School nicknames under new scrutiny, Native American imagery at issue

As professional sports teams reevaluate imagery associated with Native American stereotypes, East Tennessee schools bearing some of the nicknames aren’t racing to address the issue.

In the Knox News coverage area, there are six high schools that use Native American nicknames and imagery: Greenback Cherokees, Loudon Redskins, McMinn County Cherokees, Oneida Indians, Sequoyah Chiefs and South-Doyle Cherokees.

On July 13, the NFL’s Washington team announced it would drop the name Redskins and choose a new one after pressure from major sponsors like FedEx.

Chuck Hoskin Jr., the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma – the country’s largest Cherokee tribe with more than 385,000 tribal citizens – praised the Washington football team’s efforts to retire the nickname. However, he called the use of the name “offensive, derogatory and wrong, as are many other names and depictions of Native Americans across sports” in an email to Knox News.

School mascot changes should come at the “local level,” Hoskin said. Tribes can give guidance on cultural appropriateness and he said he hopes schools “take that feedback and do what’s right.”

“In my view, while some schools with Native mascots may not appear as derogatory or offensive as others, when schools use Native mascots, it’s too hard to control the cultural appropriateness of team jerseys, imagery promoted or local fan bases,” Hoskin said.

Response from area schools

Fans and schools mock Native Americans and Native culture by using war bonnets, face paint, crying war chants and participating in tomahawkchopping gestures, “as if we are vestiges of the past,” Hoskin said.

“This does not honor Cherokee traditions nor do they honor our fellow tribes,” he said.

Oneida uses the same nickname as the Major League Baseball’s Cleveland team, which announced a review of its name on July 3.

Jeanny Phillips, the director of schools for Oneida Special School District, said the district would set up a committee to review the usage of the name, “if time allows.”

The committee – likely comprised of alumni, board members and faculty – would make a recommendation to the school board by the end of the school year, she said.

“We understand this is a sensitive issue and this issue will be given utmost consideration,” Phillips said in a text message to Knox News.

Mike Garren, Loudon’s director of schools, said he is focused on creating a reopening plan for schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic but, “we may look at (the nickname) moving forward.” He said the decision to change the name would be made by the district’s board of education.

When asked if he thought Loudon’s nickname should be changed, Garren said, “In my opinion, that’s a community- driven decision for our elected officials.”

Loudon County school board chairman Bobby Johnson said he has no plans to review the nicknames for Loudon or Greenback, but if there is a need for public discussion over the imagery, the board will, “look at it.”

Johnson said he doesn’t see the nicknames for Loudon or Greenback as slurs. His great-grandmother was a Cherokee Indian, he said, and he doesn’t want either nickname to change.

“There’s a lot of pride in those names,” Johnson said.

Knox County Schools board chairwoman Susan Horn said she wouldn’t comment when asked about South-Doyle’s nickname, adding she has been focused on reopening schools.

“At this time, the district is not considering a change,” Knox County Schools spokesperson Carly Harrington said in an email to Knox News.

Lee Parkison, the director of schools for McMinn County Schools, thinks the Cherokee nickname is “worth reviewing.” So far, the nickname hasn’t been brought up to the school board.

“I really don’t know the (Native American) history (in McMinn County), and I would like to know that,” said Parkison, who also said he’s seeking information on how the Cherokee nickname came to be. “I would certainly be open to discussing (the nickname).”

School with a history of Native American support

Sequoyah, part of Monroe County Schools, opened in 1995 after Madisonville High School and Vonore High School closed and combined. A steering committee of school leaders, community members, employees, parents and students led the naming process for the new school.

The steering committee reached out to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians about the proposed school name, Lee Anne Strickland, executive director of federal programs and academics for Monroe County Schools, said in an email.