A story from my old stomping grounds in the opposite corner of Texas caught my eye.
But not for the reason you might think.
Port Neches-Groves High School is in an area between Beaumont and Port Arthur, in what’s called Mid-Jefferson County. Its team nickname is “Indians.” The athletic shoe manufacturer Adidas has offered free design resources and other financial aid to any U.S. high school that drops a nickname relating to Native Americans.
PN-G said “no thanks.”
In truth, I don’t really object to the name “Indians.” I do not find the term offensive the way some folk believe it is. Then again, it’s easy for me to say such a thing, since I’m not Indian.
I do object to the term “Redskins,” which is the name of the Washington, D.C., professional football team. The term was used commonly in films to refer to Native Americans in a sort of derisive fashion.
But here’s the rub regarding Port-Neches Groves High School. I remember, from the time I spent in Beaumont working (from 1984 until 1995) as editorial page editor of the Beaumont Enterprise, that the high school referred to its high school football venue as The Reservation.
Now … when I think of the term “Reservation” in the context of Indians, I think of another term. I think of “concentration camp.”
That’s what Indian reservations became for Indians who had witnessed their homeland taken from them by white settlers and military forces. Reservations became places where Native Americans were confined, where they had to remain for fear of being punished.
Should the Indians continue to identify teams competing for a Texas high school? Well, only if school officials can find another name to identify the place where its students play football.