SPANISH FORK — The Navajo Nation has joined the debate over the fate of the Red Devil mascot used by Springville High in a letter from Navajo Nation President Kelsey A. Begaye.
The Navajo Nation jumped into the fray at the request of the organization Parents for Mascot Review, a group pushing for elimination of the mascot.
"We received a letter from them asking for consideration and support," said Navajo spokesman Merle Pete.
"The Navajo Nation takes offense to the notion that a word or term would be used to target or offensively identify a specific group of individuals or a population. In this case, the use of the term, 'Red Devils' is offensive in the sense that the historical use of the word was derogatory and demeaning in identifying Native Americans . . . ." the letter reads in part.
"I respect their opinion. That's all I have to say," said Nebo Board of Education President Richard LaMar Wilson.
The board of education is to decide tonight whether to keep or exorcise the Mighty Red Devil mascot. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in district headquarters, 350 S. Main.
The board sponsored a day-long vote Tuesday to gauge sentiment among Springville and Mapleton residents. Board members and district administrators are keeping voter turnout and other details about the vote under wraps, pending tonight's meeting.
"The count won't be given out until the meeting," district spokeswoman Francis Larsen said.
Balloting was held at Mapleton Elementary School, the Nebo Learning Center and Springville High. Efforts were made to keep those voting away from students. At Mapleton Elementary, residents entered and left through a side door to the auditorium, "so we had no idea" how the turnout was, said a school employee.
At Springville High, "everybody at the school, just about" cast votes, an employee said. Still, the district ran the show and "we don't know anything," the employee said.
In his letter to the board, Begaye said the term "red devils" has historically been used as a derogatory reference to American Indians.
Others opposed to the mascot have equated it with Satan; only the Navajos have taken it to refer to American Indians with racial overtones in the month-long debate.
While the Navajos have seen the traditionally Christian caricature of the mascot, the tribe's concern was the term, Pete said.
Still, Begaye also wrote that the "use of a racial caricature to depict the spirit" in a public school presentation or program was demeaning to American Indians and stereotyped them, whether intentional or not.
"In this day and age, our communities should be absent of such references, but should also have the necessary public education to further prevent the use of such terms for public use, especially in our public school systems," Begaye said.
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