FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2008
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Despite the fact that the Natick School Committee voted on March 5, 2007, to drop the "Redmen" nickname at Natick High School, and despite the fact that Native American people, like Chief Caring Hands of the Natick Praying Indians, have made it quite clear that the "Redmen" nickname and all of its associated images are offensive, the Natick Outdoor Store continues to profit from the sale of merchandise adorned with both the nickname and full headdress logos.
In January, 2007, Chief Caring Hands said this of the "Redmen" nickname: "We know if our children were in this high school, it would have been gone a long time ago." In the March 4, 2008, edition of the MetroWest Daily News she said, "A man need only be told once if he truly wishes to hear," she said. "After that, he is just not listening and chooses not to hear."
According to a February, 2008, New England Cable News interview, a representative of the Natick Outdoor Store said, "The more they talk about it, the better the sales are for the stuff."
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For forty years state and national Native American and civil rights organizations have been calling for an end to "Indian" sports mascots, nicknames, and logos at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels. These organizations include the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the National Congress of American Indians, the NAACP, the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, and the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs.
The Massachusetts Council on Native American Awareness, in their 2007 statement, had this to say:
The Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, Inc., (MCNAA) finds the use of mascots and accompanying stereotypical behavior to be an offensive and derogatory practice that belittles the culture and religion of Native Americans. Mascots dehumanize and objectify Native Americans reaffirming the belief that Native people no longer exist or that they exist only in the media or as caricatures. Stereotyping of this nature is harmful on many levels not only to Native people but also to those who allow the stereotype to shape their view.
The New England Anti-Mascot Coalition urges all consumers of good conscience to boycott the Natick Outdoor Store until they stop selling "Redmen" merchandise. Better sporting goods alternatives include Bob's Stores, REI Recreational Equipment, and The Sports Authority, all of which are located in Framingham.
CONTACT : NEAMC@sanfacon.com