Communication Breakdown

Saying "Go Warriors" is a threat? Wow what the hell happened to this world? Well as long as no Dons get together and complain about that imagery I am fine.

1. The boy was threatened and that's not all that happened during this issue
2. On school grounds, an elder was threatened and harassed
3.a young native woman was hit with a rock during a march
4. on school grounds, another young native woman was spit upon by a Carp high student
5. a native veteran , who has since been deployed and returned from Afghanistan, was insulted on school grounds by Carpinterians
6. On young native woman had to leave Carp High school due to racial harassment the school did nothing about
The Justice Dept had to be brought in as well as the Office of Civil Rights
There are many other things that happened--so before you blow this off--you might want to think a little harder about the people in Carpinteria who do these kinds of things--unless, of course, you "Dons" approve of this behavior.

I don't think this article said that he was threatened by the statement "Go Warriors" but was taunted by students. If one can remember being in high school, high school students can express themselves in not very subtle ways. The article is aptly named Communication Breakdown. It seems to me the administrators could have set a better tone for students at the school.

Correction: a native young person had to leave Carp Hi before all this started--so there's a history there. As well as the kid who was removed from school because he was threatening to hurt other kids due to the bullying he was receiving. That's not the way to handle it--but he probably felt the school wasn't doing anything either. Even other kids got on TV and said he was being bullied. No wonder so many Carpinterians won't send their kids to school there!

Kev, that's exactly what the office of Civil Rights said --and I personally think the Independent is soft-shoeing it. The Office of Civil rights had concerns about the way Carpinteria High handled its bullying problem and the lack of effective action.
Just "doing what you have to" isn't making a positive change.

Well much credit to the Native Americans who were above this behavior, and didn't get suckered in to violence. If someone feels offended because they believe they are being dishonered then they should take down that imagery. Of the Natives I know, Chiricua Apaches are proud of their warrior image and are pretty well-known as that. If all Native imagery is off-limits how about honoring our warriors of today like the soldier who represents America? Being a warrior is not always a bad thing.

Political Correctness

This is what led to Major Hussan killing all those soldiers.

The native americans don't seem to like anything associated with them, even if it is positive.

Go Warriors!

are you kidding ? take your victim teepee and tent it over someone elses happiness ..the indian is
an american emblem of naturalism , i guess the bear will have to be stripped from the flag next ,the eagle , god forbid they should feel humiilated by being honored on a flag . so is that what indians live on now ? victimization ?
how drab ..teach your children to share , that would be a better lesson , old indian lady , kanu mama

HarryHaller, are you kidding me? "... the indian is an american emblem of naturalism"??? Native Americans are people, not animals or emblems. You don't sound like the sharpest tool in the shed. Read a good book, maybe that will help.

Talk about Communication Breakdown.Hey if I was a Native I would rather be an emblem of naturalism than the gross polluters we have become. Natives were one of the most harmonious societies to co-exist with the Earth in human history. We are still learning from them, and alot was lost that books did not record.

It's not surprising that people have difficulty understanding how the mascot is ethnicaly offensive, it stems from their inability to empathize and lack of historical perspective. There is a long history of violent discrimination against Native Americans including strategic campaigns to kill and iradicate their existence. The warrior image, much like the terms savage and squaw, are tied to that oppression.

Native Americans as emblems of naturalism! Naturalism is a fallacy as everything in existence is inherently "natural." So that's just a ridiculous notion to begin with but I understand that you're trying to tie it to some kind of hippie, farmer's market, locally grown is teh best stuffz, idiocy. Ask the mammoths how "naturalistic" the North American natives were.

This comment thread is just a playground of stupid.

I envision a different outcome for all of this (the opportunity for which has probably long since passed), in which the complaints are actually heard by those towards which they were directed. This is the communication breakdown. No one bothered to actually listen to what was being said by those offended by the representation. Instead, it was all taken as a personal insult and an affront to "tradition". Imagine if the complaints had been heard, and the response had been "what can we do about this", and the offended side saying "let's do this and this", and a back and forth ensues, and, miracle of miracles, a resolution to the issue is found, one that might, just might, even retain most of the positive aspects of the representation and hence uphold the intent of "tradition" and avoid the bulk of personal offense (you'll probably never please everybody). I don't know, one can imagine...

As Eli's relative, I am proud of this young man for standing up to bigotry. While the word "warrior" is not in itself offensive, the high school's depiction of a hook-nosed Indian stereotype was as offensive as any other racist image out there. That aside, it was the day-to-day treatment of Eli and other Native American students that really cast light on the environment at Carpinteria high school. Some of the more ignorant students (we can thank their parents for that) and some of the more ignorant school administrators perpetuated an environment of RACISM in a public high school. That is ILLEGAL. Eli Cordero was not only brave to make a stand, he was absolutely correct. Not politically correct, mind you. Simply right. Eli Cordero is a righteous young man and should be honored as such.

So it was the depiction of the native? I guess I can see that, it would be like a picture of a mexican in a zarape and wide brimmed hat taking a siesta. Well those offended should be taken into consideration, and if their image is not what they want up representing them then so be it. There are plenty of positive warrior images that can be used without offending anyone.

If those who bullied Eli Cordero would have had to face corporal punishment for their actions, I wonder if they would have done what they did?

To the narrow minded of the coast:
You're life will grow to be as wide as your head, and so you will always see things from inside your ass. Keep it up, you make me laugh.
AZ2SB, wow. You should stick to watching TV. It's obviously done you good.

Well thank yah, thank yah very much. Elvis has left the building.

What's next? Do we need to change the "Dallas Cowboys" and the "Fighting Irish" ?
There are some pretty discriminating imagery of both these.

Loneranger: if the images of cowboys and Irishmen support the perpetuation of a currently hostile attitude towards cowboys and Irishmen in our country, then yes. I wouldn't worry too much about those two groups.

I do not see hostile attitudes against Native Indians except for current issues of land use (casinos).

There is more hostile attitudes today against Hispanics than Indians and I do not see Imagery of Matadors going away as school mascots.

I find the only people that practice bigotry and hostility toward a race or class of people are those that have nothing else going for them beside their own race or religion -- which is really nothing at all.

The Office for Civil Rights' findings and corrective actions are a validation of what many in our community have been observing for some time: that the Carpinteria Unified School District has taken very little effective action until now in response to reported incidents of bullying, intolerance, cruelty, or intimidation for this or other issues. Many parents have not trusted the school district to handle such incidents appropriately.

It is unfortunate that there is not yet official legislation in California banning the imagery statewide; we must continue to lobby until such legislation is passed (as it has been already in other states) so that other communities will not have to experience the divisiveness and hostility that this issue has prompted.

It is also very ironic that the student was motivated to file the complaint following participation in the first annual District-sponsored Challenge Day program many in our community are not aware of this. The stated goals of this program that were outlined in a letter that went home to parents prior to continuing the program a second year included shifting ":dangerous peer pressure to positive peer support and to eliminate the acceptability of:all forms of oppression, racism, [and] harassment..." The intention was to have the "youth leave feeling bonded, empowered and committed to making a positive difference." It also noted that "at times, youth may need additional support."

Numerous staff members and students pledged to support the complainant both at and immediately following the first Challenge Day event in the Winter of 2008. When it came time to back him, however, staff support quickly vanished. He as well as other students have been the victims of ongoing peer harassment and hate speech for their stance on the issue.

When asked to meet with school staff to address parents' concerns last February, both administration and the main facilitator declined to do so.

There is more constructive action that the district could voluntarily undertake. For instance, it could still do its job to educate/ open up discussion on the topic rather than shut it down. Staff apparently were directed not to discuss the topic with their students out of concern for upsetting them. In addition, other districts have adopted district-wide positive behavioral support/ discipline systems. Finally, there was talk by administration of a Native American Studies course that has yet to materialize.