Indians need not apply. (Pillagers and plunderers welcome.)

"They took the whole Cherokee nation
And put us on this reservation
They took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife"*

And the Lac du Flambeau, Chippewa, Potawatomi, Oneida and other tribes in Wisconsin continue their quest to take away all use of the names "Indians", "Chiefs" and "Redmen" as they pertain to high school nicknames, mascots and logos.

This dialogue (I was going to say "battle" but for the purposes of this article, I'll keep it PC) isn't novel. Marquette University here in Milwaukee, for example, used to be the Marquette Warriors (see logo above - the indian part of it - Al McQuire’s 1977 NCAA basketball champions) until 2004. They’re now known as the Eagles. Or is it the Screaming Eagles? Nope - Golden Eagles. Even their new nickname has gone through revisions. And just when you thought it had quieted down, Wisconsin Assembly Bill 35 is in the news again.

From the Associated Press, a proposal designed to crack down on race-based school mascots and logos in Wisconsin came up for another vote before the state Assembly on Tuesday (the bill was voted on and ordered to a third meeting). The bill must pass both the Assembly and Senate and be signed by Gov. Jim Doyle before it would become law. This refers to high schools only - not colleges.

Click on READ MORE! for the full post, including a transcript of the actual Assembly Bill 35. Say, what about the Nords? Are they pissed about the use of "Vikings" and "Raiders" as school mascots and logos? You know - the Vikings who raped, pillaged and plundered for hundreds of years?

*"Cherokee Nation" by Paul Revere and the Raiders, 1971.

First introduced in 2009, Assembly Bill 35 provides that a school district resident may object to the use of a race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot by the school board of that district by filing a complaint with the state superintendent. There's a hearing and it has to proved that the race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot does not promote discrimination, pupil harassment, or stereotyping. The state superintendent must issue a decision and order within 45 days after the hearing. If there's due cause, the race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot within 12 months after the issuance of the order. Any violation of an order must forfeit not less than $100 nor more than $1,000. Each day of use of the race-based name, nickname, logo, or mascot constitutes a separate violation.

"They took away our native tongue
And taught their English to our young
And all the beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan"

The Wisconsin Indian Education Association "Indian" Mascot & Logo Taskforce (IMLT) site was extremely enlightening, and includes common questions raised concerning this issue, like "Why is the term "Indian" offensive?", "We are paying tribute to Indians", "Aren't you proud of your warriors?", and "This logo issue is just about political correctness", as well as an interactive map of Wisconsin showing the schools who are in violation of this "volunteer" law.

IMLT's opening position statement is: It is imperative that schools teach respect for America’s indigenous cultures by removing stereotypes in the form of "Indian" logos, mascots and nicknames. If we are to have any meaningful dialogue about eliminating racism in our society, we must first stop teaching this form of overt racism in our schools. One other point to ponder - the typical mascot or logo is of an indian in a headdress, which is associated (from a Native Americans' perspective) with religious ceremonies - not sporting events as they're used in schools.

"They took the whole Indian nation
Locked us on this reservation
And though I wear a shirt and tie
I'm still part Redman deep inside"

Here's a list of all the athletic conferences in the state of Wisconsin. As of October 7, 2009, there are 36 schools that have retained their "offensive" logo or mascot. Specifically, these are the names that are deemed offensive: Apaches, Braves, Blackhawks (non-bird), Chieftains, Hatchets (with indian references), Indians, Raiders (non-medieval), Redmen, Red Raiders, Warriors (indian), Warhawks (non-bird).

According to IMLT - and this is interesting - the reason the term "Indian" isn't acceptable is because "that name was given to indigenous people on this continent by an explorer who was looking for India, a man who was lost and who subsequently exploited the indigenous people. "Indian" is a designation we have learned to tolerate, it is not the name we call ourselves. We are known by the names of our Nations - Oneida, Ho-Chunk, Stockbridge-Munsee, Menominee, Chippewa, Potawatomi, etc. There are many different nations with different languages and different cultural practices among the Native American peoples - as in Europe there are French, Swiss, Italian, German, Polish, English, Irish, Yugoslavs, Swedes, Portuguese, Latvians, etc."

"And some day when they've learned
Cherokee Indian will return
Will return will return
Will return will return"

I'm not Native American; I really don't have a say in the manner. But my question is why other nationalities - specifically, Scandinavian - aren't playing the racial stereotype card when it comes to the use of "Viking", "Raider", "Norseman" and so forth? If you add this element to the 36 schools IMLT mentioned, you have over 70 schools with racial-based, stereotypical names (and there were 19 conferences I never checked as their school mascots weren't listed on the website). Why aren't the Scandi's concerned with centuries of rape, pillaging and plundering when it comes to the use of their mascots and logos? Should anyone else be (I don't care, by the way)? Or medieval references to "Knights" or "Crusaders"?

I'm also wondering why Wisconsin's Assembly is spending time on this bill (which was scheduled for another meeting, blah, blah, blah) when it most certainly has an agenda filled with more pressing state issues (jobs, crime, education, health)?

ASSEMBLY BILL 35: "An Act to create 118.134 of the statutes; relating to: the use of race-based names, nicknames, logos, and mascots by school boards, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and providing a penalty."

2009 02-12-09. A. Introduced by Representatives Soletski, Pope-Roberts, Mursau, Young, Benedict, Berceau, Black, Colon, Cullen, Fields, Grigsby, Hilgenberg, Kessler, Mason, Milroy, Molepske Jr., Nelson, Parisi, Pasch, Pocan, Radcliffe, Schneider, Sheridan, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Smith, Steinbrink, Turner, Van Akkeren and A. Williams; cosponsored by Senators Coggs, Hansen, Carpenter, Taylor, Risser and Holperin.

02-12-09.
A. Read first time and referred to committee on Education
02-13-09.
A. Fiscal estimate received.
03-17-09.
A. Public hearing held.
03-20-09.
A. Assembly amendment offered by Representative Soletski
03-24-09.
A. Executive action taken.
06-18-09.
A. Assembly substitute amendment offered by Representative Soletski
2010 02-17-10. A
. Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Education, Ayes 13, Noes 0
02-17-10. A. Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Education, Ayes 8, Noes 5
02-17-10. A. Referred to committee on Rules
02-17-10. A. Placed on calendar
2-23-2010 by committee on Rules.

Current law prohibits discrimination against pupils on a number of grounds, including race and ancestry. This bill provides that a school district resident may object to a school board’s use of a race−based name, nickname, logo, or mascot by filing a complaint with the state superintendent of public instruction. The state superintendent must schedule a hearing on the complaint, at which the school board has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the use of the race−based name, nickname, logo, or mascot does not promote discrimination, pupil harassment, or stereotyping. If the state superintendent finds in favor of the complainant, the state superintendent must order the school board to terminate its use of the race−based name, nickname, logo, or mascot within 12 months after issuance of the order. A school board is subject to a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 for each day that it uses the race−based name, nickname, logo, or mascot in violation of the order. The decision of the state superintendent is subject to circuit court review.

Legislative History Representative Soletski offered Assembly Amendment 1. On March 24, 2009, the Assembly Committee on Education unanimously recommended adoption of the amendment and recommended passage of the bill, as amended, on a vote of Ayes, 8; Noes, 5.