Savages

I grew up in a small town in Southeastern Colorado. My high school mascot is known as the Savage. Many claim that it is known as the Noble Savage, but I lived there for 18 years and had never heard that term until this year (I’m 22 now) when the identity of our mascot is at stake. Growing up in Lamar you look forward to becoming a Lamar High School Savage. There is a certain nobility in becoming a savage to those of us who have lived all our lives as Savages. The name to us is more of a great warrior and an Native American one at that. Growing up we did units studying the culture of the Native Americans and taking field trips to view hieroglyphics. The culture is of course respected by all, but not all respect us for it.

As I stated the identity of the mascot is at stake. The Denver post reported it. “Williams [CO state Senator] introduced a bill this week that would require all public and charter high schools with Indian mascots to “either cease using the American Indian mascot or obtain approval for the continued use of the American Indian mascot or another American Indian mascot from the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs”

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14243392?obref=obinsite#ixzz0e3wdLdeQ

Now many people have stated that they would love to see the Savage stay. As I have stated to those in Lamar it is a NOBLE character and held in the highest esteem. But the the word Savage has very derogatory meaning to those outside the town. Those that love our mascot have even tried to convince others to just change the name. Keep our Chieftain figure and adopt a tribe (if they’ll have us after the terms we’ve used for so long) and use their name. The Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa, and Apache tribes are still influential in communities around Lamar and I’m sure would be perfectly happy to share ideas. Even changing the name to something as simple as the Chieftains would be an easy compromise. It would ruin the towns savage roots and they would have to change much. I mean the high school newspaper is already the savage Cheiftain (that’s an easy fix) and the yearbook is the Chieftain.

I am not against the mascot I grew up with. But I am against those who don’t seem to understand the effect it has on people outside of Lamar. Some want to say that it doesn’t matter anywhere else but when a town is picked out of an entire state and probably most of the country for it’s offensive mascot don’t you think a change should be made? You can’t explain to everyone what being a Savage truly means to you and expect them to understand it, let alone believe it. You can however understand hate. We are all victims of it at some point or another. And that’s what the point of changing the mascots name is about.

It is hateful to those who were wrongfully called savages when they were really fighting for what was rightfully theirs. It is hateful to say that it doesn’t matter what other people think, especially when you want people to think what you say matters. It is hateful, not to mention ignorant of those who can’t even step into someone else’s “moccasins” to see what such a term as Savage can mean to someone other than yourself.

So, in my opinion we need to step out of our comfort zone, our home town pride and see how the other half really lives. And, pay tribute to the mascot we represent in a respectful and honorable way.

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