This page has been created to help keep everyone informed on what is going on with the attack on the Napa Indian. The Napa High Alumni Association is going to submit the following letter to the Napa Register.

Dear Editor:

We know that the Napa Valley Unified School District Board of Education and the Napa Valley Unified Superintendent of Schools are going to be required to address the issue regarding the removal of the Indian symbol of Napa High School. The school has already been asked and agreed to review the curriculum with regard to the cultural education currently being used in the middle schools and high schools. We believe addressing the curriculum with regard to the Native American cultures and emphasizing our valley tribes will be beneficial. We also believe that a more expanded curriculum on this subject, that will help our children understand why we cherish this symbol of our alma mater, can be developed by the staff and teachers without external intervention or paid professionals. Superintendent Sweeney said, “We need this spring to start educating more of our students about cultural diversity, which would go beyond just Native Americans, possibly involving “gender issues, even lesbian and gay issues.” We ask that Superintendent Sweeney please stay on point and address the historical information about the Native Americans and leave the “social” issues to the families of our students, not in the classrooms.

 Another issue that has not been addressed is the enormous cost that this ridiculous transition will incur. Our organization contributed a sizeable amount of the $80,000 that the new band uniforms cost. How much will it cost for new football uniforms, baseball uniforms, basketball uniforms not to mention letterhead, business cards, signage and the myriad of other costs. Are the activists willing to cover these costs? Undoubtedly they will not! But they will be more than willing for a price to help the school make the change to a new, as they call it, Mascot.

Many people believe that getting rid of something they perceive to be a constant reminder of the poor treatment given to the Native Americans will somehow make it all better. The removal of the Indian symbol will not change any of the past history or erase any wrongdoing.  It will be a detractor that says we do not respect the symbol and are ashamed to display it. Since the beginning of Napa High School in 1897, we have been a proud family that honors our rich Native American history. But a petition asking for support to remove the Indian on the Change.org website states “Napa High has been around since 1897. It is a school with a rich tradition in Napa Valley, but the continued use of a racist mascot taints that tradition.” If anyone perceives the symbol as racist, they themselves, are the racist. Most of us perceive this as a representation of the strength, courage and wisdom of the original inhabitants of this valley.

The term mascot can carry a negative connotation as if it were a play thing. To us this is not a mascot but a symbol that represents the very premise of Napa High School, “A Proud Past; A Promising Future.” We, the Napa High School Alumni Association with 600+ members and 595+ additional signatures, ask the Napa Valley Unified School District and Superintendent Sweeney to stand firm against removing the Indian and to keep the curriculum changes strictly to the Native American cultures.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Reid
President
Napa High Alumni Association

As many of you may know, the Napa Indian Symbol is under attack by approximately 4 activists who want the Indian removed as our logo and mascot. This has created a very contentious issue as shown in various letters to the Editor in the Napa Register and "lots" of comments to those letters. This started on Oct. 21st and has motivated numerous Napa High organizations to write letters and to start petitions to present to the NVUSD Board of Education and Superintendent Patrick Sweeny. The letter below was sent to all Napa High Alumni Association members along with the support form for signatures. Please copy the form and circulate it to all of your family members and friends who will support our position. They do not need to be graduates; only supporters. When you have retrieved as many signatures as possible, return the form(s) to Napa High Alumni Association, 2475 Jefferson St., Napa, CA  94558. These people who are graduates of Napa High need to know that they will not win and that the Indian is not a "racist" emblem. Go to the http://napavalleyregister.com and enter Napa High Mascot in the search box in the upper right corner of the home page and you will be able to read all the letters and comments posted in the newspaper. This will certainly flow into the Redwood Middle School's Warrior if they win this fight. Please help us in this worthy crusade and save our beloved Indian! 

Napa High Almuni Association

November 3, 2015

Dear Napa High Graduate,

This letter is to tell you of an attack on our mascot, the Indian. Two graduates, Jesse Johnson aka by the Lakota name he also uses Maka Blu Wakpa (1998) and his wife, Megan Tria Andrews aka Tria Blu Wakpa (1999) who are associated with “The Sacred Sites Protection & Rights of Indigenous Tribes”, a Native American organization based in Vallejo spoke to the Board of Education. Maka Blu Wakpa, the executive director, presented their request to remove the “Indian” mascot at the Oct 15^th meeting. Patrick Sweeney, Superintendent of NVUSD said that he will organize a task force made up of “people with different perspectives” to study this issue. The district wants to “also get the student voices, the students who are actually in the classrooms in the high school, playing on the sports team, in the band, in the music programs, on the dance squad to allow those students to have a voice in their future and what they want to do,” according to Sweeney.

There is more behind this request than just political correctness. If you have a computer, please go to the following link and read the comments associated with this article. There are ulterior motives in this issue too lengthy to put into this letter. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/activists-target-napa-high-indians-mascot/article_e8788015-f1ee-5465-b549-e92f011a002d.html.

But, it is extremely important that we, the foundation of the Napa High School Indian be heard. Please sign the enclosed support letter with your name and the year you graduated from Napa High. Also include your maiden name. Ask your family members and friends to also sign this letter to support our position to retain the “Indian”. It is not mandatory that they be graduates, just supporters. We must have a large presence to show the Board that political correctness is wiping out the history in our school and the pride that has been maintained in our society since the inception of this wonderful symbol. We need your help as soon as you are able to get it to us.

Thank you for your support,

Marilyn Reid
President