Kacy Little Owl, taught special education at the high school seven miles north of Greeley for two years before leaving at the end of last school year, said Principal Doug Chamberlain.
Chamberlain said he couldn't discuss her resignation because it was a personnel issue, but added that there was no cloud over her leaving.
Little Owl said his wife, who is Anglo, felt that the small rural school was more interested in athletics than academics and did not support her professionally. He said she is employed elsewhere as a teacher.
He said the couple, as parents of a half-Anglo, half-American Indian son, felt uncomfortable mingling with townspeople at school events, especially at ballgames where the large-nosed Indian caricature was the prominent team symbol.
"It was offensive in it's own way," said Little Owl, 29.
He said the small town of Eaton was a convenient first target to raise the issue of how sports mascots used by teams ranging from Colorado high schools to professionals offend Indians.
"They are close, and there needs to be a starting place," he said.
The intramural team originally took the name "Native Pride," but a group combating stereotypes provided them white T-shirts with a cartoon mascot of a white male with slicked-back hair wearing a tie and dark coat. The T-shirts are imprinted with "Every thang's going to be all white!" on the front and "The Fighting Whites" on the back. But the nickname has evolved to the more-barbed "The Fighting Whities."
"When I put the team together, I didn't plan to make a political statement," said student Charles Cuny, a 27-year-old Indian on the team, which will play again March 27 in the intramural tournament. "I just wanted to play basketball on Tuesdays."
Cuny said he, and most other young Indians, are more interested in larger issues, such as health care, tribal treaties with the federal government and mineral rights to their land, but offensive mascots are a starting point to deal with the weightier issues.
Cuny said the Indians on the team don't expect their T-shirts to cause Eaton to change its mascot.
"Going to the school board is like going to Congress and asking for our land back," Cuny said. "It's not going to happen."
Mario Rosas, the 18-year-old Eaton student president, said the "whole community looks at the 'Fightin' Reds' as its mascot. It's part of us. We're so proud of it."
A Hispanic in a 416 enrollment high school that is about 80 percent Anglo, Rosas said other Hispanics hadn't raised questions about the Indian mascot, although, as a minority in Eaton, they are sensitive to discrimination.
Little Owl said, "The Fighting Whities" issue is "to make people understand what it's like to be on the other side of the fence. If people get offended by it, then they know how I feel, and we've made our point."
Contact Joe Garner at (303) 892-5421 or garnerj@RockyMountainNews.com.
By Joe Garner, News Staff Writer
GREELEY -- A leader of the protest against Eaton High School's Indian mascot said Monday that he isn't retaliating against the school, although his wife resigned her teaching job there out of anger.
Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services at the University of Northern Colorado, is a member of an intramural basketball team that has adopted the name "The Fighting Whities." Team members say they want to raise awareness of the issue of painful cultural stereotypes.
The team, made up of American Indian, Anglo and Hispanic players, is protesting nearby Eaton's use of the team name "Fightin' Reds" and an Indian caricature as a mascot -- both identified with the school for generations.
Little Owl's wife, Kacy Little Owl, taught special education at the high school seven miles north of Greeley for two years before leaving at the end of last school year, said Principal Doug Chamberlain.
Chamberlain said he couldn't discuss her resignation because it was a personnel issue, but added that there was no cloud over her leaving.
Little Owl said his wife, who is Anglo, felt that the small rural school was more interested in athletics than academics and did not support her professionally. He said she is employed elsewhere as a teacher.
He said the couple, as parents of a half-Anglo, half-American Indian son, felt uncomfortable mingling with townspeople at school events, especially at ballgames where the large-nosed Indian caricature was the prominent team symbol.
"It was offensive in it's own way," said Little Owl, 29.
He said the small town of Eaton was a convenient first target to raise the issue of how sports mascots used by teams ranging from Colorado high schools to professionals offend Indians.
"They are close, and there needs to be a starting place," he said.
The intramural team originally took the name "Native Pride," but a group combating stereotypes provided them white T-shirts with a cartoon mascot of a white male with slicked-back hair wearing a tie and dark coat. The T-shirts are imprinted with "Every thang's going to be all white!" on the front and "The Fighting Whites" on the back. But the nickname has evolved to the more-barbed "The Fighting Whities."
"When I put the team together, I didn't plan to make a political statement," said student Charles Cuny, a 27-year-old Indian on the team, which will play again March 27 in the intramural tournament. "I just wanted to play basketball on Tuesdays."
Cuny said he, and most other young Indians, are more interested in larger issues, such as health care, tribal treaties with the federal government and mineral rights to their land, but offensive mascots are a starting point to deal with the weightier issues.
Cuny said the Indians on the team don't expect their T-shirts to cause Eaton to change its mascot.
"Going to the school board is like going to Congress and asking for our land back," Cuny said. "It's not going to happen."
Mario Rosas, the 18-year-old Eaton student president, said the "whole community looks at the 'Fightin' Reds' as its mascot. It's part of us. We're so proud of it."
A Hispanic in a 416 enrollment high school that is about 80 percent Anglo, Rosas said other Hispanics hadn't raised questions about the Indian mascot, although, as a minority in Eaton, they are sensitive to discrimination.
Little Owl said, "The Fighting Whities" issue is "to make people understand what it's like to be on the other side of the fence. If people get offended by it, then they know how I feel, and we've made our point."
Contact Joe Garner at (303) 892-5421 or garnerj@RockyMountainNews.com.
