As a Lake County resident I was proud of how the meeting was conducted. Speakers for both sides alternated in their presentations, which were both eloquent and heartfelt. It once again reminded me why I enjoy living here.

But (yeah, the other shoe dropping) I am strongly of the opinion that the previous board was right to drop the use of Indians, and that the current board would be way wrong to bring it back.

The reason for my opinion is pretty simple. The Pomo nations of Lake County got a raw deal at the hand of the European settlers and their descendants who live here today are still feeling the results. While the Kelseyville High School community may think the Indians should “get over it,” that’s only likely to happen when the ripples caused by the depredations of Kelsey and Stone and their followers fade in strength and time.

While 150-plus years may seem like a long time to the proponents of the Indian mascot, my conversations with local natives tell me it seems like yesterday to them, many of whom are still engaged in a struggle for survival stemming from how they were treated by the very people who gave Kelseyville its name.

The least the Kelseyville High School community should do is to recognize the pain expressed by the many people who oppose the Indian mascot, and not engage in conduct that can only serve to make the pain worse. Insisting that the Indian mascot be brought back to stoke the fires of school spirit and build attendance at basketball games is in essence the same type of behavior (although no killings or rapes are involved) that Kelsey and Stone engaged in back in the 1850s – trampling on Native American dignity with no regard whatsoever for Indians as human beings.

Along this line, I was most struck by the number of Kelseyville High School students (current and former) who with the utmost sincerity recounted instances of cheers that made them “proud to be Indians.” The fact that most of them are not Indians seemed not to matter. It would appear that the students who are “proud to be Indians” are blind to Indians as a people, a nation, a race.

Perhaps it is because of the culture we all grew up in, which included stereotyped depictions of Indians in movies and comic books that fed into a generalized racism regarding all people of color. But whatever the reason, it appears to me that the people who want the Indians mascot back in action view Indians as part of the public domain, to be used as symbols by anyone for any purpose. Pleas by Indians to be treated as human beings, with dignity and respect, fall on deaf ears.

In the end, Kelseyville High School will go down in history as a progressive institution if the board honors the previous board’s decision – and the local tribes – and rejects the attempt to bring back the Indian mascot. Conversely, the high school and the Kelseyville community will forever be labeled as both mean-spirited and ignorant of the steps that must be taken to help heal the wounds their ancestors inflicted on the peoples who now only seek to end the use of the word Indian as nothing more than a high school plaything.

Steve Elias lives in Lakeport.

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lcsage - It's a generic term Registered | 02-21-2008 10:22:29 Nothing more. If it was called Pomo Indian, that would be different. The Duncans and their supporters just want to stir the **** with the race card, not unlike some other group we hear flapping their lips.

sannan - beautifully put Manager | 02-21-2008 10:24:21 Thank you.

smurf - more data Registered | 02-21-2008 11:00:55 my daughter (who is very involved with KHS sports) reports that the current student population is by far in favor of NOT changing back to Indian mascots, it's the old folks who are behind the effort for the most part, if the students voted on it they'd stick with the knights logos. So maybe those old folks should go back to polishing bar stools with their behinds, something they have far more experiance at. And maybe they could show up when something important happens, like last year when the whole high school math program was in shambles, but I guess that would mean they had their priorities straight, which obviously they don't. I'm not a huge fan of Clayton, but he's right about this much for pretty much the reasons Steve outlined, common courtesy and decency is not the same as political correctness-in spite of what the local numbskull community thinks.

lcsage - KHS Students Registered | 02-21-2008 11:22:22 also know peer drug salespeople work the campus without restriction. The kids know this, school admin knows. I know of several purveyors of illegal pharmaceuticals that have worked for years on campus. How do I know this? Students have told me this. Of course they don't narc to the right people, this is against some code of theirs.

yellowwing Registered | 02-21-2008 12:30:16 Blah, blah, blah. The only reason the name shouldn't be changed is that this issue needs to go away. It never should have been changed - it isn't disrespectful. It is a tribute to those peoples who inhabited this country prior to the Europeans. Can't say natives, because they weren't the first ones here either. So nothing should have an Indian name or any reference to Indians and then perhaps the Indians themselves will no longer exist.

drraven - What about Vikings? Registered | 02-21-2008 12:48:47 Nobody is crying abour teams named Vikings. Isn't this insulting to my Norwegian ancestors? I think they should change all the Viking names so as not to insult me!

maui.bound - Let it go! Registered | 02-21-2008 13:07:09 Very well put Steve! Very diplomatic and to the point. What's wrong with Kelseyville Knights? It still is Kelseyville, Right?

1175Brush - ... and just how far will they Registered | 02-21-2008 13:33:21 Let's say that we do not change the name back to the Indians - will we stop any other team called the Indians from ever playing here? The Pomo's should also feel a sense of pride in having a team named after them! Why only the negativism? If we went cross country and changed the name of everything named after both sides of a conflict, what names would we have left? IE, Mr. Kelsey was the offender, and the indians were the offended - therefore, let's also get rid of "Chinatown", and the "Japanese Center" in San Francisco? Or, did we forgive them, or have we buried the hatchet - not according to this ridiculous Pomo argument! NO, we should be hateful forever! 150 YEARS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO FORGET IT!!!!!!!!! duke

Raphael - 1175 Brush Author | 02-21-2008 19:17:52 You are missing the point...If the Japanese had overcome and invaded this nation and made it Japanese, and a particularly atrocious massacre of innocent American civilians was linked with the name of an abusive and brutal Japanese "pioneer", and this name was honored as a town's name and later made part of this town's sport team that would include the word American, such as for example the "Oshawaville Americans", wouldn't it be atrocious for Americans to hear, and to hear yells of "kill the Americans" by other teams, or would they all be happy to stew in the "Japanese melting pot" and to "move on" and "let go of the past"? America has "forgiven" the Japaneses by winning the war, Nuking and fire-bombing over 300 000 innocent Japanese civilians (men, women, children, babies, the unborn, elders) into oblivion to break the Japanese fighting spirit and aggressive imperial aspirations. But you can bet the Japaneses have not forgotten, and if sports teams were called the Japs or the Samurai, and yells of "kill the Japaneses" were heard in the crowd, there would be an outrage, and the same with any minority that has the power of the vote. Just because Native people are less than 1% of the American population and have consequently no political power does not mean we do not owe them the same fundamental respect accorded to other minorities or groups. And if 150 years is enough to "forget the past" and "move on" (to where, ignorance and oblivion?), why are we still celebrating Columbus day and the 4th of July?...Oh I get it...We are suppose to ignore, deny, forget what makes our consciences uncomfortable, and to only celebrate the good stuff, such as Independence Day, and the myths and historical lies around Columbus. Should we then demolish the Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 memorials after 150 years, and forget?

kathologist - r-e-s-p-e-c-t Registered | 02-21-2008 18:09:05 Thank you Steve for your article. Thank you smurf for giving us more background. I am very interested in hearing from the students. I also think that the caricature of native americans is disrespectful. Vikings and Knights have passed into history, into public domain as it were, and the native americans are still here, living among us! While there are other teams that use "indian", it doesn't make it right. As far as the argument about chinatown and japantown, this same individual likely doesn't use the terms chink or jap in front of others BECAUSE IT IS DISRESPECTFUL to living beings.

Donna Christopher - As a Honky Mick Author | 02-21-2008 22:19:11 Kraut Limey Injun how about we put education first. Have an election of the entire student body and see what they want to be called - I hope the answer would be EDUCATED.

jbrookes - wachale Registered | 02-21-2008 23:33:09 It would be worthwhile for critics of the Kelseyville Indian mascot to have a look at the following from the Web, death of Andrew Kelsey, CA pioineer: The Kelsey's ( a bunch of not-at-all-nice brothers from the Kentucky came west and caused no end of trouble: see next: Here's a quote: Andrew Kelsey b. ca. 1819? in Kentucky; d. 1849 near Clear Lake California. He went with his brothers to California in 1841 and went to Oregon in 1843, probably to join his brother David. He returned to California in 1844. In 1847, he gained privilege of grazing their cattle near Clair Lake. He and Charles Stone scorned the use of conciliatory methods with "Injuns and such varmint' and were both killed in 1849.[2] One version of the incident follows: In the fall of 1849 when Stone and Kelsey were away with the vaqueros, attending to their cattle one da.. [an Indian] squaw poured water into their guns. The next morning some of the Indians made a charge on the house. Kelsey was killed outright with an arrow shot through the window. Stone escaped upstairs and on the Indians rushing up after him, jumped out of an upper window, ran to the creek and hid in a clump of willows...An old Indiana found him and killed him with a blow of a rock on the head.[3] (anecdotally, the bodies of both men were lashed to horses and dragged about for a bit before burrial) quote (cont In the 1860s when a town was established not far from the adobe that Kelsey and Stone built, it was named Kelseyville in his honor, as was Kelsey Creek. Although Andrew was thought to be a bachelor by California historians, he probably did marry Mary Kelsey in Missouri, but she may have died soon after. There were apparently no surviving children. (the Benjamin Kelsey's - Andrew's brother)...called Napa Valley their home from 1845 and were known as rough men often in trouble with the authorities. Although Benjamin did not live at Clear Lake, his treatment of the Indians in the gold mines did much to provoke the killing of his brother Andrew." So these were bad-assed people who got exactly what they deserved. The "Pioneer Register" includes Kelsey along with just 67 names of CA, The fact of naming the town after Kelsey was nothing more than the custom in the earlier days of naming towns, villages, creeks etc. for whoever happened by first, not in "tribute" to them (think "Forbes Town", "Bush Street"). Critics of "The Indian Logo" may also wish to ponder on the hood ornament on Pontiac cars, which for decades has been a stylized and handsome Indian, clearly not a mockery. There is a town in the South (forget where)named for Civil War General Nathan Bedford Forest, who was the 1st KKK leader . "And so on", as Kurt Vonnegut would have put it.

lcsage - what do you mean Registered | 02-22-2008 10:49:02 "we", froggy? This stupid issue has no merit except to make jackasses out of those "indigenous" experts. Their inane rants are very amusing. Ignore the Duncan SDs and their ilk and remember the term is a generic word, period. PS, the so-called natives were not the first people to live here. Stick your literary expertise.

Raphael - Hell just froze Author | 02-23-2008 01:34:08 over, icsage...I understand your point of view (I will disregard the "froggy" reference, I know you can't help it): I can see how strange it can appear to see everyone get excited, and non-Indigenous people become overnight "expert" about Indigenous issues. But then isn't it even more absurd to hear these Kelseyville residents stand up and say, without blinking, that they are, have always, and will always be "proud to be Indian"? What is it supposed to mean? Do you think they know what it means to be Indian? I sure don't. Here is an idea: if they want to be Indians so bad, why don't they spend some time on the reservation, and see how they like it.

1175Brush - Wachale, 1175Brush, etc Registered | 02-22-2008 13:17:29 Yeah Wachale, let's just keep reading about the atrocities for the next 150 years too! In fact let's put on a yearly reinaction of them on stage to fire eveyone up every year. You are apparently full of hate.

muddiegirl - Nark to the wrong people Registered | 02-22-2008 14:22:04 Mr lcsage, if Kelseyville high school students told you about organized drug dealing on campus then surely they "narked" to the right person. I presume that you are a responsible adult in the community. As such you should have gathered as many details as posible and contacted the County Sheriff's office and shared the information. Drug dealing affects all of us. It affects our children most of all. They are the future. We all need to protect them. If you really know any thing about drugs on campus then you must help to stamp them out by first, speaking to law enforcement, then starting a community effort to educate the children about the dangers of drug usage and the possibliities of destroying one's life through the effects of drug usage and the permenence of arrest records and their effect on future careers. I believe that any high school student who tells me about drug dealing is crying out for help and that I must act. This is a far more important issue then the fighting to use a racist nickname for the H.S. team. Excuse me for chiding you, but you need to get your priorities in order.

lcsage - so called Registered | 02-25-2008 12:11:51 "indigineous" experts and pseudo intellectuals who write about same are the ones that are missing the point; indian is a GENERIC term. It makes no reference to any band of Pomo or other Native Americans. Go after Red Man chewing tobacco froggy, with your nonsensical rants. Enough of your skewed and twisted logic. Your bedouin gypsy mentality does not belong here.

Raphael - That's PRECISELY Author | 02-25-2008 16:37:19 because it is a generic term that it leads to STEREOTYPING, and stereotypes are what many Native people fight, from what I understand. I just lend my modest support when asked... Do you think an African mascot with a caricature of a black man would be accepted anywhere in the so-called civilized world? African Masai warriors were fierce enough to inspire the fighting spirit of any sports team, why don't they try that and see where it takes them? My belief is that "Indian" people ONLY should vote on these issue nation-wide...of course these votes would have to be free from the pressures of casinos and of tribal boards who go along to get along so as not to offend the mainstream culture and loose casino revenues. And my "Bedouin gypsy" mentality does belong everywhere, being nomadic by nature.

lcsage - your Registered | 02-25-2008 19:40:31 "support" is nothing more than self serving self-aggrandizing and shlt stirring for your own edification. I figured that out a long time ago. No other race wants to align themselves with the blacks, not even the "indians". Most Native Americans could care less about this issue, so it would be worthless to make them vote on it. Your rationale is like a pot of crap; the more you stir it, the worse it smells. That is your sole agenda, Mr. non American.

Raphael - You are Author | 02-25-2008 20:04:18 giving me way too much credit, lcsage...Even if I wanted to be self-serving etc, being nobody, where would that take me? Nowhere. I am not a politician or a public figure or official. So who cares about my opinions? No one, and that's how it should be. I just like to vent about things, just as you do. We are simply venting about different things. But wouldn't a Native American vote settle the issue for good, being non-contestable? As far as sh-t stirring, yes and no: there is so much of it everywhere, it could turn into a full-time occupation, and I just don't have the energy. But I will shift my focus and write about positive things for a while, if I have the time...there are a lot of positive things happening everywhere in America and in the world. And yes I am a citizen, who votes (what for I am not sure, but it's worth a try).

James - Words Registered | 02-25-2008 20:56:27 words have meaning and codify. When we got away from "sticks and stones can brake my bones but names can never harm me" and allowed all to have thin skin. Time would have someone step forward and tell us to stop. We have been told now lets do so. Its not my place to judge.As a nation we have set out on this course and with reparations to the Japanese I see no end for some time.

Raphael - Offering Author | 02-25-2008 22:22:01 reparations is not the most important thing in my opinion. What is important is to admit having committed an illegal or immoral act, like slavery, etc. But the idea is not to point the finger, because it can lead to accusations going back to the beginning of time, if there is such a thing, as everyone is guilty. The point is to teach history as it really happened, and to understand that, if all people and all races and cultures are guilty of aggression and of having committed mass murder (wars, invasions, conquests) at some point in time or another, certainly western civilization (that means mostly Europe) has been the most successful at it, that is to say the most lethal and destructive. If we don't learn from the past, aren't we doomed to repeat it? Isn't time we, as a species, stop glorifying might and start loving peace? Or do we have to blow up the planet to learn our lesson?

lcsage - Maybe Registered | 02-27-2008 10:29:57 our local band of SDs should travel to Happy Camp where the school teams are called Lady Indians and Boy Indians as reported in the 2-18-08 sports section of the Siskiyou Daily News. Someone needs to explain to them just how frikin wrong this is. Let's charter a freedom bus and go. Maybe the gang of four will authorise funding, etc.

lcsage - Reparations etc Registered | 02-27-2008 10:36:21 For too long the govt's answer to the indian problem has been to keep throwing money at it. Doesn't seem like it's working. Even with casino money, indian money and other stipends, the money goes for booze, drugs and useless crap. There are those living on various res' that still don't have the basic utilities, even though the rent is free. And people are flapping about some generic name. Shame.

Raphael - you got a point Author | 02-27-2008 21:34:55 here Icsage...about these problems. You say some people are wasting their time on useless issues...Why don't you contact them and put your minds together to come up with some solutions to these problems? I am not being sarcastic, I mean it, you obviously must know what goes on on rancherias and reservations, why not bring up these issues and work on grass root solutions, not from the outside or from outsiders but from within? Why not expose the problems and their causes, to force someone to act to benefit the Indian community (that would be tribal boards and the BIA?)

lcsage - Idealism Registered | 02-27-2008 23:50:39 doesn't cut it here. The reality is just like twelve step or recovery, first and foremost, the person has to WANT to change. The situation is in a rut from inbreeding, low IQ and lack of education. Trying to change something like this is like whizzing into the wind. You give them nice housing and they trash it, rip out the appliances to sell for drugs, set fires in the middle of the floor and continue to kill and maim each other. They don't recognize "White Man's Law", and on it goes ad inf.

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