Pride Or Racism? Caldwells Still Split Over Native American Logo

CALDWELLS, NJ — Some consider it a symbol of pride and a tribute to a beloved local coach. Others say it’s a racist relic that's harmful to the mental health of Native American students and other minorities.

But love it or hate it, the Caldwell Chiefs logo is here to stay … for now.

Recently, the Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education announced that it won’t be changing the district’s "Chiefs" logo and name, despite demands from many community members and local students, who say it’s highly offensive.

Many local residents have also demanded that the Chiefs logo stay put, highlighting a steep ideological divide between some neighbors in the Caldwells.

In July, a group of students and alums at James Caldwell High School asked administrators to swap out the school's Native American-themed mascot, which they claimed was racist. However, other residents supported the logo and name, which was created to honor the legacy of Harris E. Bonnel, a former football, basketball and baseball coach at JCHS.

Bonnel got the nickname "Chief" from a Native American community leader during a high school assembly for his efforts to educate students on the experiences of Indigenous people.

• See related article: Change The Chiefs: Caldwell Students Call School Mascot 'Racist'

‘EDUCATE, NOT ERADICATE’

Speaking during the Board of Education's meeting on Sept. 21, President Marie Lanfrank said the name and logo will stay as they are.

Board members had discussed a potential change, ultimately deciding against it, Lanfrank said.

Earlier this week, Lanfrank told Patch that her decision was based on an email from Nicholas Willis, a representative of the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) in Utah, which supported the use of the Chiefs logo and name.

“The website included ‘Educate not Eradicate,’ which helped solidify my decision,” Lanfrank said.

Lanfrank added that she was only speaking for herself, not the board.

The NAGA’s statement about the use of Native American names and logos in schools reads:

“To the general public, which is largely unfamiliar with Indian country, the likely perception is that Indian people across the board oppose sports teams using our names and imagery. This perception is fueled by a very one-sided media narrative that has been propagated by journalists seeking to hone their ‘anti-racism’ credentials, by exhibiting textbook ‘racism.’ It is true that a great number of tribal governments have come out in opposition to Native identity in sports. Sadly, this position in most cases is driven by politics and is at odds with the vast majority of tribal membership.”

The key factor when it comes to using Native imagery and names is “respect,” the group says.

“To be clear, NAGA does not take the position of ‘anything goes’ when it come to the use of Native names, logos, and mascots,” the group states. “In fact, NAGA opposes Native American ‘mascots’ in the context of a costumed sideline entertainer. We do take the majority opinion among Native Americans that the respectful use of American Indian names and logos by sports teams is at the least not problematic, and at best a tremendous show of respect and honor to our people.”

The NAGA continues:

“If your school board truly wants a pure, unvarnished rendering of Native opinion concerning your school’s name and logo devoid of politics and other corrupting agendas, you will listen to the voice of Indian people over the voice of the powerful. The changers plan is to divide your community, create upheaval where none previously existed, and leave you with a whopping bill to pay for rebranding while they move unto their next victim to bully into submission. The NAGA alternative is to modify your logo, only if it makes sense to do so, but mainly to use your platform to truly remember and educate about Native Americans.”

STUDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS SPEAK

The student-led advocacy group behind the recent push for the logo switch, Change the Chiefs, said that its members were “disappointed” by the board’s announcement.

A spokesperson provided Patch with the following statement about the decision to keep the logo and name:

“Other than the complete dismissal of racism, what is perhaps most shocking on behalf of the Board of Education was their complete rejection of the scientific findings of the American Psychological Association, the National Congress of American Indians, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and the American Counseling Association, which stated that indigenous mascots are harmful for the mental health of Native American students and other minorities. It is deeply concerning that the Board of Education would blatantly state that they do not believe in scientific findings. The board also stated they do not agree that the ‘Chiefs’ mascot is offensive, despite numerous accounts from Native tribes and individuals expressing the harm that this mascot does on the representation of their people.”

The group continued:

“We have corresponded with all members of the Board of Education since July, sending them letters, emails, and phone calls regarding why the change of the mascot is urgent. Since July, we have not received a single reply to any of our correspondence. We have no idea how the board arrived at this decision, and what discussions or votes were held, if any. As the constituents of the members of the Board of Education, and the ones currently being educated in their school district, it is their job to inform us of the process of their decision making, and supply ample reasoning for why they came to this decision. There has not been any movement of students and alumni like Change the Chiefs in recent Caldwell/West Caldwell history, with the support of nearly 6,000 people who signed our petition to change the mascot. The board's response to the students they are serving has been shockingly disappointing.”

The group added:

“We want everyone to know that the fight is not over, and we will continue pushing for the change of the mascot in every way we can. The message that the board is sending to students of color and indigenous members of the community is that their existence does not matter to them, not even enough to consider changing a sports mascot. We want to continue to fight for all marginalized students in the district, who have felt excluded and unsupported for far too long. Native American voices have been drowned out in the district for too long on this matter. The mascot should have changed in 2005 when members of the New Jersey State Commission on American Indian Affairs and the Powhatan Nation came to the district, expressing the offense they took to the mascot and their desire for its change. Even now, the Board has refused to listen to such community members like Jonathan Hawk, who is of Choctaw descent, and requested for the change of the mascot by stating that Native American people should not be represented by caricatures. We are joining the National Coalition to Remove Indigenous Mascots to become a part of a nationwide movement to end all Native American mascots, and give representation back to indigenous people. The fight is just beginning."

There are those who disagree in the Caldwells, however.

According to an online petition titled "Don't change the James Caldwell High School 'Chiefs' mascot and logo," the drive to replace the school mascot isn't the same as other social justice campaigns, such as the effort to rename the Washington Redskins football team.

The petition reads:

"With the newly energized movement against racism in the country it is understandable how organizations like the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians are being pushed to change their offensive logos and name. However, the James Caldwell High School mascot does not convey the same offensiveness as the two teams prior. The area of the Caldwells actually was inhabited by Lenape native Americans and having the Chief symbol is a reminder of the history of the area and pays homage to the strong and intelligent people that had been wronged by early settlers. The word 'chief' itself is one of the greatest honors one could receive and it represents a leader. As we as a society continue to push for change, we can't forget our past. This symbol once again isn't a symbol of racism, but an acknowledgement of our past and a symbol of the strength and power the once great Lenape tribe had. Even though this may not be a statue it should be viewed as one, for it is a monument in remembrance of what tribe was once here and taking it away will only push our history with Native Americans farther into the past to be forgotten."

Many community members have supported the Chiefs logo and name on social media. As seen in the comments sections on previous Patch Caldwells Facebook posts:

• “Thank you BOE! This was the right thing to do. Being an alumni 50 years and still living in town hurt me to even think about this.”
• “Great decision but the BOE should have never wasted time with this, especially while planning for education during a pandemic.”
• “That is a very PROUD mascot ... deserving respect.”

Other residents have argued that the issue is more complicated than it seems.

They include Caldwell Councilman Jonathan Lace, who recently suggested that the district keep the Chiefs name, but drop all Native American symbols from the logo.

According to Lace and fellow council member Christine Schmidt, even though the intention of the mascot was to honor Coach Harris "Chief" Bonnel, it doesn't mean the school can turn a blind eye to the new way it's perceived.

"We believe that revision of the Chief's logo is warranted," Schmidt and Lace said in a joint statement.

"Numerous scientific studies and academic reports have been published that repeatedly point to the psychological harm to Native Americans and the racism that this kind of stereotypical imagery fosters," the council members said.

“The way I see this is that a name like Chiefs is not the same as Redskins,” a local reader recently wrote. “It is not a derogatory term. It is a powerful term and NJ history does include Native American heritage. So personally, I don’t really have an issue with it. That being said, if people of Native American descent do have an issue with it and they express this to our community, their concerns should not be disregarded.”

Other community members have fired back at critics, defending the push to replace the Chiefs mascot. Seen online:

• "I don't need to be Native American to recognize the offensiveness of the name and logo. It's called having empathy for others who are different than yourself. Turning an entire race of people into a mascot is demeaning. Our town should strive to be better than that."
• "I have lived in West Caldwell for several years and have always been bothered by the mascot, and I felt that now would be a good time to raise this debate given that our country and community have shown more signs of racial sensitivity (and vice versa unfortunately also signs of racial animosity). My daughters will attend James Caldwell High School someday so I'd like to try to make the school a better place before they get there."

"We are in the midst of the largest civil rights movement in history and it is a critical moment of reflection and action," Caldwell Mayor John Kelley said in July, supporting a name and logo change.

"As a borough, we need to reexamine our role in perpetuating systemic racism," Kelley said. "Statues, flags, symbols, and mascots hold power in celebrating and memorializing truth, justice and equity. Unfortunately, the Caldwell Chiefs name and mascot do not uphold any of these tenants. Rather, the mascot dehumanizes Indigenous people and reduces them to caricatures and costumes."

‘THE WARRIOR-SAVAGE MYTH’

While some Native advocacy groups such as NAGA say it’s likely fine for schools to use Native American imagery, others disagree.

In July, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) sent district administrators and the school board an email, saying that it’s time to nix the Chiefs logo.

The group wrote:

“On behalf of the NCAI, I am writing in response to a request for assistance that we received from a member of the Caldwell High School community. This individual informed us that the Caldwell High School community is currently engaged in a conversation about whether to retire its ‘Chiefs’ name and mascot, and asked if NCAI would provide the school and school board with some general information about the facts concerning the harms caused by the continued use of Native ‘themed’ mascots in sports and popular culture.”

The group continued:

“As a resolution passed by NCAI’s membership in 2005 explains, the use of ‘Native American’ sports mascots, logos, or symbols perpetuates stereotypes of American Indians that are very harmful. The ‘warrior savage’ myth has plagued this country’s relationships with the Indian people, as it reinforces the racist view that Indians are uncivilized and uneducated, and it has been used to justify policies of forced assimilation and destruction of Indian culture.”

NCAI spokespeople provided some resources to support the group’s views, including its 2013 “Ending the Legacy of Racism” report:

• “National Indian Education Association Resolution: Elimination of Race-Based Indian Logos, Mascots, and Names” (read article)
• “Study finds only harmful effects from Native-themed mascots” (read article)

The NCAI also referenced a 2005 study published by the American Psychological Association (APA), which claims that Native American sports mascots have “harmful effects” on young people of all races.

“The use of American Indian mascots as symbols in schools and university athletic programs is particularly troubling because schools are places of learning,” former APA President Ronald Levant said.

“These mascots are teaching stereotypical, misleading and too often, insulting images of American Indians,” Levant said. “These negative lessons are not just affecting American Indian students – they are sending the wrong message to all students.”

However, NAGA has blasted the same study, claiming that it was “widely criticized in the social science community for issues pertaining to gross generalization and the tactic of effectively priming the study participants to elicit a desired outcome.”

“The conclusions of this study that Native American sports imagery may contribute to low self-esteem and even suicide among Native youth is in and of itself a humiliating stereotyping of Native Americans as psychologically fragile and weak-minded,” NAGA argued.

“This ludicrous assertion serves only to downplay the very many real causes of low self-esteem and suicide in Indian country which includes poverty, drug abuse, and alcoholism to name but a few actual contributors,” NAGA states.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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