Watch the video above: while one group wants Bedford to change their name, others say it represents history and tradition
SASKATOON – A Saskatoon group pushing for the Bedford Road Collegiate Redmen to change their name and logo has taken their fight to the public school board.
The school’s athletic teams have been called the Redmen since 1923 when the football team donned red shirts and pants.
It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the First Nation’s logo was introduced.
Local man Dion Tootoosis is behind the push to change the name and mascot.
“Bottom line the name is racist, it’s not about being politically correct, it’s racist, that’s it,” he said.
The name and logo has long been a point of contention and in May 2013 the logo was slightly altered.
“There are many cultures within Aboriginal peoples and we’re not all warriors and we certainly can’t be marketed, we can’t be sold,” said Tootoosis.
James Bright graduated from Bedford in 2007; he played on the basketball team for four years and is passionate about his former team’s name and logo.
“I feel like it’s part of the school, it’s who I am, who I grew up as,” said Bright.
“You become connected to the name and it’s just something that’s inside of me, I sleep with a Redmen logo next to my bed, I’m 25-years-old.”
Bright says he doesn’t want the name to change.
“It’s all positive, you know, it’s not like we’re going out to disgrace the Redmen name, we’re going out to show people we’re proud of it and we want to be Redmen,” he said.
“It’s not a positive reflection, it’s a misconception, it sends the wrong message out to the people, to all people and especially our young people that it’s ok to put a human being and a culture on a jersey,” said Tootoosis.
Saskatoon Public School Board Chair Ray Morrison says although the issue has been around for a while it’s the first time a group has come to the board making a case for change.
“There are many voices and many sides to this discussion so as a board I think it’s very important that we hear from all of the people on all of the sides of the debate about the name and logo,” he said.
He says it could be many months before a final decision is made.
American organization Change The Mascot has been trying to rid American sports teams like the Washington Redskins of Aboriginal names and mascots.
In 1994 New York’s St John’s University changed the name of its athletic programs from the Redmen to Red Storm.
“This is a challenge for the Saskatoon Public School division to truly be culturally responsive, to actually do something that will change history, to be a game changer and to stand forth and really champion not only just aboriginal peoples but Saskatoon in general,” said Tootoosis.
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