Despite widespread community support for keeping the name, Port Townsend High School in Port Townsend, Washington will drop its Redskins name and mascot. The Port Townsend School Board voted unanimously last night to make the change, according to the Associated Press.
The school board’s decision was made on the recommendation of a study group that found that the name was offensive to Native Americans and it should be retired. But this didn’t sit well with the nearly 300 people in attendance last night, with many routinely cheering speakers who opposed the name change and booing those who took an opposing view, reports the Peninsula Daily News.
Her son, Kyle Lohse, who has a World Series ring and is a starting pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers, may get most of the national headlines, but Leslie Lohse is one of the most successful businesswomen in California and a prominent tribal leader. And her leadership is being recognized and utilized.
On June 18, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the appointment of Leslie Lohse to the California State Athletic Commission.
Lohse, of Glenn, is a Board Member of the California Tribal Business Alliance and tribal council treasurer and assistant administrator for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians since 1998. She is a member of the Rolling Hills Clinic Board of Directors and member of Tehama County, Girls Inc.
Lohse was chair of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Central California Agency Policy Committee, vice president at the National Congress of American Indians, board member of Northern Valley Indian Health, member of the Bay Delta Public Advisory Committee and served on the National Indian Health Services Budget Committee.
“Representing the Governor on the California State Athletic Commission is very much an honor,” Lohse said. “This is in line with my commitment to support and promote a vibrant California. Our Governor and the Legislature are working hard to ensure California is flourishing. I’m happy to be part of the team moving our state forward.”
Although this position requires Senate confirmation, that legislative formality is expected to be taken care of quickly and affirmatively.
Leslie Lohse’s son Kyle was signed as a free agent by the Brewers before the start of the season.
In addition to business and tribal work, Lohse has worked tirelessly to help women and girls succeed. She is a founding board member of the national non-profit organization Girls Inc. in Tehama County.
“Today’s women are faced with many decisions that our moms did not, or were not encouraged to deal with from a position of strength,” Lohse told Global Gaming Business in 2011. “Therefore, it is imperative to show our young girls and women that it’s OK to speak up from a position of knowledge and strength.”
Lohse learned this lessen on her own based on her family dynamic growing up. Being the 12th of 14 children and having six older brothers, she learned at an early age how to hold her own.
“I knew it was important for them to understand there wasn’t always one way,” she todl GGB, with a laugh. “I may not have been as physically strong as they were, but I definitely could compete and do well, even win sometimes due to my ability to think outside the box.”
Lohse was also named the 2012 Woman of the Year for California’s Second Assembly District.
“Leslie is a passionate and dedicated citizen who ably serves her revered and historic Nomlaki tribe, her community and her state through her selfless leadership,” said Assemblyman Jim Nielsen. “Her energy and abilities have ensured a bright future for generations now and yet to be born in the north state.”
Leslie, as Treasurer of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Band of Indians, participated in putting together the Tribe’s purchase of over 2,000 acres near Corning, and was instrumental in bringing about the construction of the 70,000-square-foot Rolling Hills Casino that includes three restaurants. She also played an active role in the tribe’s success in bringing about two new hotels next to the casino, the John Daly Signature links-style Sevillano Golf Course, and a private hunting club to the tribal lands. The tribe recently opened the Rolling Hills Clinic, on in Corning and one in Red Bluff, to provide medical and dental services for the county.
The health clinic is especially important to Leslie, who is an active community advocate dedicated to making Tehama County a safer, healthier, and more prosperous community.
Lohse and her husband, Larry, live in Willows. In addition to Kyle, they have a second son, Erik, and four grandchildren.
“I am excited to get back behind the wheel for SR2 this weekend,” stated White. “I drove for the team in a few events last year and really got to know everyone very well. We were running solidly inside the Top 10 at Montreal last year before getting caught up in someone else’s mess on the last lap.That familiarity sure does help and I will look to use that to my advantage when we unload at Road America. I am appreciative of the support of VIP Poker this week as well and I look forward to putting on a great show for them.”
The Road America event will be White’s fifth career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He made four starts in the 2012 season with SR2 Motorsports with a best finish of 18th at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
He also has three career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and 30 in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series where he was the Rookie of the Year in 2010.
“It is great to have Derek back with our SR2 team,” added SR2 Motorsports team owner Jason Sciavicco. “We had some great races together last year and everyone expects another solid performance this weekend at Road America.
We should have had a top-10 finish at the Montreal road course event last year but some bad luck on the last lap ruined that. Road America is a very exciting race and Derek is a strong road racer so we feel a fun weekend is ahead of us.”
The running of the Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America begins at 5:00 p.m./ET on Saturday, June 22. The race can be viewed live nationally on ESPN and heard on affiliated MRN radio stations and on Sirius NASCAR Radio 90.
The last hurrah for the Radnor High School Red Raider, an American Indian mascot, may be the parting photos contained in the school’s 2013 yearbook. As of June 11, the Red Raider has graduated to the history books.
According to MainLineMediaNews.com, RHS Principal Mark Schellenger announced a mascot change to the Radnor Township School Board policy committee Tuesday. Going forward, the school’s sports teams will be known simply as the Raiders, without an accompanying mascot. Schellenger said the decision to end the mascot’s tenure was “a great example of student involvement.”
“There will be no mascot,” said Schellenger. “No character of an Indian on our sidelines. The Red Raider is graduated, while at the same time we will maintain the tradition of the Radnor Raiders.”
It appears the community at large was not involved in the decision, as the school’s students were. MainLineMediaNews.com reports that Board Member Charles Madden wished the larger community, including alumni, had been consulted before a decision about the mascot was made.
“This has been an issue for quite a long time and we’ve pushed it off,” said Madden. “It’s bigger than the school community. It’s bigger than the high school.”
One outsider who was involved in the process was Villanova University sociology professor Rick Eckstein. In addition to speaking with students about the “cultural insensitivity of having a Native American for a mascot,” Eckstein spoke at a board policy meeting in February about the matter.
Schools in New York and Idaho recently had to halt plans to change their “Redskins” mascots after community outrage at the decisions which were made without consultation.
The Chicago Blackhawks are currently tangling with the Boston Bruins in a so-far thrilling Stanley Cup Finals clash between the two Original Six clubs. The first two games have been fast, tense, exciting, both going to overtime, with each team claming a victory. Game 3 is tonight in Boston (8 p.m./ET, NBCSN; check local listings to confirm coverage in your area) and it should be another fun night of hockey.
Through all the championship chatter, though, one interesting question seems to be going unanswered–or even asked: Why isn’t Chicago taking heat for their Indian logo and name like the Washington Pigskins do? The club is in the spotlight again, after winning the 2010 Stanley Cup, so that famous Blackhawks logo is everywhere right now. But they seem to get a pass. Is some Native imagery okay? Who decides?
One commentor, however, is taking a look at this lack of controversy. Today, CBS Chicago’s Tim Baffoe posted the column “Should the Blackhawks Ditch Their Indian Head Logo?”
“[Why] isn’t the Indian head logo more often a topic of conversation when it comes to offensive sports imagery? Why isn’t the organization in the Stanley Cup Final almost ever asked to justify it,” asks Baffoe.
He answers his questions, in part, by writing, “The Hawks don’t use a caricature or slur that other teams have come under fire for. In fact, there is almost zero Native American ‘stuff’ used by the organization other than just their very famous logo. I don’t mind the Blackhawks Indian head logo. Hell, I’d say it looks pretty badass.”
For those unfamiliar with the history of the Blackhawks name, here’s a quick history via The New York Times: “The Blackhawks’ founder was Maj. Frederic McLaughlin, whose family owned Manor House Coffee, a popular brand in the first half of the 20th century. McLaughlin named the team after the Blackhawk division, a unit he helped lead as an officer in the Army. It was formed during World War I, but the war ended before the unit, or McLaughlin, saw action. The unit was named for a Sauk and Fox American Indian leader who fought against the United States government in the War of 1812 and in 1832.” (For more on Chief Black Hawk, click here.) The team’s immmensly popular Blackhawks Indian head logo was created by Irene Castle, wife of McLaughlin, in 1926 at the team’s inception into the NHL.
Read Baffoe’s column by clicking here. And please share your thoughts on the Blackhawks logo with ICTMN by commenting below.
In a recent online column, Forbes sports business reporter Tom Van Riper made the case for why Dan Snyder will never change the name of his Washington Pigksins NFL franchise: Money.
Analysis from Brand Keys, a research firm that measures consumer attitudes toward sports teams and athletes, indicates the team enjoys strong fan loyalty that’s based primarily on “history and tradition.” (Related: Before Judging NFL’s Redskins Name, Consider the ‘Racist’ Who Chose It) In other words, Washington fans buy a lot of team-licensed gear, even when the club isn’t successful.
“Meanwhile,” writes, Van Riper, “Forbes assigns copy31 million of the Redskins’ copy.6 billion valuation (making the Pigskins the third most valuable NFL franchise) to its brand strength, behind only the Cowboys and Patriots. … when you’re minting money even in down years, as the Redskins do, you don’t have much interest in trying to find out [how much the team’s name adds to its value]. A fresh round of merchandise sales tied to a new identity isn’t worth the risk.”
Two members of Congress, Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa) and Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota) have issued responses to the June 5 letter sent by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the league’s position on the Washington, D.C. franchise’s use of the name “Redskins.” Goodell wrote in his letter that the term, considered offensive–racist–by many Native Americans, has a “positive meaning.” (Read Goodell’s entire letter here.)
Congressman Faleomavaega responded to the letter with the following statement:
Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa)
“Mr. Goodell has completely missed the point regarding the Washington franchise’s name. In his recent letter, he acknowledges the NFL’s ‘responsibility to exemplify […] values of diversity and inclusion.’ Yet in the same letter he fails to assume any responsibility for the racism that the Washington franchise’s name continues to promote. You cannot have it both ways. Whether good intentioned or not, the fact of the matter is that the term ‘Redskin’ is a racial slur that disparages Native Americans. It is time for the NFL to stop making excuses for itself and fully embrace its so-called commitment to diversity.”
Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus Congresswoman McCollum issued the following response:
“Unfortunately, NFL Commissioner Goodell’s letter is another attempt to justify a racial slur on behalf of Dan Snyder and other NFL owners who appear to be only concerned with earning ever larger profits, even if it means exploiting a racist stereotype of Native Americans. For the head of a multi-billion dollar sports league to embrace the twisted logic that ‘Redskin’ actually ‘stands for strength, courage, pride, and respect’ is a statement of absurdity.
“Would Roger Goodell and Dan Snyder actually travel to a Native American community and greet a group tribal members by saying, ‘Hey, what’s up redskin?’ I think not. (“Hey, what’s up redskin” is >a quote from materials provided to my office by the NFL, along with the claim that “Redskins” is a “term of endearment” among Native Americans.)
“Indian children, families and elders are Americans, and just like all racial, ethnic, or religious groups, they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, not as a demeaning caricature or mascot. That shouldn’t be too much to ask of the NFL.”
Mark Mulligan / The Herald Returning Everett AquaSox player Jamodrick McGruder throws from second base during a drill at Everett Memorial Stadium during the team’s first practice of the season Tuesday afternoon.
By Nick Patterson, The Herald
EVERETT — Meet the new Frogs, same as the old Frogs — at least more than usual.
The 2013 Everett AquaSox took the field for the first time Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the upcoming Northwest League season, conducting their initial practice at a rainy Everett Memorial Stadium. And moreso than in a typical season, there was a familiar feel about the players on the diamond.
“I think it’s good,” said second baseman Jamodrick McGruder, part of the large contingent of players who have experienced Everett previously. “A lot of us have already had this season, so it will be good experience-wise. Guys know what to do and I think we should come out and be pretty strong.
“It’s kind of an older team, which is good,” McGruder added. “We don’t have a lot of young guys. A lot of the guys were at extended spring training, so we should be very experienced and very well put together.”
Usually the AquaSox almost completely turn over their roster from year to year. Last year, there was just one player who opened the season with the team who played in Everett the previous year, and Marcus Littlewood was in the process of converting from shortstop to catcher.
But Tuesday afternoon there were nine players on the field who appeared last season for Everett, which finished 46-30 and won the West Division’s first-half title. Those nine include five who spent all of last season with the Sox. Second baseman Jamodrick McGruder, who led the league in stolen bases with 30, and outfielder Alfredo Morales were everyday players for Everett. Pitcher Steven Ewing made 12 starts and finished third on the team in innings pitched; outfielder Michael Faulkner finished second on the team in steals with 15; and reliever Mark Bordonaro was a regular presence out of the bullpen.
The four who had shorter stints with Everett last season were pitcher Jose Valdivia, outfielder James Zamarripa and catchers Christian Carmichael and Carlton Tanabe.
“We’ve got guys who have that experience, know the league, know what it takes to win ballgames, and won’t be shocked by pro baseball right away,” second-year Everett manager Rob Mummau said. “I think we’ll have a good start.
“I expect those guys to succeed at a high level, and hopefully they’re not here too long and get to move up eventually,” Mummau added. “But I definitely expect a lot out of them.”
Everett’s initial roster doesn’t have any prospects generating a large amount scouting community buzz, like pitcher Victor Sanchez generated last season. However, there are a number of players who bear watching.
Mummau singled out infielder Martin Peguero and outfielder Phillips Castillo as newcomers to watch. Both are 19-year-olds from the Dominican Republic who had moderate success with Pulaski of the rookie Appalachian League last year.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Carmichael and 19-year-old Zamarripa are the highest draft picks on the initial roster, being selected by the Seattle Mariners in the sixth rounds in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
As for the pitching staff, it’s largely an experienced group.
“It’s different from last year’s staff,” Everett pitching coach Rich Dorman said. “This year we’ve got a lot of guys from extended spring training, last year we had a lot of guys from college (who were selected in the 2012 draft). It’s a big year for a lot of these guys because they’ve been in the organization for a while.”
But while it may be an older staff, the Sox will be leaning heavily on the youngsters in the rotation. The team’s two youngest pitchers, 19-year-old Dominican right-hander Rigoberto Garcia and 19-year-old Dutch right-hander Lars Huijer, are scheduled to start the team’s first two games in Spokane on Friday and Saturday. Dorman said the towering Garcia, who’s listed at 6-foot-5 but looks taller, is one of the best prospects on the staff.
The remainder of the rotation to begin the season includes Brazilian right-hander Thyago Vieira, the right-handed Ewing and Venezuelan right-hander Ricardo Pereira.
Dorman said there is no designated closer and the Sox bullpen will fill that role by committee.
Everett’s roster is not complete. The Sox will see college players from last week’s draft trickle in after they sign contracts. Pitcher Tyler Olson, the Mariners’ seventh-round pick, already has arrived while first baseman Justin Seager, Seattle’s 12th rounder and the younger brother of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, was expected to report shortly.
Everett gets a rehearsal tonight when the Sox take on the Pacific International League’s Everett Merchants in the 10th annual Everett Cup exhibition game. The Merchants, a team comprised primarily of community college and small college players with local ties, upset the Sox twice in the previous nine meetings. The Sox won last year’s contest 5-2.
EVERETT — One of the annual signs of the approaching summer is here.
The first batch of this year’s installment of the Everett AquaSox arrived in town Monday, and not only does it indicate summer is right around the corner, it also signals the imminent beginning of the 2013 Northwest League season.
The AquaSox are preparing to kick off their 19th year as the Seattle Mariners’ affiliate in the short-season single-A Northwest League. Last season the Sox finished 46-30 and won the West Division’s first-half title. Everett was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Vancouver in two straight games. Rob Mummau, who managed the Sox last season, is back for his second season at the helm.
The Sox will conduct their first workout this afternoon at Everett Memorial Stadium. They’ll get a chance to experience the stadium under the lights Wednesday when they take on the Everett Merchants of the Pacific International League in the 10th annual Everett Cup exhibition game. The 76-game season begins Friday at Spokane.
The players who arrived Monday consisted primarily of those who spent the past two months at the Mariners’ extended spring training in Peoria, Ariz. That included eight who spent time with the Sox last season. Infielder Jamodrick McGruder, who led the league in stolen bases last season with 30, is back for another stint with the team. Others on the initial roster who spent all of last season with Everett include outfielders Alfredo Morales and Michael Faulkner, and pitchers Steven Ewing and Mark Bordonaro.
The rest of the roster is expected to be filled by college players selected by the Mariners in last week’s amateur draft. The first of those joined the team Monday as pitcher Tyler Olson, a seventh-round pick out of Gonzaga University, arrived. First baseman Justin Seager, the younger brother of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager who was taken in the 12th round out as a junior out of UNC Charlotte, is expected to join the team later this week. Others will trickle in after signing with the Mariners.
Everett finds itself in a new division this season. With Yakima relocating to Hillsboro this year, the league has reconfigured into North and South Divisions. Everett is in the North Division with Spokane, Tri-City and Vancouver. The South Division contains Boise, Eugene, Hillsboro and Salem-Keizer.
Everett is also hosting the league’s all-star game on Aug. 6. This is just the second all-star game in league history, with the previous one taking place in Spokane in 2004 to commemorate the league’s 50th anniversary. The all-star game will be an annual event going forward.
It’s official: Jesse Smith, Mohawk from Six Nations, has qualified for the U.S. Open, the second major golf tournament of the season.
Smith, 33, who has golfed professionally for seven years, played his way into the U.S.’s national championship by finishing in the top four at a sectional qualifying round staged at Century Country Club in Purchase, New York on June 3. This will be Smith’s first appearance in a major–and in a PGA Tour event. The last Native American to compete at the U.S. Open was Jeff Curl, Wintu, son of former PGA Tour player Rod Curl, according to Stephen Tooshkenig, the president of ST Golf, which works with Native golfers to develop their game.
According to ST Golf, Smith has traveled the globe searching for a spot on the world’s biggest golf stage, the PGA Tour. He has competed on the Canadian Tour, Nationwide Tour, and international events. A humble golfer from New Hampshire, Smith has firm family roots planted in Ohsweken/Six Nations (“I actually lived up there last year with them while I played the Canadian (PGA) Tour,” Smith recently told Golfweek.). He has assisted with ST Golf golf clinics which develops the golfer from top to bottom. As a professional golfer Smith has been focused on helping Indian country reach new levels through his drive and dedication to the game of golf.
And as Smith has strengthened his ties to his Six Nations roots, he’s also reached out to a major Native golfing star: Notah Begay, Navajo/San Felipe/Isleta, a four-time PGA Tour winner. (Related: Tiger Woods to Join Notah Begay III for NB3 Foundation Challenge)
According to Golfweek, Smith called Begay last year. “Prepared to leave a voice mail, Smith was stunned when Begay answered the call and not only listened to a tale of frustration from a struggling professional, but offered advice. They’ve become friends, and when the news of what happened in Purchase made the rounds, one of the first calls to Smith was from Begay.”
Through this excitement, Smith is enjoying it all. “It really is a great feeling,” he said. “A bit overwhelming, but I’m dealing with that now and it’s all positives.”
The 113th U.S. Open Championship begins Thursday, June 13, at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Smith’s scheduled starting time is 2:42 p.m./ET. Follow the action online at USOpen.com. ESPN and NBC will split the coverage on the tournament’s opening day; check your local listings for details.
