If I were a Natick Redman

In a disappointing but not wholly unexpected result, Natick voters yesterday approved — by a 2-1 margin! — a nonbinding ballot question that asks the town’s school committee to take a new look at its decision to do away with the Natick Redmen. The name of the town’s school sports teams is considered by many to be offensive, racist, and demeaning (and, MRP thinks, sexist).

The pro-mascot supporters have two main arguments: it’s tradition and it was not intended to be offensive. As one article states:

Redmen traditionalists say the name is part of town history and refers to red athletic jerseys, not the Native Americans who settled in this Boston suburb in the 1600s.

However:

Football fans wearing Indian headdresses with their faces painted have been a common sight along the playing fields in this sports-crazy suburb. During the debate over the name, bumper stickers bearing the slogan “Once a Redman, Always a Redman” were often seen on cars traveling on Main Street.

MRP finds the tradition argument specious and disingenuous. The actual traditional name of the Natick sports teams is the Red and the Blue; the Redmen name has only been traditional for about fifty years.

As for the other argument — that offense was not intended — as we also know, words have power. Regardless of the intent with which the Natick Redmen were named, we must also consider how the name is now perceived. (Read another article here about what local Native Americans have to say about this issue.)

Well maybe it’s because we’ve been listening to too much “Fiddler on the Roof” at la casa de MRP, but all day I’ve been wanting to rename Natick Anatevka for the 6,000+ Tevyes that apparently live here.

But even Tevye knew which traditions were worth hanging on to, and which were worth letting go. And this, I think, is worth letting go.

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Update 3/27/08: “Natick vote won’t delay Redmen name change”