Inappropriateness of "savages" as a school emblem?

[David Robertson]

Dear Superintendent Keickbush,

A propos of news coverage which has come to my attention, may I offer a
very brief comment about the use of "savages" as a school emblem?

The term is bound to offend English-speaking indigenous people and their
(also anglophone) allies.  It would also bruise the sensibilities of
speakers of French, the language from which the word came to English.

But as a linguist, I might be able to offer a novel idea:  A small
change of the name to "Siwashes" could be defensible.  That word is the
Chinook Jargon term for "Indians", and derives historically from the
French word ('sauvage').  As Chinook Jargon is, or was, the Northwest's
unique intercultural language used among natives and mostly white
outsiders, "Siwash" has acquired no pejorative meanings of which I'm aware
among its speakers.  Indeed, the term "Siwash illahee" as I might
transcribe it, meaning literally "Indian land", is used to this day by the
people of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community in western
Oregon.

I suspect, however, that your school's choice of a mascot image may be an
additional problem.  If it contains a visual portrayal of a stereotyped
"red man", then you folks may need to think very hard about choosing a
replacement for it.  The portrait of Sacajawea on the new US $1 coin might
be an inspiring example.

With respectful hope for a creatively appropriate resolution,
Dave Robertson



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