INDIAN HEAD

BY NIKKOLE SALTER

ABOUT THE PLAY

When a Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape teen is caught vandalizing property in protest of the school's Indian mascot, her mother cuts a deal to help her atone with the school. But when their tribe's traditions clash with the championship bound high school football team's, the two worlds are left wondering how - or if - they can co-exist. Another story ripped from NJ headlines from the author of Lines in the Dust, Indian Head asks us to take a hard, honest look at how we appropriate culture and the ways in which we honor and exploit tradition.

(pictured left: Sydney Battle as Rachel and Ollie Corchado as Brian, photo by Christopher Drukker)

MASCOT CONTROVERSY IN THE UNITED STATES

America is full of sports teams who have adopted symbols of Native American culture as a mascot, ranging from professional teams to high school teams. In the state of New Jersey alone, over 70 schools have Native mascots ranging from the Braves to the Chiefs to the Warriors. Chicago's hockey team is the Blackhawks. Atlanta's baseball team is the Braves. Cleveland's baseball team is the Indians, and their mascot is the incredibly controversial Chief Wahoo. And, of course, Washington D.C. is home to the NFL's Redskins.

These names have been protested for several years, with many Native people feeling resentment towards being treated as a mascot and many sports fans feeling resentment towards their team's legacies being threatened by campaigns to change the mascot.

Below are some links to articles that explore both sides of the issue more deeply:

A brief history of the word 'redskin' and how it became a source of controversy: an exploration of the racial slur "redskin" and its history as the Washington team's name, including the petition against it filed by Suzan Harjo and six other Native people.

In their words: 12 Native Americans talk about the furor over the Redskins name: following a poll that found that 9 in 10 Native Americans were not offended by the Washington team's name, the Washington Post interviewed 12 Native people to get their thoughts on the name.

Federal judge orders cancellation of Redskins' trademark registrations: a discussion of the significant victory achieved by Amanda Blackhorse and other protestors responsible for spearheading the protest of the Washington team name, and the team's response to its trademark being revoked.

The Curse of Chief Wahoo: a closer look at the Cleveland Indians' mascot, Chief Wahoo, and its damaging portrayal of Native people. In addition, the article explores the perspectives of those who see the Chief as an important piece of history.

Why Chief Wahoo is still Grinning: an in-depth discussion of the financial and ethical dilemmas behind the controversy over the Cleveland Indians' mascot, including the way marketing and the team's success have managed to keep Chief Wahoo going despite protestors' efforts to get rid of him.

Here are all the racist college mascots left in the United States: an in-depth list of every offensive college mascot in America as of 2015, ranging from stereotypes of Southerners to racist portrayals of Natives.

Time to retire Redskins, other Native American nicknames: an article on changing mascot names in the state of New Jersey on the high school level, focusing in particular on Parsippany High School, who changed their mascot from the Redskins to the Redhawks in 2001.

A HISTORY OF NATIVE PROTESTS

A history of Native Americans standing up to the U.S. government: this article summarizes the most significant protests by Native people against the way the government treats them, beginning in 1872.

A History of Wounded Knee: a chronicle of the violence at Wounded Knee in 1890, and the demonstration led there by the American Indian movement in the 1970s in honor of those who died.

The Formal History of the American Indian movement: one of the first formal movements of Native people who took action against organizations that sought to limit their freedoms and take their land, the American Indian movement was at the helm of several protests and demonstrations that took place beginning in 1968. In 1972, AIM traveled to Washington, D.C. to place before Congress a list of claims and demands intended to right several wrongs done against Native people across the country by the federal government.

Here are those claims, direct from AIM's website:

Restoration of treaty making (ended by Congress in 1871).
Establishment of a treaty commission to make new treaties (with sovereign Native Nations).
Indian leaders to address Congress.
Review of treaty commitments and violations.
Unratified treaties to go before the Senate.
All Indians to be governed by treaty relations.
Relief for Native Nations for treaty rights violations.
Recognition of the right of Indians to interpret treaties.
Joint Congressional Committee to be formed on reconstruction of Indian relations.
Restoration of 110 million acres of land taken away from Native Nations by the United States.
Restoration of terminated rights.
Repeal of state jurisdiction on Native Nations.
Federal protection for offenses against Indians.
Abolishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Creation of a new office of Federal Indian Relations.
New office to remedy breakdown in the constitutionally prescribed relationships between the United States and Native Nations.
Native Nations to be immune to commerce regulation, taxes, trade restrictions of states.
Indian religious freedom and cultural integrity protected.
Establishment of national Indian voting with local options; free national Indian organizations from governmental controls
Reclaim and affirm health, housing, employment, economic development, and education for all Indian people.

Here are some more miscellaneous videos related to Indian Head.

About UNITY (United National Indian Tribal Youth): the "about" page on UNITY's website, describing the work of the organization and its focus on uniting tribal youth across nations in order to promote the welfare of all Native people.

Dennis Banks, a cofounder of AIM, discusses the recent protest at Standing Rock.

It is impossible to discuss advocacy for Native rights without looking at the very recent fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Briefly, the conflict is over a decision to reroute the pipeline from Bismarck, North Dakota (where the pipeline was thought to be a threat to residents of the nearby city) to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The pipeline poses a threat to the reservation's access to clean water and would cut through land belonging to the Sioux people.

Below are some links discussing the resistance to the pipeline:

The Standing Rock Resistance is Unprecedented (It's also Centuries Old): an exploration of the precedent for this protest, in addition to the ways this protest is different from others in history.

A timeline of the year of resistance at Standing Rock: a comprehensive overview of the protest at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

In their Own Words: the 'Water Protectors' of Standing Rock: firsthand accounts of the experiences and motivations of the protestors at Standing Rock.

The Legal Case for Blocking the Dakota Access Pipeline: a discussion of the legal issues behind the Dakota Access Pipeline that, when combined with concerns about climate change, provide a strong case for the protestors' presence at the site of the pipeline.

THE NANTICOKE LENNI-LENAPE

The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribal nation, based in Bridgeton, New Jersey, is one of three interrelated tribes residing in the area of the Delaware Bay. They are the tribe to which Rachel and Patricia Murray of Indian Head belong.

FOOTBALL IN AMERICA

While this play is primarily an exploration of Native culture, it also explores the way football culture shapes people's lives, whether they are on the field or on the sidelines. Football has become integral to American identity, which is part of the reason that people feel so much resistance toward threats to their beloved team names and mascots.

Football, violence, and America's cultural divide: a discussion of the way football represents masculinity in America, and the divides it creates in American culture.

How the NFL reflects American culture: this article explores the history of the NFL and the threats posed to the National Football League today.

Why Sports History is American History: an article that identifies sports as an entry point into American culture, and their relationship to the immigrant narrative essential to American culture.

Religion, Commodity, or Escape: Sports in Modern American Culture: an exploration of the place of sports in modern America, specifically examining its similarities to the entertainment industry and to organized religion.

For just one more example of how much high school football is ingrained in American life, see the trailer for the popular show Friday Night Lights below:

VIDEOS

Shortly after his inauguration in January 2017, Donald Trump signs an executive order approving the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Above is a film called "Dance With Me: The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Indians of New Jersey" published by the University of Pennsylvania, about the culture and history of the tribe.

Many places in New Jersey are named using the Lenape language, but tribes like the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape still struggle for recognition in both a social and political sense. Below is a map of all of the places in New Jersey with names taken from the language of the Lenape:

An interview with high school football player Apollos Hester, about his love for the game and his experience playing it.

For a more direct link between football and Native culture, see the story of the football team at the Carlisle Indian School and the way they changed the game forever:

Gridiron Guts: The Story of Football's Carlisle Indians

Before this point, football was played with the biggest players one could find slamming into each other repeatedly until the game was over. Because the players on Carlisle's team were significantly smaller, their coach, Pop Warner, invented plays that relied on speed, not brute strength. When these evasive plays proved incredibly successful, other teams began to adopt them.

Jim Thorpe, one of the most well-known Native athletes in American history.

An NFL guide to the basics of football.

Buzzfeed offered Native Americans the opportunity to try on "Indian" costumes and dispel the stereotypes they communicate.

Activist Amanda Blackhorse discusses her problems with the Washington team's name.

Charlie Hill, a Native comedian, does a special on the treatment of Native people in America.