Five years ago, I raised an awkward question about Kahuku High School’s “Red Raiders” imagery. We were still living in Kaaawa at that time, an area that’s still part of Red Raider country.
Here’s an excerpt from my September 2, 2014 post:
This is probably sacrilege to fans in the tightly-knit football community in Kahuku, but isn’t it time for Kahuku High School to get rid of its Red Raiders imagery?
The controversy over the Washington Redskins has called national attention to the dispute over the names and logos of teams that a growing number of people consider fundamentally racist in nature. It should prompt a review and reconsideration of Kahuku’s nickname and logo.
Kauai High School also uses the Red Raiders name with a different logo. Iolani used to be known as the Red Raiders, but are now known simply as the Raiders, with the Hawaiian hawk as their mascot.
Recently, I learned that the National Congress of American Indians has been working with schools across the country to eliminate what they see as offensive images of native people in high school sports. Their efforts include distributing information about the issue as individual schools take action.
Ending “Indian” Mascots is an informational service provided by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), which is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. It has been leading Indian Country’s movement to eradicate offensive “Indian” mascots from sports and popular culture for the past 50 years by educating schools, sports leagues, and the general public about the many harms they cause Native people. To learn more, please click here.
Last month, they sent out news about the decisions made by several schools in different parts of the country to drop their Indian mascots.
–> After months of information gathering and intense local community debate, the Teton School District Board voted 4-1 in July to retire the R-word mascot of Teton High School. Central to the board’s decision was widespread opposition to the mascot by local Native people, including formal declarations by the neighboring Shoshone-Bannock and Nez Perce Tribes urging the school to change the mascot.
–> On August 12, 2019, the Idaho Statesman reported a plan by Boise High School to retire its “Braves” mascot and its Native American imagery was approved by the Boise School District. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes’ letter to the Boise School District can be found here.
–> According to NCAI: The Killingly Board of Education in Connecticut recently informed the Killingly High School community that it will no longer use the name “Redmen” nor imagery of Native Americans for its athletic teams. The decision follows the Board’s vote in June to defer to the opinion of the neighboring Nipmuc Tribe regarding the name and imagery, and eliminate them if the Tribe deemed it offensive, which it has.
–> As of this fall, Belding High School (Michigan) will have fully abandoned its “R*dskins” mascot, completing its rebranding as the “Black Knights” with its fall sports teams donning their new black and orange Black Knights gear. The Belding Area School Board voted to drop the “R*dskins” mascot of its high school in December 2016 after numerous community meetings and forums. In March 2017, the students and community voted to replace the mascot with the “Black Knights.”
I don’t know the history of Kahuku’s “Red Raiders” name, and don’t claim to be an expert in such issues. But with the growing popular awareness of Hawaiians of the use and misuse of their cultural symbols, isn’t it time to take a look at how other native people view imagery like that of the Kahuku Red Raiders?
Just my two cents for this morning.
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Yes, the irony of a community claiming many Hawaiian or other Polynesian origin peoples using “Red Raiders” with an image of an “Indian” brave begs the question of where their moral consciousness lies.
I’m sure the community and DOE will do the right thing after all possible options are exhausted. /sarc
Why do we even persist with the dominant-like images anyway? The haka and other fierceness displays didn’t make the team any more winning.
June Jones wanted Warriors over Rainbows because the more attack-like an image. Can’t we be proud of rainbows enough to represent their spot in our island motifs to make a good show on the field? I certainly like that sweep of color on the latest white t-shirts.
It wasn’t just June Jones…
“athletic director Hugh Yoshida acknowledged the decision to change the logo stemmed, in part, from concerns about how the rainbow has become a symbol of gay pride and acceptance.”
They might change to Red Roosters! Thanks for raising the insensitivity issue!
“The Kahuku athletes became known as the Red Raiders because they wore red uniforms donated by Iolani High School in 1950. Prior to this time the unofficial nickname was the Ramberiers. Through the 1940’s Kahuku had developed sufficiently and there was competing in sports events against other high schools on the North Shore and the Windward sections of the Island of Oahu, and it won its first football championship in 1947. This was the first in a long line of championships that began the development of many championship players as well.” From the Kahuku High website https://www.kahukuhigh.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=249435&type=d&pREC_ID=574109
The colonial mindset is indoctrinated into our keiki at most of Hawaii’s school. Instead of symbols of Hawaii showing pride in our aina and culture our schools teach keiki that Hawaii is inferior. Their message is look far away from our islands for symbols of strength and courage .
Where do we start-
St Louis – Crusaders
Kahuku- Red Raiders
Maryknoll-Spartans
Hilo High – Vikings
Mililani – Trojans
Hawaii is the endangered species capital of the world, yet our keiki are taught only animals from afar have value. Our unique creatures are found nowhere else yet you would never know it from our school teams. Come on Hawaii schools, stop ignoring Hawaii’s animals.
Show some pride and respect towards our home! They are disappearing! These faraway symbols have no connection to our islands so why are they representing us?
Mckinley Tigers, Kalani Falcons, Kalaheo Mustangs, Konawaena Wildcats
Radford Rams, Kaiser Cougars, Waialua Bulldogs….
I agree. We should be renaming our teams after monk seals, coqui frogs, box jellyfish, kolea, etc. Any other suggestions?
This is how UC Santa Cruz probably came up with the banana slugs.
how about the Kalihi Wallabies (yes I’m serious)
To be real authentic and strike fear in the hearts of opponents, we need to name a team the “Snaggletoothed neck-tatted meth zombies.”
I vote for Raging Mormons.
????
@Cheerleader: My original post was two thumbs up emojis. I guess the blog platform here can’t comprehend that. *sigh*
Huge decrease in traffic on the North Shore. I live in Kahuku and have had to drive to Haleiwa 3 times last week on business and made it in 25 minutes compared to an hour, both ways in the middle of the day. 3,000 a week less rental cars on the road is making a difference. It will be interesting to see how many less flights a week there are.
Na Pueo, Kaku, Hammerheads, Puhi, Tiger Sharks, Marlins, Kohola (whale), Hawaiian Hawks, Iwa Birds, Ulua are a few animals that would be great to replace the outdated colonial team names that currently represent Hawaii’s youth.
Na Pueo is already in use by Mid-Pac.
The history of the district include a Cherokee Indian, who married a Hawaiian, Ohana from this district. They include noted Kumu Hula’s Maiki Aiu Lake, Rose Joshua and Cy Bridges. Many Hawaiian’s identify with our American Indian heritage by one of the first foreign residents of Hawaii, who was a member of the Hawaiian Kingdom Calvary. Hundred’s of District family’s continue to live in the district today, leave the Red Raiders Alone! The kauna actually has great providence and significance.