Source 1: Image
Homecoming at Skowhegan Area High School
2008
Lever Yearbook, Skowhegan, Maine
This photograph is from the Skowhegan Area High School yearbook. It shows students celebrating homecoming in 2008. They are inside the high school building and are wearing clothing to celebrate school pride.
Notice the colors and clothing that the students are wearing. The school colors are orange and black. At this time, Skowhegan still had the mascot “Indians.” Can you see signs of the mascot?
Source 2: Image
Wabanaki Signs
August 2015
Skowhegan Riverfest
Courtesy of Maulian Dana Bryant
This photograph was taken by Maulian Dana Bryant, a Penobscot woman who has served as Penobscot Nation Ambassador and as the Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance.
In the photo, you can see a table set up with three signs made by Eve Dana, Maulian’s sister. This table was at the Skowhegan River Fest, a family event full of food, games, music, and activities. Maulian and other community members managed to convince the event organizers to let them set up a table, since it seemed like a good way to talk to people about Native mascots.
Maulian remembers the event: “It was a tense day but no violence or threats in person. We had a group of about 20 people join us at the table to inform folks about why we wanted the change.”
Notice the colors, designs, and words on the posters.
Source 3: Document
“We are Skowhegan; We are not ‘Indians’” Editorial
March 5, 2015
Kennebec Journal
This is a clipping from a 2015 newspaper. It was written by Derek Michaud, who graduated from Skowhegan Area High School in 1995.
He writes about how he used to wear the Skowhegan Indians uniform but changed his mind about it later in life. He explains why he feels that way.
This editorial was written four years before the mascot was officially changed.
Source 4: Document
“Six Thoughts on Skowhegan’s Mascot’” Editorial
April 20, 2015
Morning Sentinel
This is a clipping from a 2015 newspaper. It was written by Linda Quinn, a woman living in Skowhegan.
She writes a list of thoughts after attending a silent protest and a meeting at the middle school. She has several reasons why she disagrees with the name change.
This editorial was written four years before the mascot was officially changed.
Source 5: Video
Skowhegan Public Forum
January 2019
Courtesy of John Harlow, Somerset Community TV
Between 2015 and 2019, the school board and community of Skowhegan, Maine held many meetings and public forums to discuss whether to change the Skowhegan Indians mascot. Representatives of Wabanaki tribes came to ask community members to retire the mascot.
These videos are from a public forum in January 2019. People were invited to make statements. They were limited to two minutes per person.
The prompt was: “Why should the district support or not support a change to the use of the Indian name and the seal of Skowhegan’s area schools?”
Note – what don’t you see in these clips?
We have chosen an equal number of speakers on both sides of the debate, but at the actual event there were more people against the mascot than for it.
The public forum lasted almost three hours, and the two sides took turns: pro-mascot, anti-mascot, etc. After 46 minutes of meeting time, there were no more pro-mascot speakers left to take turns. For almost two hours, everyone speaking was anti-mascot.
Introductory statement before the forum:
“This is not a debate or a discussion with the board. Rather, this is a forum to allow public comment to inform the board…The board welcomes constructive comments that will help the board more fully understand the speaker’s point of view on this important issue… It is important to note that the board will not be voting or deliberating tonight. We will listen and at a future meeting consider what future next steps the board would like to take.” -Dixie Ring, Board Chair for MSAD 54