Native American Guardians Association
| Native American Guardians Association Logo logo | |
| Nickname | NAGA |
|---|---|
| Formation | April 6, 2017 |
| Founded at | Annandale, Virginia |
| Type | 501(c)(3) Corporation |
| EIN 82-1240491[1] | |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Purpose | Native American History and Preservation |
| Headquarters | Devils Lake North Dakota |
Region served | United States |
Official language | English |
President | Eunice Davidson |
Vice-President | Crystal Tso |
Treasurer | David Davidson |
Secretary | Ila McKay |
| Jonathan Tso, David Finkenbinder, Demetrius Maraz, Jeffrey Charley | |
| Website | www |
| Source: ProPublica[1] | |
The Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) was established in 2017 as a charity with the stated purpose of promoting Native American History and Preservation.[1] Representatives of NAGA have been active in local debates over Native American mascots, opposing their removal both by providing local opponents of change with information and by members giving testimony in support of mascot retention. Native American individuals, organizations and tribes have repudiated NAGA as not being representative of them. NAGA's efforts have been generally unsuccessful, as Native mascots have been eliminated in response to the prevailing view that they are a remnant of discriminatory practices.
High school mascots
Killingly High School
In 2019, the Killingly High School in Long Island saw its board of education retire their mascot, the Redman, citing concerns that it was racist and offensive to Native Americans. A school board election in 2020 saw a Republican majority elected which voted 5–4 along party lines to reinstate the mascot. Several members closed their statements with the motto of NAGA, "Educate, not eradicate," but critics said that organization is a fringe group which does not represent the views of most Native Americans. Two members of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s youth council told the board “Redmen” is a slur that does not honor them.[2][3]
Colorado
In 2021, the State of Colorado passed a law banning the use of references to Native Americans in any way as a mascot for any school, public, private, or charter, unless the school had entered an agreement with a specific Native American tribe prior to the laws passing. NAGA sued the state of Colorado and would be represented by the Mountain States Legal Foundation.[4]
A member of the governor's commission, Darius Smith (Navajo), says that NAGA does not have credibility or represent the way many American Indians feel about the issue.[5] In May, 2022 the judge dismissed the suit on the basis of NAGA having failed to establish standing to bring the case.[6]
Skowhegan High School
In March 2019, the Skowhegan Area High School board voted to retire its mascot, the "Indians", in favor of the "River Hawks", being the last school in Maine with a Native American themed mascot. In response, NAGA sent a group led by board of directors member Mark "One Wolf" Yancy, to meet with the school board and argued that the term was a form of reverence and remembrance for the Native Americans of Maine, and Skowhegan in particular. Yancey stated that the term is "centered around this school, and I see that as a very positive thing," Native American students at the school supported by NAGA compared the retirement of the mascot to Indian removal and stated that the school board sought to eradicate any trace of Native Americans in Skowhegan. Yancey has a history of protesting mascot change, but has been shown to have no Native American ancestry.[7]
However, local members of the Wabanaki Confederacy protested the presentations that NAGA gave to the school board, stating that the presence of Indians from other tribes breaks an "oral tradition" of Native Americans only "speak[ing] for your own nation."[8] The Wabanaki protesters also said that NAGA had "an aggressive reputation" and that "they have no right to be here."[9]
Utah
In 2019, the Iron County School District board voted to rename the Cedar High School from the Redmen to the Reds, which had been in use since the 1940's, being the last high-school in Utah to have a Native American themed mascot. School board President Stephen Allen stated that "much of the world would consider the term 'Redmen' a racial slur and derogatory" and the board worked with the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah to remove the name.
NAGA sent an advisory group to the school board deliberations stating that the mascot was a way to preserve Native American history. NAGA's efforts were ultimately futile as the vote to change the name passed 3–2.[10] The final meeting to confirm the vote was met with a heckling crowd which called for Iron County voters to vote out the school board in an upcoming election and for the new board to restore the name, however, this never happened.[11]
Arizona
In 2018, Eric Descheenie (D-7) of the Arizona House of Representatives introduced a bill that would outlaw the display of team names that tribes deemed disparaging in publicly funded facilities. The bill was never assigned to a committee and expired with the legislative session. The bill would have forced the changing of the mascot for Red Mesa High School, St. Johns High School, Fort Thomas High School, Nogales High School, and San Carlos High School. NAGA protested the bill when it was introduced, arguing that it was erasure of Native American culture and legacy within the state.[12]
Washington Redskins
During a lawsuit against the Redskins in November 2015 over if the team could retain its trademark of the term Redskin, the group wrote an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the team. Afterwards Sports Illustrated investigated the various pro-Redskins organizations that spoke or wrote on behalf of Daniel Snyder in court, and found that most were receiving multi-thousand dollar donations from the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation (WROAF), which was founded by Snyder. Specifically, Sports Illustrated found that NAGA received $68,360 from WROAF shortly before the brief went public. The report stated that "direct ties between NAGA and Snyder’s team are hard to find, but indirect ties are rampant" citing executive board member Mark Yancy's lack of Native American blood,[13] and support for the group from Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen who founded the Redskins Pride Caucus.[14] NAGA says it is funded through donations from private donors, and the group does not disclose who made donations so a connection to WROAF would be obscured. Sports Illustrated concluded that the group is "disturbing" as they have "no ties to the communities they tried to lobby, but also because some [members] are aggressive."[15]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Nonprofit Explorer: Research Tax-Exempt Organizations". ProPublica. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ↑ Fawcett, Eliza. "In heated debate over mascot, Killingly board of education rescinds "Red Hawks," but fails in bid to restore "Redmen" name". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ↑ Beale, Stephen. "Killingly High back to being Redmen". Norwich Bulletin. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ↑ Goodland, Marianne. "Lawsuit reveals tribal rift over American Indian mascots". The Gazette. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ↑ Saja Hindi (November 3, 2021). "Group sues Colorado over ban on Native American school mascots". The Denver Post. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ↑ Westney, Andrew (May 6, 2022). "Colorado Judge Nixes Suit Over Native School Mascot Ban". Law360.
- ↑ Moyer, Justin Wm (2021-10-26). "Report: Indian booster for Washington Redskins is not an Indian". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
- ↑ Ohm, Rachel. "National group defends 'Indians' name, meets with Skowhegan supporters". centralmaine.com. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ↑ "Visitors defend 'Indians' nickname in Skowhegan". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ↑ McCombs, Brady. "Utah school becomes latest to ditch Native American name". KEYE-TV. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ↑ Alberty, Erin. "As 'Redmen' defenders yell 'vote 'em out,' a split Utah school board drops the controversial high school mascot". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ↑ Greenstein, Harry. "Legislation to change Native American team names lacks momentum in Arizona". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ↑ Phillips, Michael. "Native American backing team name is VIP at practice". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ↑ Jackman, Tom. "Va. state Sen. Chap Petersen defends 'Redskins Pride Caucus,' Redskin name". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ↑ Vrentas, Jenny; Rosenberg, Michael. "Dan Snyder Started a Foundation to Support Native Americans. Has It Abandoned Its Mission?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
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