Kahuku Football Team doesn’t quite have the same ring.
There will be a change to a 70-year sports tradition, though. The Civil Rights Compliance Branch of the Department of Education is making the transition mandatory after receiving complaints “alleging that KHIS’ mascot, Red Raiders, and tomahawk chop were disrespectful and potentially discriminatory toward Native Americans.”
A letter written by Kahuku Principal Donna Lindsey outlines the school’s plan to follow the CRCB’s direction.
“The KHIS SCC and administration will implement this recommendation to work with a neutral third party to facilitate the identification of students, parents, school staff and community groups. These stakeholder groups will participate in guided discussions to identify our shared values, strengths and aspirations toward finding a new mascot that is not based on race, color, ancestry and national origin. It will also be important for these groups to identify ways to encourage our school community to move away from stereotypical representatives.”
Norman “T-Man” Thompson is among those who supports a change to the nickname. Thompson did not formally file the complaint that eventually made its way up to the BOE and governor’s office, but he has been a vocal proponent of community involvement.
Kahuku alum Kainoa Kester started a petition in early July that quickly gained support and criticism. “Change Kahuku High’s Racist Mascot” received 1,135 signatures.
A counter petition was established by Fatu Te‘o-Tafiti on July 9 and received 2,015 signatures. Initially titled “Petition Against Dumb Petition,” Te‘o-Tafiti later changed the title to “Petition To Keep Our Identity, Culture and Legacy at Kahuku High School.”
The dominoes are falling in order. Thompson saw it coming and is not surprised that the community is being forced to adapt.
“I heard from one of the community members. He was upset,” Thompson said on Saturday. “I told these guys, we can do it ourselves or it’ll kick up to a higher level.”
After the petition drove the issue into social media and offline conversations — and a few veiled threats toward Kester — Thompson sent an email to Lindsey, District Superintendent Matt Ho, Gilbert Chun of the DOE, and the procurement office that is handing bids for the renovations at Kahuku’s athletic complex.
“We’re interested in being part of the community group. We want to have details. We have an interest in what happens here,” said Thompson, a former Kahuku student-athlete.
Moving to the next stage means he will watch from a distance.
“The legwork is done. What I wanted to happen is pau. Now, whoever wants to be part of this decision, that’s irony. People hate it, talk and talk, and now our hand is being forced. Now they’re all going to come out of the woodwork to sit down and be part of the change, part of the process. That’s why I love it,” Thompson said.
From the North Shore to the East Coast, change has been slow to come, but inevitable in the world of Native American imagery and sports. After all, this is the year when the NFL’s Washington Redskins finally dropped their nickname and logo. Decades of activism, led by Suzan Shown Harjo, sparked the widespread evolution, and now the NFL's franchise in D.C. is now the Washington Football Team. Movements across the country to change team nicknames at college and prep levels continue.
“I give credit to Kainoa. He got this going,” Thompson said of his nephew. “It’s nice when you believe in something that’s right and despite all the adversity, to try to make things happen. Somehow, somebody made it happen. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t do it as a community first.”
The argument against change at Kahuku is as deep and rooted as any. Kahuku dropped its Ramblers — originally Ramberiers — nickname in 1950 after receiving a donation of uniforms from ‘Iolani, which was then known as the Red Raiders. ‘Iolani later dropped “Red” from its nickname, but Kahuku did not, attaching its successes to the colors and branding for 70 years.
Very little of the stigma — a 1927 silent film named “The Red Raiders” portrayed Sioux as invaders and murderers — reached Kahuku. Generations of athletes and fans grew up coiled around the pride and aura of the many victories and titles.
It will be a unique situation, changing a historic nickname in the middle of a school year while athletic events are sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic. The HHSAA is aiming for a January restart, pending approval by the Department of Health.
“Whatever the new mascot is, it should be factual, not just romanticize and fantasize a backstory. It doesn’t have to be fantastic,” Thompson said. “It’s totally the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center) mentality. The entertainment. Change has to happen. That’s what I was invested in.”
Ideas for a new mascot will vary. Existing mascots in the district could be interesting. At Laie Elementary, teams are known as the Geckos. A mural on campus is colorful — green — with a large gecko above the letter ‘A’. That wouldn’t fly with longtime fans and former players.
The mascot came along in the 1990s with Native American imagery. That was adjusted in recent years with a more Polynesian look, designed by the Kahuku Rugby Club.
“We already changed the mascot. We’ve made the compromises. The tomahawk chop is an action by the community, but we’re willing to change it to a Polynesian chant, a sasa. Our community and alumni have no problem changing that,” former player Tanoai Reed said. “But changing the name, there are kids that grew up wanting to become Red Raiders, not Blue Dolphins. There are people who have ‘Red Raiders’ on their tombstones. They’re trying to cancel our (community) culture.”
Reed sees a potential future where teams are required to have nicknames rooted in nature. Anything but combative names.
“If you open Pandora’s box and Kahuku is forced to change, then Waipahu (Marauders), Saint Louis (Crusaders), Castle (Knights), Hilo (Vikings) and Kauai (Red Raiders) are probably next. Once they come after us and cancel us, be prepared. They’re cancelling a legitimate culture,” Reed said. “They’re perceiving us as something we’re not.”
Reed is in Atlanta, working on a movie. He has been a stuntman for 26 years, many as the stand-in for another islander, actor and global star Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock.
“We’re Hawaiians, Samoans, Tongans, Fijians and more,” he said, “but we’re all connected because we’re Red Raiders.”
Note: Thompson is not formally part of the official complaint filed with the state. This has been corrected in this article.
Link: Petition to change Kahuku nickname draws supporters, opponents, July 8, 2020 (Hawaii Prep World)
Link: Big ‘Red’ Debate from Pennsylvania to Kahuku, July 10, 2020 (Hawaii Prep World)
Link: Red Raiders or Raiders: A legacy worth keeping or evolving, July 20, 2020 (Hawaii Prep World)
Link: Kahuku nickname stirs emotions in rival petitions, July 20, 2020 (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
Comments
War is a part of nature (see Jane Goodall who found chimpanzees making war on other groups) and an unavoidable fact of human life. 'Red' is not a 'race,' it is a color, the color of the uniforms graciously donated by Iolani 'raiders' 70 years ago. Native Americans are not 'red,' they are all sorts of skin colors, and to presume they are 'red' is itself a foolish stereotype. The later adoption of a feathered warrior image honors military prowess (courage, self-sacrifice, formidable leadership) of indigenous people faced with an industrial civilization. Football is a warlike sport adopted by young men soon after the American Civil War so that they could exhibit prowess denied them when the war was over. American military might even today is based in large part on close-knit infantry combat teams who take the battle to the enemy and win with well-honed tactics, courage, coordination, communication, and skill. To change Kahuku's proud traditional name because 'someone might be offended' (many native Americans would clearly say they are not), and when a minority petition supports it, and to use 'stakeholder' groups quietly chosen for a 'guided' conversation by a 'neutral party' (unnamed and quietly chosen)...is undemocratic and wrong. Let the community vote!
How it evolved at Kahuku, especially in the past 30 years, as a community's identity is an astounding, amazing chapter. If this makes it to a courtroom, precedent favors Native Americans.
If everything was based on majority rule, we would not have gained Civil Rights for Black Americans, voting rights for women, and equal rights for all. What is right versus what is popular? It is a very complex situation for Kahuku alums.
It was, as you noted, especially egregious at the political level.
As I noted, women did not have the right to vote for an incredibly long time, as well.
Majority is not necessarily right. What is right in this scenario? The opinions vary to an extreme. But it is a fact that "The Red Raiders" movie was just a small part of the ongoing genocide of Native Americans through that era. It is NOT a reflection of the pride of the Kahuku community.
That's what makes this complex to a very deep level. But to Native Americans who were raised through those times of racism and prejudice, being yelled at and called "Red Skins" and "Red Raiders" was and still is akin to the n-word.
If you believe that pain is irrelevant, then there is little or nothing left to discuss. We can agree to disagree on facts. I have no horse in this race. I stand here looking at both sides. One side has individuals who have mocked the other, even mentioning physical harm (on social media) against the young man who began one of the petitions.
Why would that be even worth joking about? To a neutral party, it seems immature. Sad. There is much discussion to be had, but at this point, the community as a whole did not take initiative and the state is moving forward.
Stay tuned.
Looking at public opinion in the early '60's, civil rights for black Americans was POPULAR (see poll results copy/pasted below).
It is often not the majority, it is the determined minority that causes problems for civil rights. Right now the determined minority wants Kahuku to change its traditions. Doesn't the high school and its service area local population have a right to vote on this?
My question is who saw the 1927 silent film 'Red Raiders' in Kahuku? What did that have to do with anything? Clearly 'raiders' is a fearsome, unexpected, quickly successful team of marauders, and 'red' is a color term...it had nothing to do with indigenous Americans at the time Kahuku chose red and white colors and the 'raiders' name.
And as for the indigenous warrior imagery (which Rugby club has already modified to a polynesian-tattoo'd look), what is not exemplary or admirable about an indigenous warrior? Kahuku people aren't calling any 'native Americans' any pejorative names. Isn't treating 'red raider' as a pejorative actually the reverse of the truth, and of the actual usage?
And as for a young fellow getting some mean things said about him on social media...well that's Marshall Mccluhan's 'global village' doing gossip and we all have to learn to live with that.
As for feeling sympathy for native Americans who've had hurtful things said about them...everyone on earth has had someone say something hurtful about them...but Kahuku Red Raiders are not doing that.
I still say a typoical DOE 'stakeholder' group with a non-transparently chosen 'neutral party' doing 'guided discussions..... is not democratic process.
"Survey Research Service Amalgam [April, 1963]
If there were to be a peaceful parade, march or picketing here in this (town) (a
rea) in favor of equal rights for negroes, would you take part?
72% Yes
28% No
Subpopulation: Blacks (11%)
Methodology: Conducted by National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicag
o during April, 1963, and based on personal interviews with a national adult sam
ple of 1,515. [USNORC.16OSRS.R32]
Dataset: USNORCSRS1963-0160
Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research."
https://www.crmvet.org/docs/60s_crm_public-opinion.pdf
Does it matter now that the community is aware that RR is akin to the n-word for Black Americans?
This is where legacy comes in. The community and the school have the power to transcend above racist terms of a century ago. They also have the power to ignore this and kick this issue down the road to the next generation. It will never go away because the truth is the truth. That’s the choice of those who were victims of genocide and racism, and for Kahuku, it is the choice of theirs to remain in a state of denial about centuries of oppression.
Either way, life will move forward. The choices should be internal. Authentic. Best wishes.
'Redskins' may very well be, as I review the literature.
But dictionary definition of a 'raider,' while militaristic, is not ethnic, nor is it 'racist.'
And the word 'red' is a color word. And while true that 'red' has been a term applied to indigenous Americans, that is not what Kahuku did - they picked up 'red' from donated uniforms, and added 'raider' for its aggressive and adventurous connotations.
Where in any ordinary literature (other than in rhetorial, argumentative literature that already presumes a pejorative meaning), has 'red raider' ever been used a pejorative term demeaning to native Americans?
Who knows the 'choice of those who were victims of genocide and oppression'? Where is this choice manifested and communicated? Every reference I've been able to find has been either neutral ('raider' first use, per Miriam Webster dictionary, in 1860's to refer to lone Confederate warships), or loosely associated with the 'redskins' name argument. Red Raiders are not 'redskins.' Where is it documented, anywhere, persuasively, that 'red raiders' is 'like the 'n' word among black Americans?
I think we're jumping on a feel-good bandwagon here and disrespecting local tradition. It's not 'in denial,' it is in pride, and a warrior, red or brown, who 'raids,' is a fearsome image not inappropriate for a dominant football team tradition.
Again - if 'the choices should be internal' does that mean Kahuku High School service area gets to vote? or does it mean insiders of the DOE and selected 'stakeholders' get to choose? Who elected them?
Truth is, Red Raider has always been a negative, racist term. Being 3,000 to 5,000 miles away from the source of the racism doesn't alter that fact. My heart goes out to the Kahuku community. A lot of us in the islands were not familiar with the term aside from its existence as a nickname at ‘Iolani, Kahuku and Kauai High Schools.
Your persistence in ignoring the historical background of the nickname says more about you than anything else. Your legacy in this matter is that you don't find it racist at all. Just a lot of words and no heart for Native Americans at all. Fine.
What will happen, will happen. Then we move on.