Governor Hickenlooper’s Commission to Study American Indian Representations in Public Schools will come to Eaton High School on March 10, and a public forum will be held at 6 p.m in the commons to discuss Eaton’s mascot.
Four members of the Eaton Red Ink Staff, their adviser, Deirdre Jones and the co-chairs of the commission, Darius Smith and Jeff Rasp, presented to the school board On Feb. 8 to explain the group’s objectives and gain support for the public forum. School board members expressed their support and stressed the importance of advertising the event well. School board president Tim Croissant said, “I think it’s important that all community members be made aware of this event well in advance.” Superintendent Randy Miller said, “I appreciate that these journalists are trying to seek out both sides. I had experience earlier in the year with journalists where that wasn’t necessarily the case. I think it’s admirable what that they are trying to look at both sides of the issue.” At the board meeting, Miller also asked Chad Shaw, history teacher at Eaton High School, to share his paper on the history of the mascot with the public. Shaw was at the meeting to watch his son present about the new STEM program and agreed to do so. His paper can be found here.
Editor-in-Chief Karalee Kothe said the Red Ink staff will host the Commission “similar to a how the professional media hosts a presidential debate. The newspaper is the public forum for the school and community. As journalists, it is our job to seek the truth on this controversial topic.” Together, the Commission and the newspaper staff will be holding a public forum to have a discussion about the mascot from all viewpoints and aspects. The Commission’s main goal is to hear the voices of the community and provide a Native American perspective. Smith said, “I was a track athlete at Montbello High School in Denver, and I never really considered the significance of a mascot growing up. I admire Eaton’s pride in sports and their reputation in high school athletics.”
Rasp, principal of Strasburg High School, discussed his experience with and on the commission. The commission’s first visit was to Strasburg, home of the Indians mascot. Rasp said, “It was a student-led initiative at Strasburg. The community really came together for this discussion and as a high school, we have started forming strong alliances with the Wind River Nation and other tribal leaders.” Rasp said senior Lindsey Nichols was the first to contact tribal members, and it his hope that Native American education can become part of the Strasburg culture.
The Commission was formed in Oct. by Governor Hickenlooper with the purpose of visiting schools with Native American mascots, not as a legislative action which forces schools to change mascots, but as listening board which gathers information from all parties involved.
Students and community members are invited to come to the public forum in March to listen to and express opinions. “It is our hope that we can conduct this dialogue in a respectful and educational manner,” Jones said. She told the board she believed it was important for students to have the support of educators and administrators. “I think it’s important to support the students in their attempt to begin this discussion and actually practice the ideals of this democracy.”
Board member Lynette St. Jean said she thought it was admirable that the students were trying to practice skills now in high school that “they will need out there in the real world.”
