He states: "And I definitely don't know how I'll tell the athletes at Wellpinit (Wash.) High School -- where the student body is 91.2 percent Native American -- that the "Commanders" name they wear proudly across their chests is insulting them. Because they have no idea."
Question: The student body is largely American Indian. But what percent likes the names Commanders? If he states it I missed it.
The Superintendent says: "I've talked to our students, our parents and our community about this and nobody finds any offense at all in it," says Tim Ames, the superintendent of Wellpinit schools.
Question: Is this not anecdotal evidence?
He further states: And it's not going to be easy telling the Kingston (Okla.) High School (57.7 percent Native American) Commanders that the name they've worn on their uniforms for 104 years has been a joke on them this whole time. Because they wear it with honor.
"We have two great tribes here," says Kingston assistant school superintendent Ron Whipkey, "the Chicasaw and the Choctaw. And not one member of those tribes has ever come to me or our school with a complaint. It is a prideful thing to them."
Question: Where is the poll here, at a school that is roughly 58 percent American Indian? Is Ron Whipkey the ultimate source or a substitute for a poll?
He states: Same story with the Red Mesa (Ariz.) High School Commanders. They wear the name with fierce pride. They absolutely don't see it as an insult. But what do they know? The student body is only 99.3 percent Native American.
Question: Where is the poll here? Again, we should take his word, right? Ancedotal evidence.
Now comes the poll, and he states: "And even though an Annenberg Public Policy Center poll found that 90 percent of Native Americans were not offended by the Commanders name . . . "
Well, that proves it. 90 percnet of Native Americans. In what region? In the backyard of University of Pennsylvania? Did they use phone calls? Internet? Shopping center queries?
Tell me, did you know any poll can be skewed by region, type of people polled, the type of communications (phone/internet/mail/man on the street)?
And where are the polls in the West? Calif. Arizona, the pueblos of New Mexico? The Utes, the peoples of Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas etc. where you won't find much telecommunicating equipment? I am sure Annenberg was above board and egalitarian. Yet, one poll does not confer a people's thought process or preferences.
So you and little Danny Snyder have this one poll. Wonderful.
Go ask Suzan Shown Harjo, American Indian activist. I am sure she could produce a poll, perhaps skewing her way. And her way is that the name offends her, her family and members of her community. Danny Snyder and his lawyers I am sure will outshout her in the media and in "polls". And that is too bad.
