Petition Created to Change Massena School Mascot

There is a petition on Change.org and it relates directly to everyone in the North Country. Change.org is familiar to many people around the world; its impact has changed the lives of people. It is a tool everyday people can and do use to make a positive change, locally and globally. Change.org mobilizes supporters and directly addresses decision makers to drive solutions. Since its conception, over 100 million people in 196 countries have created change in their communities. On Change.org people have started campaigns, mobilized supporters, and worked with decision makers to drive solutions. Through this vehicle, more than 100,000 organizations have advanced their cause and connected with new supporters.

In this spirit, Konwahahawi Rourke has set a course to make a change in our community and in the North Country to repair and start anew; by petitioning Massena Central School to change the mascot name of the Massena Red Raiders and to rebuild our relationship with our neighbors in Massena, NY. Rourke herself graduated from Massena High School and sees this as a problem we have faced for generations.

Rourke remarked, "I want to make our neighborly relations stronger. For alumni to say they don't care if the MCHS mascot offends anyone is offensive to an entire race of people. It's dehumanizing, its racist and it has to stop. There are other organizations that are making changes such as Not Your Mascot and the campaign against the Washington Redskins to change their mascot. Whitesboro, NY made a positive change recently in redesigning their town logo. There is a lot of change going on, positive change, and now is the time to change the mascot for Massena Central High School".

This petition was created after reading a post on Facebook by Taylor Day. Rourke set up the petition on Change.org and feels strongly about this and within 24 the petition has gained many supporters.

Taylor Day's post on Facebook directly addressed this issue. She was upset over the recent comment made by the captain of the MCHS hockey team during a game between Salmon River Central and Massena Central High School. Day herself had faced racism during high school but it wasn't until she entered university that she realized what she and others faced in high school.

Day remarked, "Throughout high school, when I would speak up about the removal of the Raider head, my non-native classmates would often tell me to shut up, stop talking because it's not gonna change. At pep rallies, students were encouraged to bring their school spirit in order to win "points". I guess, to some students that meant it was okay for them to paint their faces red. Pretty often, people would do war cries also. I was very involved with clubs and organizations, so I didn't face as much racism as other students. Throughout my years at the high school, I had to hear from other aboriginal students that a teacher or student said something discriminatory. I suppose I never took it seriously until this year now that I'm out and attending university. One instance was only a few weeks ago, an aboriginal student walked into the office because he was late to school. When he walked up to the substitute secretary, she said, "Weren't you late the other day too?" And he said "no" and she replied with "oh, you all look the same to me". That is not acceptable. I was outraged to hear what the captain of the hockey team said in the huddle. That is a player that is supposed to be REPRESENTING Massena Hockey! He is over 18 years old also, he should know better than that! I wrote my post in order to enlighten the community of Akwesasne on the remark that was said. Far too often, these remarks go unpunished".

Printed here is the post on Change.org:

"The Massena Red Raiders is a symbol of historic racism and creates division between communities. The use of the terminology creates shame and low self esteem for the Native students that attend Massena Central High School. This has been happening for generations as many classes before have come together to protest the mascot. Although the use of the headdress symbol has been removed, we are requesting that the school no longer use the term "red raider" as it fosters racism among peers. This triggers racist jokes and language. It normalizes behavior that is unacceptable and native students should not be subject to. We want to create safe spaces for all students to obtain knowledge, not hostile environments. Our youth should be able to partake in sports team activities without feeling a sense of tokenism, ridicule, or objectification. We want to move forward with positive language and increase neighboring relationships. The symbolism of the Red Raider mascot prevents this. It is not a term of honor or respect. It is not a legacy of championships in the eyes of our native youth. It is a representation of our people being dehumanized by the institution that is guiding our children everyday".

This letter was sent to the New York State Senate, New York State Governor Cuomo, New York State Board of Education, the Town of Massena, Massena Town Board, and the Massena Central School Board

To find the petition on Change.org, type in Change.org and then under "search" type Change the Mascot Name at Massena Central High School.