Minooka, Illinois’ High School sports teams are named “The Indians.” Some people think it is an affront to the people who were here before the Europeans pushed them out of their homes or killed them off. Morris’ team is called “The Redskins” and sometime ago it was proposed the name be changed. It wasn’t. My home town team is called “The Foxes” and apparently doesn’t insult any of the foxes in the area.

I have discussed this issue along with what they like to be called with Sioux, Navaho and Apache. They all live on reservations and prefer to be called by the name we gave them five centuries ago and they grew up with. They didn’t like Canada’s “First Nation”, Native American, or any other word the activists think up. I forgot to ask about redskins specifically, but I don’t feel they would object too much. It seems those who live in the urban areas, (my news comes from Chicago area) are the ones who find these mascot names objectionable.

The ones I have spoke with find it an honor to be remembered as fighters and for bravery. I did ask a Navaho about the Atlanta Braves tomahawk chop motion. He thought it was okay but reminded me about counting coup (acts of bravery) was greater than killing an enemy. This issue reminds me of the sudden emphasis on tearing down statues of anyone someone perceived of having something to do with slavery. They tore down Grant’s statue because he had been given two slaves by his father-in-law. Grant didn’t believe in slavery but he didn’t want to offend him further than marrying his daughter. Grant worked in the fields side by side with the field slave and freed them both when he could get away with it. He also destroyed the K.K.K. while President.