Week of July 8

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Week of July 1.

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2001

Answers

Western Mohegans buy former Tamarack Hotel "It's official," Ulster County Treasurer Lou Kirschner said yesterday. "The Western Mohegan Indian tribe now owns the Tamarack." The sale of the 250-acre Tamarack Hotel property on Route 52 in Greenfield Park between Ulster County and the Western Mohegans, which is not a federally recognized Indian tribe, was finalized yesterday in White Plains. Ulster County became the owner of the property last year, when the latest owners abandoned the former resort. It had been closed by the Ulster County Health Department on Passover 2000, after officials cited 85 health and safety code violations there. The county received $950,000 for the property, back taxes and other expenses in the sale, Kirschner said. The tribe also released any property claims they had in Ulster County and agreed not to file in the future, said County Attorney Frank Murray. The Western Mohegans plan to move tribe members from other parts of the country to the property. They also intend to run a hydroponics farm and American Indian cultural camp there, said a tribe spokesman. (from today's Times Herald REcord)

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

This happening also at UND, though not at the Englstadt.

logos coming off floor in North Dakota

Hey Curry, haven't heard from you much recently. Any progress with the Perry legal fracas?

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2001


This happening also at UND, though not at the Englstadt. They wouldn't need to repaint the cafeteria as well, would they? [wistful look]

logos coming off floor in North Dakota

Hey Curry, haven't heard from you much recently. Any progress with the Perry legal fracas?

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2001


From: "Pewewardy, Cornel D" Subject: NCAA Update

This is an update of my visit to NYC and the summer meeting of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee this week. After a 90-minute presentation on the Indian mascot issue (e.g., mascot research, video, audio cassette, student testimony, etc.), the NCAA (MOIC) will add this topic to its agenda. What this means is that this committee will formulate a focus group charged with the task of investigating/collecting data on member institutions using Indian mascots and reporting the impact of its usage. This initiative and direction is towards word-crafting a policy statement to be issued to its membership after their committee work is done. For those of you who know the depth of college sports and sports culture in this country, this is a monumental move is the direction of improving the imagery of Indian mascots at NCAA universities. This is the same committee who investigated equity in women's collegiate sports some ten years ago, now referred to as Title IX. When I departed yesterday from the meeting in NYC, the committee was discussing the Star and Bars issue at member schools. As I left the meeting, one member of the committee leaned over to me and said: "I am so appreciative in how you educated me about the Indian mascot issue. I now know how the Native American people can be so impacted psychologically. Its the same way we [African Americans] feel about the Stars and Bars being used at NCAA sporting events. Thank you so much." I share this positive news with you because dealing with Indian mascots in America is difficult work and positive glimpse in this struggle is ever so uplifting, emotionally and spiritually. Please know that coalition building works in many cases for me. With this in mind, I have been asked to consult with this committee as they begin their important work to encourage and support collegiate environments that welcome and respect differences. Thank you for your support. Best wishes in your work on this issue. Cornel

I have written to him seeing if he is available for speaking engagements in districts like our...perhaps in the spring...let's get our "year of study" act together...anyone out there? Tobe

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001


Dialogue recently seen on another board:

Poster snarls, "PC is going to be the death of us all."

The reply: "Actually there's a large difference between good manners and PC. And if I had to bet, I'd guess that bad manners will do us in well before PC does."

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001



Given that some of you are prone to sending attachments, I'd be real careful aboutsending or accepting anything with attachments due to the Sircam worm It's been circulating in at least one set of people I know.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

been a WHILE SINCE I POSTED HERE, AND THERE'S GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE GYM FLOORS. SEEMS THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO not ADD ANY LOGOS WHEN THE SURFACES ARE DONE. hURRAH! (opps..sorry about the caps..tired fingers)

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2001

I suppose now that the floor refinishing has hit the Woodstock Times, that it would be inappropriate to do any public gloating?

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Sunday Freeman

Indian controversy out of spotlight in Onteora by William Kemble 8/19/01 BOICEVILLE - "Aside from complying with a state requirement to remove an Indian head painting from the Onteora High School gym floor - because basketball court markings must be visible - school district officials say they plan no further discussions about team mascots and nicknames. In fact, Superintendent Hal Rowe said last week that no one from either side of the contentious issue has approached the Board of Education over the past few months to discuss complying with a state Education Department recommendation that school districts begin talking about how to phase out the use of Native American names and symbols. (The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights also has taken a stance against non-Indian schools using such names and symbols.)

In Onteora, where the high school sports teams are called the Indians, residents voted 1,940-1,868 in a non-binding referendum in May to keep the name. That referendum came roughly a year after the Board of Education first voted to abolish all Indian references but then reversed itself after a power shift on the board.

District residents who have been outspoken on the issue continue to attend school board meetings, but most say they are willing to wait and see whether the state takes any formal action against districts that reject the Education Department's recommendation.

Of removing Indian images from the middle of the floor in the high school gym, Rowe said the action merely was part of a facilities upgrade.

"The guidelines have changed regarding the middle circle and it has to be an unbroken line through ... the middle of the court," he said.

State Education Department spokesman Tom Dunn said actions taken by school districts have not been closely monitored since Education Commissioner Richard Mills issued his recommendation on April 5. In that recommendation, Mills called the use of Native American images detrimental to the instruction of students.

"We haven't gotten a lot of feedback," Dunn said.

Mills, in a letter to school district officials across the state, asked for "a new understanding of this matter" and said each district's progress would be evaluated.

"We sent (the letter) out and asked for local discussion, and, to our knowledge, that's what is going on," Dunn said. "We'll revisit it at the end of a year."

Prior to the state's recommendation, the Native News Online Web site listed 105 public schools and colleges in New York using Indians as a nickname. Thirty-two were using Warriors, eight were using Chiefs, six were using Braves, five were using Red Raiders and three were using Redskins.

Colgate University announced last week it was changing its nickname from the Red Raiders to the Raiders.

Dunn said the state Education Department's Native American Education Unit has reported progress in several districts, but he was not able to provide details. The Freeman, in a review of actions taken in districts reported as being monitored by state officials, found the following.

* The Massena Central School District in St. Lawrence County has formed a committee to determine the fate of its Indians nickname after classes resume next month.

* The Cooperstown Central School District in Otsego County will finalize the formation of a committee during its next Board of Education meeting and expects to conduct a review through June regarding the use of its Redskins nickname.

* The Canastota Central School District in Madison County earlier this year approved changing the name Red Raiders to Raiders beginning with the 2001-02 sports season.

* The Afton Central School District in Chenango County eliminated its Indians name in April and will go without a nickname during 2001-02.

* The Penfield Central School District in Monroe County changed its team names from Chiefs to Patriots at the end of the 2000-01 school year.

* The New Lebanon Central School District in Columbia County has approved eliminating Indians as a nickname, but information about on a new name was not immediately available.

Besides Onteora, the only school districts in the Mid-Hudson Region that use Indians as a team name are Rhinebeck, in Dutchess County, and Coxsackie-Athens, in Greene County. In both of those districts, officials said they conducted discussions immediately after receiving the state recommendation but have not made plans to either form committees or change their team names.

The issue also has been reviewed by the state Attorney General's Office, which investigated a civil rights complaint against Onteora and released a statement asking district officials to consider changing the nickname. However, Paul Larrabee, a spokesman for the office, said there is "no additional involvement" expected from the attorney general."

*********************************************************

Who did Kemble speak to from STAND? Anyone?

Do we want to make some sort of short public reply to this along the lines of "The members of STAND (Support Tolerance and Nurture Diversity) are willing to participate in a dialogue on the mascot issue as soon as the Onteora community indicates its willingness to begin the discussions which Commissioner Mills has requested. The current Board of Education has a policy of outright defiance of the State Education Department requests for discussion. Given these circumstances, a presentation of educational material on the national issue of Indian mascots is simply unfeasible until the district officials are willing to be supportive of such a dialogue."

And if this sounds acceptable to you, do we want it read at the Board meeting tonight? Or save it for a Board reading for September when more people will be around, and for now just send that response (or any changes you feel appropriate) to the Freeman?

Given that many of us are on holiday, I think it would be better to just send a reply to the Freeman (and maybe Hal) for now, and mull over what further public response is called for. I would like to send a response to Dunn (anyone had any dealings with him?) and Mills, and I have some printouts of the Freeman articles on the mascot when the calls for dialogue came out, showing Marty's defiance and the loony, nasty supporters who wrote in to support him that they should probably see.

Your thoughts on these?



-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001


Hi Carol, the motion to dismiss has been assigned to Judge Michael Kavanagh. This is good. Meanwhile, FP's lame lawyer, Michael Bruhn, Jr. hasn't gotten it together to reply, in fact asked for a delay, promised his reply on June 15, and still hasn't filed it. So, Alan has asked for dismissal based on the non reply, with costs!!, but we havn't heard from Kavanagh yet. I'm hopeful that I can stick FP with the costs, it would be sweet.........

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001


Tobe, I'm going to take the liberty of pasting your email response here, hope you don't mind:

Great response...can you please write it up and send it to the Freeman and Hal?

"If it goes to Hal, he'll send it to all board members, and then It can be read at the September meeting...by one of us...Good plan, i think.

Thanks, carol...I was a bit dismayed when I saw Kemble searching for this story...but your response is right on target.

I still believe we (STAND and COLOR) should sponsor a series of events around stereotyping this fall-winter-spring." --Tobe

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001


Upon consideration, how about just this single sentence for the Freeman, as a print edition letter to the editor?:

"The members of STAND (Support Tolerance and Nurture Diversity) are willing to participate in a dialogue on the mascot issue as soon as the Onteora community indicates its willingness to begin the discussions which Commissioner Mills has requested."

Or do we even want that at all?

Given that Kemble says, "District residents who have been outspoken on the issue continue to attend school board meetings, but most say they are willing to wait and see whether the state takes any formal action against districts that reject the Education Department's recommendation, " I don't know that we want to let people off the hook as he implies. I will email Kemble and see who he says he talked to on our side. I don't know that we ever agreed in any way that we would simply wait until push came to shove with Mills. If we don't respond in at least a minimal fashion, someone else is speaking for us here. Do we want that?

With the expanded version officially notifying Hal and state officials:

"The members of STAND (Support Tolerance and Nurture Diversity) are willing to participate in a dialogue on the mascot issue as soon as the Onteora community indicates its willingness to begin the discussions that Commissioner Mills has requested. The Onteora Board of Education has a current policy of outright defiance of the State Education Department requests for discussion. Given these circumstances, a presentation of educational material on the national and local issue of Indian mascots is simply not feasible until the district officials are willing to be supportive of such a dialogue."

(and a packet of Freeman reprints regarding Marty's defiance of the discussion requests, and the calibre of responses backing him up in the online letters)

Or, do we drop any ideas about responding via the Freeman, and just formally notify Hal and the state officials of our willingness to dialogue contrasted with the defiance of Onteora officials?

In any case, I see no reason for us to make a formal statement to the Board about this.

I'm willing to follow through on this with whatever is best for the situation, but I'd like some consensus. Further comments?

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001


Or should that first sentence read "an educational dialogue", thus: " The members of STAND (Support Tolerance and Nurture Diversity) are willing to participate in an educational dialogue on the mascot issue as soon as the Onteora community indicates its willingness to begin the discussions which Commissioner Mills has requested."

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2001

I think that it's worth saying we're ready when you are...It appears that the NYU students (TamiaSmith, etc.) will be showing their mascot tape at the Woodstock Film Festival (No, mine's not even begun the editing stages yet)...so the issue'll surface again with or without us.

T.

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2001


be aware that the latest Onteora school calendar is out and the Indian head remains firmly in place in the sports schedule....It's still the cheesy clip art Indian. Tobe

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001


CARE has been very active at the Boiceville Supermarket. They have had a table there just about every weekend talking to people and I suppose trying to recruit support.

dy

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2001


Barbara Clare has an exceedingly long (and incoherent) letter about CARE in this week's Ulster County Townsman.

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2001

Jim just returned from out of town with about over 100 e-mails. He has lovingly tweaked these, and I think we should go with his versions. Quoted items are mine.

>To: Freeman: The members of STAND (Support Tolerance and Nurture >Diversity) are willing to participate in an educational dialogue on the >mascot issue as soon as the Onteora community indicates its willingness to >begin the discussions which Commissioner Mills has requested

I would tend to be more kind and cozy in a reply yet be pointed to the board, NOT the community. For instance...

The members of STAND (Support Tolerance and Nurture Diversity) look forward to participating in an educational dialogue on the mascot issue when the Onteora School Board indicates its willingness to support the community discussions which Commissioner Mills has requested.

>Added for Hal and state officials: > >The Onteora Board of Education has a current policy of outright defiance >of the State Education Department requests for discussion. Given these >circumstances, a presentation of educational material on the national and >local issue of Indian mascots is simply not feasible until the district >officials are willing to be supportive of such a dialogue.

Again to appear more friendly, willing and able...

The Onteora Board of Education has a current policy of ignoring the State Education Department request for community discussion. Given these circumstances, a presentation of educational material on the national and local issue of Indian mascots is simply not feasible until the district officials are willing to be supportive of such a dialogue.

Or, perhaps, a compilation of the two...

The Onteora Board of Education has a current policy of ignoring the State Education Department request for community discussion on the use of Native Americans as mascots. Given these circumstances, a presentation of educational material on the national and local issue of Indian mascots is simply not feasible until the district officials are willing to be actively supportive of such a dialogue. The members of STAND (Support Tolerance and Nurture Diversity) look forward to participating in an educational dialogue on the mascot issue when the Onteora School Board indicates it's willingness to support such creative community discussion.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001


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