It’s the top news story here on Long Island: The New York State Board of Regents is meeting today, in advance of a vote tomorrow, to compel schools with Native American names and sports mascots to drop them or risk being defunded. This is a curious priority, and one that could impose hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs to replace signs, sports uniforms, etc. It affects at least twelve high schools on Long Island alone, and perhaps five times that many statewide. The board is acting on a broad reading of a 2010 state law, the “Dignity for All Students Act.” Naturally, the net result would be a serious reduction in the visibility of the state’s Native American heritage (although there is a business opportunity, as schools can seek an exemption if they get a tribal partner to approve it).
The New York Times piece on the battle noted some divided opinions among students of Native American descent (a divide that is characteristic of this issue). One notable detail: The article includes a photo of three high-school students of Native American descent. One of them is wearing a Nirvana T-shirt — reflecting a rock band of white guys who took their band name from Hindu and Buddhist religion. Cultural appropriation runs in more than one direction, and always has.