I am pleased to present this issue for your reading enjoyment. Besides the usual Trek and scifi news and humor, this issue includes some original fiction from USS crew member and author Jessica Howe. Plus, we have a stirring commentary on the Catholic Church's abuse scandal from former USS McNair Captain Joyce Harris.

Is it racist or justifiable tradition? USC student Jeff Languille shares his research findings on the use of Native American mascots by academic schools and their sports teams. Are the mascot costumes and dances historically accurate? Jeff explores the issue and uncovers some interesting and little-known facts.

I hope that you will take a moment with me to congratulate two junior USS McNair crew members: Peter and Taka. In a national fencing tournament in April in Louisville, Kentucky, Taka won the Bronze Medal in her age group against competition from across the U.S. and Canada. Way to go, Taka! I had the chance to watch her fence recently at a tournement at Boston University. She definitely has a lot of talent.

In May, my son, Peter, was inducted into the National Honor Society at his high school, Joseph Keefe Vocation Technical School. Of 400 students in his 10th grade class, 40 were selected to apply based on their performance. Of those that applied, 14 were selected and inducted into the NHS. I am very proud of him. The ceremony was quite nice.

Captain Kevin Johnson reporting
Captain's Log June 26, 2002
Stardate: 37433.5

The USS McNair crew has been busy. Earlier this year, Frank and Maureen hosted a wonderful Oscar Night party. The ship's crew also went to several movie nights, including "The Time Machine," "Ice Age," "Spider-man" and "Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones." We usually go to a Saturday afternoon matinee to save money, and then to dinner after the movie. We invite any sci-fi fans to join us for future movie nights.

Here's the latest information available:

The new series, Enterprise, premiered on Wednesday, September 26, 2001. Here's the latest information:

By George Jenkins, XO
Star Date: 37435.9 (June 28, 2002)

This issue's column will be shorter than normal. Upon returning from vacation recently, I learned that my dad's health has taken a turn for the worse. My father lives in Atlanta. The doctors want to amputate a foot due to gangrene and diabetes. The amputation is to help with pain management (e.g., this surgery is not a cure, only a way to relieve the pain). Due to my dad's advancing senility, I am being asked to make the surgery decision.

Obviously, this took me by surprise. I didn't think that my dad was that senile. And I knew that he was having foot problems. Gangrene was a surprise.

I am sharing this as I feel the need to focus on family issues and my job as best I can. The last couple weeks have required time to research gangrene and diabetes, and to inform both family members and friends of my dad. I don't know how available I will be over the coming weeks for USS McNair related activities. Obviously, I will need to visit Atlanta soon.

Several of you have written expressing your sympathy and offering help. Thank you very much. Right now, the best help I need is a friendly phone conversation. Please feel free to call me. If I don't call you, it is because I am very busy talking with family members, friends of my father, doctors, caregivers, and attorneys. At times I am exhausted and would welcome a friendly, upbeat phone call.

The oral of this story: 1) don't abuse alcohol; 2) eat well and exercise; and 3) watch your health so you stay as far away from diabetes as you can. It is a very serious disease.

Speaking of something sickly, Paramount is going to live (and die) with its theme song from the new Enterprise TV series. According to Startrek.com, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour woke up one Sunday morning in June to the sound of Russell Watson singing "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the title song from Enterprise. On past space shuttle missions, it has been standard practice for NASA's flight control team at Mission Control in Houston to transmit a song as a wake-up call to the astronauts.

Now, don't misunderstand. I love NASA and what it has done for our country. I just can't stand the theme song for the latest TV series.

Congratulations to Whoopi Goldberg and Frank Langella for their recent Tony Awards. Whoopi (Guinan on TNG) won a Tony Award in June as co-producer for the Best Musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Frank Langella (Minister Jaro Essa on DS9 in the episode "The Homecoming"), won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his work in the play "Fortune's Fool." Rene Auberjonois (Odo on DS9) is scheduled to join the musical "Dance of the Vampires," a musical spoof based on the 1967 film "The Fearless Vampire Hunters." Auberjonois won a Tony for the 1969 play "Coco."

Congrats to Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway in Voyager). Immediately after finishing her successful one-woman show "Tea at Five" at the Hartford Stage in Hartford, Connecticut, the actress will perform the show in a limited run later this summer at the Cleveland Play House. The play, written by Matthew Lombardo, will be directed by John Tillinger and will run for two weeks at the Cleveland Play House's Bolton Theatre, from August 20th through September 3, 2002. For more information, visit http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/.

What's your BMI?

How wide are railroad tracks? Who set the width? Was the setting based on the width of Roman roads or was this an urban legend?

By CAPT Joyce Irvin Harris, SFC (Ret.)
Director, Department of Xenopsychology and Spirituality
Daystrom Institute

As I study the psychology and spirituality of other species, I must take the time to reflect upon the predatory behaviors of Terrans. It is an understatement to say that I am grieved by the pain of the adults who lost their childhood on the demonic altar religious pride. I am furious that their innocence was stolen without remorse. Within the Terran Judeo-Christian tradition, the two most sacred trusts given to humanity are the formation and socialization of the family and the care and nurturing of the soul. Both have been violated by a dysfunctional system that would save the perpetrator and ignore the cries of the children.

The Jesus of Christianity will judge harshly those who have perpetuated this heinous tragedy. The sacred Christian text, in Mark 9:37, 42 (NKJV) says:

37: "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."
42: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

It is clear that children are dear to the heart of the Christ. According to Mark 10:13-14,

• 16 (NKJV), "He bestowed abundant favor upon them and chastised severely those who abused them."
• 13: "Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them."
• 14: "But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.' "
• 16: "And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.

I personally feel that pedophilia among priests is symptomatic of a greater problem within the Catholic Church. The greater problem is that of sexuality in regards to those called to "religious life." Neither nuns nor priests can marry yet not everyone who chooses to serve God in ministry is given the gift of celibacy. Therefore, the Catholic Church has spent much of its existence trying to hide inconvenient pregnancies, fornication, and pedophilia. It is my conjecture that the majority of these perpetrators are not gay. Statistics have established that most pedophiles are heterosexual. These men who molested and raped these children are sexually frustrated and bereft of acceptable outlets that do not compromise their faith teachings. As a result, they resolve their frustration by assaulting the most vulnerable. And our children cried.

Be it known and acknowledged that all priests are not guilty. But those who hve perpetrated these crimes are no longer fit for ministry and should be defrocked for the greater good of the Church. Equally, the custodians of the system all have blood on their hands. They must live with their complicity. Yet, as much as we may desire such, we cannot be their judges. That responsibility belongs to the One who called them into vocation. For those guilty, there awaits a judgment from which none will escape.

With regret, all faith traditions have those who break their vows. It has been the practice of many mainline Protestant denominational judicatories, for many years, to transfer "problem ministers" to other jurisdictions within their purview. I know this to be true because, to my disgust, colleagues of mine who have been caught in adulterous relationships were so handled. One, in particular, had been caught having sex with a minor under his charge as a group home counselor. His denomination simply transferred him out of state to a different conference. I was mortified that his offenses were not taken more seriously and dealt with in accordance to the prescription of our sacred text.

As we seek to redress the wrongs done to children and identify those who harm them, we must be careful not to look at all single ministers with suspicion. There are many single men and women in Christian service who take the sacred text seriously and endeavor to live a life that brings honor to Christ. Their lives should not come under undue scrutiny because of the crimes of a minority.

Finally, before we, who have observed this travesty, begin to throw stones, we must examine our own house and do our own penance. How many times have we suspected the weakest among us being preyed upon and sat silently behind the walls of non-involvement because we chose not to risk getting into "someone else’s business." Let the sacrifice of these children, now adults, not be in vain. Let us all say "never again" and redouble our resolve to save the children.

© 2002 USS Ronald E. McNair. All rights reserved. This article may be linked to provided it is presented in its entirety with this copyright message appended.

Meeting agendas are available via Internet e-mail or fax. To learn more, see us at the next ship meeting. New members are welcome! Meetings are the second Sunday of the month at 3 PM. Call or write us for directions. Contact the USS McNair at P.O. Box 255159, Boston, Mass. 02125-5159.

The meeting minutes from prior USS McNair meetings:

Date: Saturday, May 4, 2002
Minutes:

1. Held at Kevin and Sabrina's house.
2. Discussed 401(k), IRA's, kids movie nights etc.
3. Ken handed out the roster of the MA members that could be put on the fridge and info on the Zakim Bridge walk 5/12/02.
4. We watched Futurama with the TOS cast and Atomic Cafe.
5. Plenty of food from Tennessee BBQ.

Date: Sunday, April 14, 2002
Minutes:

1. At George and Alison's
2. May birthdays
3. Saw the movie "2010"

by J.A. Howe

The sailors were nervous about having a merperson on board. Yanalle was beautiful for her kind, certainly, with her green-gray hair streaming out behind her under pearl-encrusted netting, and her gray robes fluttering around her. She was ugly to these land folk, however. They squirmed at the sight of the barnacles in her face and hands, and the shell that stuck in her cheek by a thin silver rope that dangled to her right nose. They gave her wide berth as they went about their duties, casting uneasy glances in her direction as she stood on the deck in all her finery, clutching the precious sea pod that would hopefully save their king’s ailing son. The ship witch said darkly that she was a bad omen.

After many days they docked at last in the harbor. The mermaid Yanalle gazed wonderingly up at the sloping hills of the king’s island. She stared at the wide rocky heaths, and the beach strewn with seaweed and shells, that her kind had dumped there. Over it all loomed the lighthouse tower of hard marble and wood, its heights encircled by screeching gulls. Beyond glimmered the castle, a bright spot in the distance.

She walked off the boat on her own; no one offered her any assistance. Here, on the gritted beach, women mended nets and cut fish and clams, as children gathered flotsam for firewood and reeds and such herbs as grew along the shore. Farther along the harbor, the men hauled in the day’s catch and divided it up with the harbor masters. She saw many stares cast in her direction, heard many mothers whisking curious children away with a sharp word, as she followed the sailors up the winding path inland toward the fortress of the king. A tall bird stalked through reeds to her left and disappeared.

Yanalle had never been this far inland before and was amazed and a little frightened at all the new unfamiliar sights and sounds. She thought of the words of her teacher for strength. "Use what you know," she could hear him say, and she straightened her back. The merfolk had sent her because they trusted her competence, and because her father the king was looking fir friendship between land and sea. She must be brave.

This became easier to do, once she settled in to the task for which she had come. The prince lay pale under his coverlet as she checked him over and began the brewing and stewing of the herbs to save his life. While she worked, she tossed some of the seeds out the window, giving them to the wind instead of the water as she would have at home by custom. "What are you doing?" someone asked seeing her, and she replied that she was doing as she had been taught. By then the seeds had blown away. The attending witch glared at her.

The seeds were forgotten until a few days later when messengers came to the king. "Strange giant plants grow on our land now, Sire; we’re being invaded!" they cried. The king looked out his window and saw young, tall shoots, forcing themselves up from the earth in droves. Their thickening trunks were formed by several broad leaves that twisted tightly together. At the top these leaves began to separate again, throwing out tendrils that thickened rapidly to flutter in the wind. As these dancing formations grew further in size, the trunks congealed together to form a firm, brownish green wood.

"Cut them down!" said the king. The messengers said that had been tried, but there were so many of the plants, and more kept growing. The king sent for Yanalle.

She had been sitting with the prince. He was healing well under her care; already the flushed look had left his face. "It goes well, Your Highness," said she. "He is getting much better."

"And what have you done to our land?" growled the king, leaning forward. He pointed out the window at the new forest.

"What are those?"

"Your Highness has never seen trees before, then?" she asked. "Those plants are from the sea. They give us medicines, the same ones that are helping your son now. I have seen them grow tall, but never like this."

"She’s up to something, Sire," hissed the witch who’d been in the room with her. "I saw her toss some of those seeds out the window on purpose!"

"But that’s how it is done," Yanalle protested as the king’s glare darkened.

"Yes, putting in sea plants," said the witch. "No doubt so that sea people can live here, Sire."

"It’s not true," said poor Yanalle but they wouldn’t listen. Guards came then and dragged her away in chains.

She sat for a long while in the dark, feeling sad for these suspicious people who could not even enjoy her gift. Finally, she knew she must get out of here. At least, she thought, that would be simple enough, since a little rivulet ran in her cell. It was fresh water, but Yanalle was sure she could follow it to the sea. Quickly she muttered the words to make her back into the water from which her people had come, and she drifted away.

Yanalle collapsed far inland. She had not come near any salty water as she’d hoped. The land rolled gently here, covered in gorse and heather, needles and vines that grew in patches over the ground, between which were tough grasses and reeds. For as far as her eye could see, there was only land and the freshwater river. Weeping tearlessly for her plight, Yanalle changed form weakly and stumbled out of the water, wondering what to do. A little ways in the distance she caught sight of a small cottage.

This was the home of a young healer, who lived with her husband. It was she who found Yanalle by the riverside, while out gathering herbs, and she who treated and sheltered her. The healer had heard all about the mermaid who had healed their prince and the strange forest of giant plants she’d brought with her. She felt sorry for Yanalle and did her best to help the mermaid. But all was in vain. In a few days’ time Yanalle died, and the healer buried her outside her cottage.

Eventually, the sea king grew worried waiting for his daughter to return. He came to the surface of the sea, and he called to the west wind. "What news of my girl, wandering wind, who traveled to the foreign places where men breathe air?"

"It is cold in the west, with coming rain," said the wind, "that cries for the passage of the sea king’s daughter. She healed the sick, they say, but she herself will never return home."

"How did she die?" cried the king in distress.

"She died by a river, far inland," said the wind and blew away.

The king was enraged by this news. He blew on a squall towards the islands, reaching the court of their lord on a rising storm that blew ships about in their moorings as if they were no more than small bits of sand. His rage burst upon the castle and set the heralds flying and the servants trembling. The lord of the islands came out himself, stumbling and hanging on to cracks in the stone.

He told the sea king, trying to maintain his composure, that Yanalle had been imprisoned "for a misunderstanding, Sire," he bowed many times indicating the tree plants waving in the high wind. "We did not comprehend that they were only a gift, just that."

"You were afraid," growled the sea king, reading the truth behind the words of this slight, simpering man of the land. "She is dead now, far inland, the wind tells me."

"It is true," said the castle witch when she was sent for. "She died at the hands of the inland healer."

The island king, feigning outrage, wanted to call for the healer at once, but the sea king read something else in this witch’s words. "No. We will go to her, you and I, and we will hear her story. Now." Without another word he picked up the island king and his entourage and blew them inland, to the home of the inland healer.

There next to the woman’s house grew a young tree plant. This one was of white bark with golden-green leaves, and it swayed prettily in the wind that blew up with the travelers. Its roots trickled daintily over the place where the healer had buried Yanalle. Many sweet-scented flowers and herbs grew at the base.

"This is indeed my daughter," the king cried. Weeping and blustering, he stormily embraced the tree till they thought it would burst.

Finally he turned to the people gathered round. "You have done a great and noble thing," he said, bowing to the healer and her husband, "and she has given you this gift in return." He pointed to some tiny saplings that poked up among the other plants near the base of the tree. "These will bear fruits in time such as you have never seen before, and you and your people will never grow hungry.

"As for you, however," he glowered at the land king and his people, who shrank back before his wrath, "you have done a harm which I can never fully repay. In bringing my daughter to you I hoped to form a peace between land and sea. But now I can see that not all land folk are wise and good. I see that in times to come you will try to steal the bounty that will grow here. Things will grow dark for you if you do, o king!" he warned. "And know this as well, you who are so fond of voyaging on my sea and taking her fruits: she will continue to give, o yes, but she will not always be kind about it. You will face great storms, at times, and you will lose many of your folk as I have lost mine."

With that, the sea king stormed away. In years to come it was indeed as he said; many times the land king and his folk tried to take from the plentiful fruit trees, which grew into a wide orchard. But unless the bounty was freely given it failed. Torn-up saplings and cuttings died quickly in the king’s gardens, and what fruit he stole caught worms and disease. Meanwhile, the healer and her descendants became wealthy traders, and every year they made a pilgrimage to the sea to thank the king for his gift as they themselves became kings, and eventually ruled the land in peace and prosperity.

But the sea king never forgot his daughter. Ever since, his storms have savagely crushed many a boat, and his waves have not been kind to the coastlines ever after, in her remembrance. You can still hear his mourning cries for her sometimes on the wind.

© 2002 Jessica Howe. All rights reserved.

Top 10 Biggest Disappointments in ATTACK OF THE CLONES
Source http://www.cinescape.com/

10. Natalie Portman does not get naked, but Christopher Lee does.

9. The much-talked about scene with Yoda and R2-D2 discussing "their love that shall not be named" not included.

8. Hayden Christensen not total crap in the role so we can't make fun of him a la Jake Lloyd.

7. Not nearly as good as its prequel ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES.

6. Samuel L. Jackson's lightsaber didn't say "bad ass m-----f-----" on it.

5. No wacky outtakes run over the credits. You haven't seen funny until you've seen R2-D2 bleep when he should have blooped.

4. Rumored cameos by Harry Potter, Frodo, Spider-Man, J. Lo, and other fictional characters proved to be false.

3. That preview for DEATH TO SMOOCHY TWO in front it. Oh the horror.

2. Jar Jar Binks doesn't die a slow, painful death.

1. When the movie is over, the hardcore fans realize they're still 35-year-old virgins.

I recently received this via e-mail:

Subject: Eternal Truths

1. Once over the hill, you pick up speed.
2. I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
3. If it weren’t for STRESS I’d have no energy at all.
4. Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
5. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don’t have film.
6. I know God won’t give me more than I can handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.
7. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
8. We cannot change the direction of the wind... but we can adjust our sails.
9. Some days are a total waste of makeup.
10. Do you believe in love at first sight ... or should I walk by you again?
11. If the shoe fits...buy it in every color.
12. If you’re too open minded, your brains will fall out.
13. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
14. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
15. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
16. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.
17. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
18. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
19. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
20. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
21. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
22. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
23. A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
24. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
25. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
26. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
27. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
28. Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
29. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
30. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
31. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
32. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
33. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

Subject: Martha Stewart's Way vs. The Real Woman's Way

Martha's Way #1: Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
The Real Woman's Way #1: Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone. For Pete's sake, you are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it anyway.

Martha's Way #2: To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
Real Woman's Way #2: Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix and keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

Martha's Way #3: When a cake mix calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead, there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
Real Woman's Way #3: Go to the bakery. They'll even decorate it for you.

Martha's Way #4: If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an >instant "fix me up."
Real Woman's Way #4: If you over salt a dish while you are cooking, that's just too bad. Please recite with me the Real Woman's motto: "I made it and you will eat it."

Martha's Way #5: Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the fridge and it will keep for weeks.
Real Woman's Way #5: Celery? What's that?

Martha's Way #6: Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust just before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
Real Woman's Way #6: The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crush, so I don't do it.

Martha's Way #7: Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
Real Woman's Way #7: Martha, dear, the only reason this works is because you can't rub a lime on your forehead without getting lime juice in your eyes and then the problem isn't the headache anymore, because now you are BLIND. A much better use for the lime is with tequila. You certainly won't have a headache, not until the next day, anyway. If a headache does occur, repeat with the tequila and lime.

Martha's Way #8: Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
Real Woman's Way #8: Leftover wine???

Subject: Capitalism Lesson 1

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM:
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when the cow drops dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create clever cow cartoon images called Cowkimon and market them World-Wide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You reengineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

A BRITISH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. Both are mad.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You break for lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 12 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of >vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION:
You have 5,000 cows, none of which belong to you. You charge others for storing them.

A HINDU CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You worship them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.

AN ISRAELI CORPORATION:
So, there are these two Jewish cows, right? They open a milk factory, an ice cream store, and then sell the movie rights. They send their calves to Harvard to become doctors. So, who needs people?

A WELSH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. That one on the left is kinda cute...

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM:
You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. Arthur Anderson audits your books and writes the annual report which states that the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. Sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States, leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. The public buys your bull.

I thought that you might find these Web sites interesting:

A research paper by Jeff Languille. January 27, 2002.

War chants, tomahawk chops, painted faces, scalping the enemy, Indians, Redskins, Braves, Warriors, Red Raiders, and Chiefs. Mascot or symbol? Honor or disgrace? When I talk to my friends it is easy for each of them to come up with at least one or two schools or teams that use Native Americans images or terminology to represent their sport teams. Until I began my research I can honestly say I thought this was a current issue that had recently arose across the nation.

The issue came to light for me via a struggle in my home town a few years prior to my entering Quincy High School in Southeastern Massachusetts. For as long as anyone in Quincy can remember, a cross-town rivalry has existed between the Quincy High School Presidents and the North Quincy High School Red Raiders. The Red Raider, otherwise known as Yakoo, a bare-chested tomahawk wielding red character with a single feather sticking out of his headband, didn’t draw much publicity until 1991 when a local teacher, Ed Grogan brought to the attention of city official that the mascot may in fact be racist. His unsuccessful campaign ended in 1995 when city officials cited "a U.S. Department of Education ruling that deemed figure offensive but not a federal Civil Rights Act violation." (http://ledger.southofboston.com/archives/).

Grogan’s unsuccessful battle with the Quincy School Board brings up what has actually been a major issue in the American Indians’ struggle for equality since the 1960’s. To analyze the Native American movement against the use of Indian mascots and to address the question of whether or not Native Americans should be used as mascots or symbols for sporting teams of academic institutions a case study of some prominent Native American mascots will be used.

It is important to realize that each individual case, although unique with respect to the circumstances surrounding the current or past existence of their mascot, represents a "norm" or standard from which comparisons can be made. Each school is or was using an Indian name or term that specifically refers to Native American, a symbol that resembles Native Americans, and a mascot or uniformed performer for sporting events that also bears Indian imagery.

Academic institutions were exclusively chosen for this research for several reasons. A certain level of integrity is expected from any group that refers to itself as academic. Local school systems, colleges, and universities all set out with the mission to educate this nations youth in a manner that is consistent with the notion of equality and respect for all cultures and races. To view a professional sports team under these same scruples is unfair to them. A professional sports team is in essence a business with the expressed goal to make money. Although this fact does not excuse its owners, fans, and shareholders from moral obligations to themselves, it does put these franchises into a different category than academic institutions with a different set of arguments.

For these reasons, the following discussion will focus solely on three academic institutions: Florida State University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

To better understand the Florida State Seminoles and their mascot, Chief Osceola, a little history is needed. Chief Osceola, a mascot that is actually named after a historical figure in Seminole history, was the brainchild of Bill Durham, a FSU graduate student, who "sought and obtained the approval of the Seminole Tribe of Florida for the portrayal of Osceola" (http://seminoles.fansonly.com/trads/fsu-trads-osceola.html). Chief Osceola, who wears "authentic regalia designed by the ladies of the Seminole Tribe of Florida" rides an Appaloosa horse to the center of the field at every home football game and plants a flaming spear in the ground, leading the FSU Seminoles football team into battle (http://seminoles.fansonly.com/trads/fsu-trads-osceola.html).

The Seminole Indians, actually a mixture of a large number of Creek Indians and some native Florida groups, are best know for their resistance to the US Government’s Indian Removal Policy during the early to mid 1800’s. The Seminole War that characterized their existence in the 1835 is full of stories of heroic Seminoles fiercely resisting and giving little ground while killing thousands of opposition forces. The Seminole finally agreed to remove to Indian Territory in 1842, although some 300 Seminole refused to remove and escaped to the everglades, forming what is today the Florida Seminole Tribe (Williams Lecture, 10/25/01).

In this case it appears that Chief Osceola has made a legitimate bid as the mascot for FSU. But how deep is the backing for the FSU mascot? FSU mascot supporters do indeed include the chair of the Seminole tribe of Florida, James E. Billie, who has stated repeatedly that "neither he nor the tribe has any objection to the use of the FSU name, logo, or mascot" (Team Spirits, King, 144). While this may be true, it is also true that Billie does not represent all of the Seminole Nation. "Of further importance is the fact than none of the four Seminole tribes of Oklahoma nor any other well-known Seminole members have endorsed the FSU situation. In fact, Seminole Michael Haney is prominent among a national group of Native Americans who have protested the Indian mascot for many schools and franchises, including FSU" (Team Spirits, King, 146).

And as if the matter wasn’t complicated enough already, Billie’s approval only appears to be a token statement of his own opinion. In fact the Seminole Tribe of Florida has actually signed a statement of the National Congress of American Indians condemning the use of Native American Mascots (www.ncai.org).

While Native Americans oppose their visages being used as mascots, FSU still holds strongly onto Chief Osceola. Former Florida State University President Dr. Dale W. Lick notes that "From its earliest days as a university, Florida State has proudly identified its athletic teams with these heroic people because they represent the traits we want our athletes to have. Other athletic teams are called Patriots or Volunteers in the same way -- they use a symbol that represents qualities they admire" (http://seminoles.fansonly.com/trads/fsu-trads-seminoles.html).

While this reasoning may on the surface appear reasonable and even flattering, Native Americans view it under different light. Anti-Chief Osceola activists view this as a form of stereotyping. "It reduces them to a single aspect of life, namely war, ignoring the numerous other experiences and activities more valued than war" (Team Spirits, King, 141). The mascot and the reasons for having the mascot in essence “represent a generic Indianess as much as it signifies the Seminole people,” and create a picture of a being "somewhat less than human" (Team Spirits, King, 141). The anti-mascot movement views Chief Osceola as a prominent image, seen by a nation, backed by a respectable academic institution, which "depends upon the dominant tendency to reduce all Native Americans to dehumanizing representations" (Team Spirits, King, 141).

A curious absence in the Chief Osceola saga has been the role of black students and administrators. While it is true that African Americans have been an oppressed minority in the US, it is also true that they are not innocent of the same crimes of white students and administrators. Black students play on the football team and black students and faculty also make up part of the fan base that cheers, applauds and war chants when their mascot enters the stadium. Although an African American student has never been selected to represent Chief Osceola it does not excuse the whole audience from their support. A black Chief might actually be more historically correct if you take into account the Seminole willingness to accept runaway slaves into their communities and adopt them as family. It should also be noted that the black members of the Seminole tribe also moved to Oklahoma with the Seminole as a part of the removal agreement. It is the gross misuse of imagery and the over looking of history that contributes to the false views of Native Americans in society today.

The Native American Community’s movement against FSU’s mascot at times has seemed to make negative ground. The shaky stance of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and James Billie has made it difficult to dispute the rights to the Native imagery. In March of 1999, Republican State Senator Jim King had proposed a rider to a bill that would have made it law that the FSU sports teams be know as the Seminoles. King said, "For those of us who are of the garnet and gold persuasion [school colors] it is time, in fact it is long past time, for us to defend the heritage that is Florida State University" (Team Spirits, King, 148). It seems that the tradition King is speaking of is not only borrowed, but also false.

The battle over the correctness of Chief Osceola as the mascot for Florida State University is not an isolated incident. The fight over Chief Osceola pails in comparison to the struggle for recognition suffered by Charlene Teters at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The U of I, also know as the Fighting Illini, use a mascot by the name of Chief Illiniwek. Unlike Chief Osceola, Illiniwek is a purely fictitious, having been created by Lester Leutwiler and Webber Borchers in 1926. The first appearance of Chief Illiniwek occurred at halftime during the Illinois-Pennsylvania football game. "After dance, Leutwiler met drum major playing William Penn at centerfield, smoked peace pipe, and walked arm in arm across the field to a deafening ovation" (Team Spirits, Prochaska, 162).

Since then the performance has been reduced to a dance routine. A brief history of the Illiniwek is also necessary for comprehension of the situation. The first European contact with the Illiniwek occurred in 1673 when Jacques Marquette came across the Illiniwek on his travels down the Mississippi River. Marquette encountered a hunting and gathering society that resembled most of the other woodlands Indians of the east. During the French and Indian war the Illiniwek sided with the French and subsequently suffer a population decline due to war and disease. At the end of the war the Illiniwek lost further land to the Iroquois, who expand into their territory and force the Illiniwek to either become Iroquois or die. The rest of the Illiniwek population fled west and play no further role in Illinois history post 1803 (Team Spirits, Prochaska, 158).

The mascot controversy at U of I was in essence sparked by Charlene Teters. Charlene Teters is a Spokane Indian that grew up with a traditional native up bringing. Teters was recruited by the art department at Illinois and accepted their offer to become a student at the Urbana-Champaign campus. Teters recalls that her first exposure to the mascot and what the University was then boasting as an historical dance was at halftime of a U of I basketball game which her children had wanted to attend. Teters took her children to the game and warned them of what they might see, face painting, feathers, chants, and that the mascot would be an Indian. What she saw she was not ready for.

In the documentary "In Whose Honor" by Jay Rosenstein, one can view the dance of Chief Illiniwek. The chief comes bounding onto the court or field, adorned in what can be described as a traditional Sioux attire with full feather headdress (Rosenstein), and performs a dance that can only be stereotypically considered authentic. The performer leaps in the air, bounces around on one foot then the other, and finishes by standing stoically in the center of the court with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Teters explains how she and her children were brought up in a traditional Native community and were taught to "respect dance, eagle feathers, paint is sacred, dance is sacred" (Rosenstein). She was bothered that the Indian looked so authentic and wore such beautiful clothing, more bothered than if the mascot had just had a big plastic head with a feather sticking out of it. She looked at her children and saw them "try to disappear into their seats" while they witnessed "things they were taught to respect being mimicked and reduced to this entertainment event and trivialized" (Rosenstein).

"When you see yourself mimicked it undermines your self esteem. My children understand that they are the target of this" (Rosenstein). It was the look on her children’s faces that solidified her decision to do something about the mascot. Not knowing what else to do or who to turn to, Teters began to protest Chief Illiniwek outside football and basketball games by herself.

University of Illinois fans and administrators claim that Chief Illiniwek is a symbol and not a mascot. Ken Boyle, a trustee of the school said, "I don’t consider Chief Illiniwek to be a mascot, I consider the chief to be a part of the heritage and the tradition of this institution" (Rosenstein). The difference is remarkable. "A mascot is a good luck charm. The word itself can be traced to French words that bear the taint of witchcraft and superstition. A mascot, usually an animal, is a pet, kept by the team for its fans for good luck and for their own entertainment" (Spindel, 29).

"A symbol is more neutral, simply a single powerful image, a mark of visual shorthand that stands for a bundle of beliefs and ideas" (Spindel, 29). The U of I, like FSU, insist that the Chief is only used for his positive qualities, "fighting spirit and bravery, often attributed to Indian chiefs and needed by every sports team" (Spindel, 30). The problem arises when Teters views Illiniwek. To her the image is much more powerful. "For her, this image is also a potent symbol, a symbol of leadership that is both political and religious in nature. It angers and upsets her to see this symbol taken out of her belief system and used to represent another group’s values —- especially when it is a group that has discounted her culture and religion and tried to suppress them for the past three hundred years. In her view, the paint, fringe, and feathers have been appropriated without permission" (Spindel, 32).

Teters attempted to be heard, but the University basically let her calls go unheeded. She began to receive threatening phone calls and after some time moved on, but the controversy she started did not move on. In 1989 the University of Illinois conducted a study to see what should be done to rectify the political incorrectness of the Chief. The inclusion board returned a result that the only course of action to correct the situation was the retiring of Chief Illiniwek as the school’s mascot. Pressure from trustees promising to withhold monetary contributions if Illiniwek was done away with changed the University’s view (Rosenstein).

A new commission was appointed in 2000 to discuss the options that the U of I had for amending the Chief. At this meeting the option of a compromise arose. Although the sentiment was noble, the idea was short lived. "Immediately after the above colloquy [meeting], a number of anti-Chief people in the audience approached Mr. Haney [American Indian Activist] in the rear of the hall. At the noon demonstration outside Foellinger Auditorium, Mr. Haney indicated to the crowd that had gathered that there could be no compromise. Later, a number of anti-Chief speakers in the afternoon session made the point that there could be no compromise. In follow-up telephone conversations with Mr. Haney, there was no success in identifying any person or group who could be agreed upon to be a representative spokesperson to articulate the Indian viewpoint with respect to compromise." (http://www.uiuc.edu/dialogue/report_files/X.html). There is no longer room for compromise in the current equality movement. To the activists, any representation of Native Americans for sports team is the wrong representation.

Native American across the country are just starting to realize the effect of effigies and mascots such as Illiniwek. Charlene Teters realized almost 15 years ago that her children were suffering the most from the misuse. This prompted her activism. Proponents of Illiniwek, such as Susan Gravenhorst claim, "I can’t imagine that it could be perceived as a racial insult or a slur on the Native American community" (Rosenstein). Maybe her view would change if her it were her children crying.

It seems that the Native American movement to strike Indian effigies as representations of sports teams hasn’t had much success. That could not be further from the truth. One major victory came in the form of the abolition of American Indian mascot from all schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country.

The campaign was spear-headed by Ann Marie Machamer and the Los Angeles American Indian Education Commission or AIEC for short. Machamer, whose mother is a Coastal Band Churmash, is no stranger to the cause. In 1991, she and the San Francisco Bay Area Indian community began a crusade to end the Fremont High School’s mascot, the Indian. Two years of stalling and blocking by the school board in the name of "political correctness gone too far" lead only to the retiring of the mascot.

"At the beginning of this effort, Fremont Unified School Board members were unanimously opposed to the change... Two years later, after listening to and learning about American Indian people, most of them for the first time in their lives, and in spite of threats of recall, they voted unanimously to retire this outdated, harmful practice" (Team Spirits, Machamer, 210).

Machamer’s methods are distinctly different from the activism seen in the past two examples. Machamer and the AIEC practice what they like to call systemic activism. "Systemic activism is a slow process that requires planning, research, lobbying, and, most importantly follow through" (Team Spirits, Machamer, 210). Machamer is supporting a form of protest that does not defy the system, such as civil disobedience or violent protest, but rather utilizes the system by working within it to find a legal option for change.

Systemic activism showed it’s effectiveness in the LAUSD decision. The first step taken was to convince the school committee that the mascot issue was indeed an important one. This was done by having John Orendorff, director of the AIEC ask for a task force to discuss the issue. Using an organizational front to confront the school board made the request sound formal. To further highlight the importance of the issue, it was brought to the attention of the committee that they had drafted a policy against discrimination and that the use of Native American mascots violated that policy. The task force was called and that insured that the top officials in the school committee would hear AIECs point of view.(Team Spirits, Mauchamer, 210-212).

Machamer also stressed how preparedness was essential to this type of activism. "During one meeting, a principal explained how, unlike other schools, their mascot was respectful of the American Indians and not at all offensive. After his statement John Orendorff played a videotape of a football game he attended showing their mascot gyrating and doing the tomahawk chop. After this incident, the school retired that particular mascot costume" (Team Spirits, Machamer, 214).

The difficulties that arise during systemic activism are stalling and redundancy. Machamer describes how meetings get delayed and rescheduled and how the AIEC was asked to attend numerous meetings with staff, faculty, alumni and students. Even though their patience was tested, keeping composure proved to the attendees of the meetings that the AIEC was genuine and open in its dealings on the subject. "Losing our tempers and raising our voices hurt our credibility and threatened our access" (Machamer, 212-213). It was through use of their inside contacts that the AIEC was able to find out whether the delays were genuine or not.

In the end, the AIEC appealed to the highest authority in the district, the Superintendent. The campaign had appealed to the moral integrity of the school community (students, faculty, and administrators) who agreed to do away with the mascots, but wanted to retain the names. The AIEC would not compromise for this and used their legal knowledge to get the names changed as well. Under California law, the Superintendent has the power to mandate these changes and “Superintendent Sid Thompson issued a directive on June 19, 1997, that mandated the elimination of American Indian mascots and names” (Machamer, 217).

Although it took a proverbial trump card (a superintendent who was empathetic and ending his term, thereby creating no political turmoil for the rest of his career), the campaign was a success for more reasons than just winning. The AIEC was able to teach the community about Indian culture and appeal to their moral fiber. Even though the schools did not want to change their names, they recognized the importance of retiring hurtful mascots.

So now we return to Quincy, where Yakoo was last seen scalping the Quincy High School President before the annual Thanksgiving Day football game at a pep rally. Ed Grogan has renewed his battle, this time filing suit with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. The Quincy City Council still holds firm to its traditions and no middle ground can be found. A recent newspaper article outlined how the Seneca Tribal Council approved the use of the Warrior as the mascot for Salamanca School District’s High School. Of course the mascot was designed by a Seneca artist and is considered historically correct.

".... Live inspired and use the knowledge and wisdom passed on to you, and remember, you are and always will be warriors," Seneca Indians urged the Salamanca champion football team at last year’s pre-game pep talk (http://ledger.southofboston.com/archives/). To quote Patriot Ledger columnist Ingred Shaffer, "Beats the fake scalping of The Presidents by the Red Raiders, doesn’t it?"

With all the focus on preserving our tradition and our right to free speech we seem to lose track of the real issue.

"We are not mascots or fetishes to be worn by the dominant society. We are human beings." –Charlene Teters to the University of Illinois Trustees

Works Cited:

• King, C. Richard and Charles Fruehling Springwood, eds. Team Spirits. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 2001.
• King, C. Richard and Charles Fruehling Springwood. The Best Offense…: Dissociation, Desire, and the Defense of the Florida State University Seminoles.
• Machamer, Ann Marie (Amber). Last of the Mohicans, Braves, and Warriors: The End of American Indian Mascots in Los Angeles Public Schools.
• Prochaska, David. At Home in Illinois: Presence of Chief Illiniwek, Absence of Native Americans.
• Rosenstein, Jay. In Whose Honor: American Indian mascots in sports: A documentary / written, produced, and edited by Jay Rosenstein. Ho-ho-kus, NJ: New Day Films. 1997.
• Spindel, Carol. Dancing at Halftime. New York: New York University Press. 2000.
• http://ledger.southofboston.com/archives/ Shaffer, Ingred. Commentary: Controversy over school’s Yakoo symbol flares anew. July 25, 2001.
• http://seminoles.fansonly.com/trads/fsu-trads-osceola.html Chief Osceola and Renegade.
• http://seminoles.fansonly.com/trads/fsu-trads-seminoles.html Lick, Dr Dale W. Seminoles: Heroic Symbols at Florida State.
• http://www.ncai.org
• http://www.uiuc.edu/dialogue/report_files/X.html