Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 28 January 2020
Connecticut tribe takes issue with schools' Indian names

By MICHAEL MELIA behalf of the tribal council,
Associated Press elders council and medi-
MONTVILLE, Conn. (AP) — cine woman.
For decades the Montville Malerba said in an email
High School athletic teams there have not been re-
have competed as the "In- cent conversations with the
dians" with the blessing of Montville school system on
the Mohegans, the Native the topic but she anticipat-
American tribe that traces ed there would be in light
its local history back cen- of the proposed legislation.
turies and today operates Montville Schools Superin-
one of the world's biggest tendent Laurie Pallin said in
casinos. a written statement to The
Then last week, the Mohe- Day that she has reached
gan Tribe announced that out to the tribe to indicate
it no longer supports the openness to discussions on
use of Indian-related team the topic, saying the school
names. system and tribe have both
The reversal has unsettled "viewed our identity as a
many in the southeastern sign of our combined his-
Connecticut town, which tory, mutual respect and
has considered itself im- continued collaboration."
mune to controversies She did not respond to re-
stirred by Native American In this Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, photo, a sign on the football field pressbox at Montville High School quests for comment from
mascots elsewhere be- includes the team name "Indians" and logo in Montville, Conn. The Associated Press.
cause of its close ties to the Associated Press The tribe's history is recog-
federally recognized tribe. nized in this community
Not only is the tribe behind in an offensive manner." — the name the school the term "Indians" is not of 20,000 people in oth-
Mohegan Sun a major pres- Colleen Rix, a Republican board in Killingly, Connecti- offensive in and of itself er ways including streets
ence in town, and a boost- town councilor and a 2000 cut, voted to reinstate this and in Montville's case the named after tribal lead-
er of its athletic programs, graduate of Montville High, month after briefly adopt- name recognizes the first ers, the Mohegan Elemen-
but many tribal members said the Indians name re- ing the name "Red Hawks." inhabitants of the area. But tary School named for the
have been among the stu- flects pride in the history It was amid the fallout she said the tribe believes tribe, and the image of a
dents to wear the black shared by the town and of that reversal that the it is time to end the use of Native American man on
and orange of the Mont- tribe. Democratic speaker of the American Indian mascots patches worn by Montville
ville Indians. "It's never been a conten- Connecticut House said and team names. police officers. The Indians
The tribe and the school tious topic," she said. "I did state lawmakers should "While the stated intent name was adopted when
system have communicat- go to school with several consider banning Native may be to 'honor' Ameri- Montville High School was
ed over the years to ensure tribal members. It was nev- American names and sym- can Indians, there is a great built in 1965. The school has
the name honors Ameri- er this clash between them bols at public schools. Sev- potential for less than re- consulted with the tribe
can Indians and is not used and us. We were all there eral states already have spectful behaviors to occur over the years on the use
in a derogatory way. The and it was, 'Oh, he's a tribal implemented similar bans in conjunction with these of the name. An early logo,
mayor, Ronald McDaniel, member, that's cool,'" she or restrictions. Across Con- mascots. Additionally, peo- featuring a Native Ameri-
said the school system will said. necticut, 19 public schools ple should not be consid- can man in profile with a
follow up with the tribe but Supporters draw a distinc- still use Native American- ered mascots. It is demean- feather in his braided hair,
the name has never been tion with other towns that themed names or imagery. ing to be relegated to a has been phased out in fa-
a source of friction. have mascots wear ste- In a statement shared first stereotyping of a people. vor of the current logo, an
"I don't personally find it of- reotypical Native Ameri- last week with The Day This should not be allowed orange "M" in a white circle
fensive," said McDaniel, a can dress or nicknames newspaper, Mohegan to continue," Malerba said with two feathers falling off
Democrat. "We don't use it like "Redskins" or "Redmen" Chief Lynn Malerba said in the written statement on to the side. q

Florida could use drones to fight pythons, invasive species

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON using drones to gather im- difficult task," Albritton said. ton said. blanketed by the fern that
Associated Press ages on private land. It "It would help these folks do The state wildlife agency's it is not possible to see trees
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — would allow the Florida Fish their job." website warns that lygo- and other vegetation be-
Florida could turn to the sky and Wildlife Conservation He said drones would also dium spreads rapidly and neath the fern canopy."
to fight Burmese pythons Commission and the Florida help the agencies spot a is a "severe threat" to Ev- The bill would also allow the
on the ground under a bill Forest Service to fly drones fern native to Asia that's erglades tree islands and agencies to use drones to
a Senate committee unan- to manage and eradicate destroying Florida's natural puts other forests at greater fight wildfires.
imously approved Monday invasion species on public vegetation. risk for wildfires because it "During a fire they can use
to allow two state agen- lands. "There's this plant called ly- serves as a fire ladder. these drones to look for
cies to use drones in the Sen. Ben Albritton said he godium — old world climb- "The fern's ability to grow up escape routes for employ-
effort to eradicate invasive has been told that drones ing fern — which is wreak- and over trees and shrubs ees, if needed, if they get
plants and animals. equipped with LiDAR, ing havoc all over Ever- and to form dense hori- trapped in," Albritton said.
The bill would create an which stands for Light De- glades National Park and zontal canopies allows it to "They can measure tinder
exception to a current law tection and Ranging, might many other places in the cover whole communities on the ground. There's a
that prohibits law enforce- be able to identify pythons. state. I've flown over it in of plants reducing native lot of different opportuni-
ment from using drones to "As you know, chasing a helicopter and I recog- plant diversity," the website ties for that technology to
gather information and those nasty critters down nized that it was pretty easy says. "Some Everglades tree yield a safer environment
bans state agencies from there in the Everglades is a to discern where it is," Albrit- islands are so completely for those folks."q