On Friday October 28th, the cheerleaders of McClain High School held up a banner that read "Hey Indians, Get ready for a Trail of Tears Part 2" at a football game against Hillsboro High, whose mascot is the Indians. The banner went viral and drew backlash on social media.
This is beyond ignorant and offensive. This is not how I want my hometown to be represented. pic.twitter.com/NwcfcNoU3o
— Rachel Onusko (@ronusko15) October 28, 2016
Onusko later told the Indian Country Today Media Network,"I think it's important that this issue is being brought to light, especially during the events taking place in North Dakota and the racism still being represented through major league mascots. The very poor taste in the sign does not represent the views of my entire community, but it is imperative to realize when something is harmful. Ignorance should not be tolerated.”
Following the incident, McClain High School issued an apology on its Facebook page:
“Tonight an event occurred that does not reflect the values or beliefs that we try to instill in the students of McClain High School. An immediate apology was issued to both the principal and athletic director of Hillsboro High School. We would also like to apologize to the citizens of Greenfield for the poor reflection on our community. This matter will be addressed internally.”
The post was later removed. The Trail of Tears was a series of forced removals of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the southeastern U.S. to reservations west of the Mississippi River that occurred after President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. As white settlers looted Native American lands, many tribes were forced to march approximately 2,000 miles into Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Several thousands of people died as a result of starvation, disease, and other causes. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with the rivalry between McClain and Hillsboro, the cheerleaders of McClain definitely took it to far. The Trail of Tears has not only negatively impacted the lives of Native Americans, but it also symbolizes white supremacy.Andrew Jackson was neither the first president nor person to advocate for the removal of Indians from their homelands. The outdated belief that white people are saviors of the world who have a mission to "civilize" others through the teachings of Christianity can be traced to the colonial times, when white settlers had already begun battling their Indian neighbors in order to gain more lands for themselves. The belief that Europeans are the only civilized group in the world is ignorant and untrue. The Native Americans are also comprised of people who come from different cultures, lifestyles, and backgrounds. They also have systems of government, families, and languages. To view someone as inferior compared to yourself simply because of skin color or cultural differences is an act of ignorance and hatred. The actions of McClain High's cheerleaders may not be reflective of their community, but it's a wake up call that discrimination is not dead. It is not something that you only read about in history textbooks because it still exists. Making light of a tragic historical event that symbolizes oppression and racism is never okay, nor should it be tolerated. Everyone is blindly ignorant or uneducated about something, and as humans, it is our duty to understand or at least accept those who are different from us. Instead of brushing an ignorant act as some joke or no big deal, take this opportunity to educate yourself about the different types of discrimination that people go through. I don't condone the actions of McClain High's cheerleaders, but I can only hope that they have acknowledged their ignorance. Perhaps, they should take the time to learn about the Trail of Tears and the negative impacts it had on Native American populations. They should learn about systematic oppression, hatred, and types of discrimination that people go through. Discrimination and hatred are taught behaviors and in order to eradicate them, we must teach people to not discriminate.
