When I got up last Saturday morning, I opened my phone to a flurry of indignant social media posts from a few friends.
One friend proclaimed something to the effect of: “I’ll forever be a Toledo Indian! Go Indians!”
In what I gathered from the comments that followed, a letter from the Cowlitz Indian Tribe had been read to students at Toledo High School on Friday, informing them they could no longer use the Indians mascot.
What I distilled from the letter (and subsequent news articles) was that only the dress up mascot and “tomahawk chop” were being formally dropped. But the whole discussion completely fascinated me.
Lewis County locals are generally well aware that the Toledo School District adopted the Indians mascot — back in 1922 — as a way of honoring the then federally unrecognized Cowlitz Indian Tribe (the Cowlitz Tribe would not receive federal recognition until the year 2000). The school district and town of Toledo has always seemed like (in my memory, at least) an incredible model for incorporating and including respectful native representation in their cultural expressions throughout public displays.
According to articles by tribal members, there used to be more than fifty longhouses used to stand near the site of present-day Toledo, as part of Cowlitz communities known as Matup (30 longhouses) and Tawamiluhawihl (20 longhouses). Simon Plamondon married Thas-e-muth, a daughter of Cowlitz Chief Scanewa, in 1821, after a series of successful business deals and trades. When Chief Scanewa died, Plamondon inherited most of his property.
In some communities, indigenous people and white settlers clashed. In Toledo, the story was different. The tandem history is incredibly interwoven.
All that said, while Toledo School District’s statement mentioned some local opposition to the mascot and chant, the most striking complaint against the dress up mascot and tomahawk chop was from another tribal school: Chief Leschi — a Puyallup Tribe of Indians educational entity — complained to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA).
That really made me think about how school mascots are perceived on by wider audiences at regional and statewide competitions.
It also got me thinking about the tomahawk chop and its potential origins. Tomahawk chopping, I believe, is most widely associated with the idea of scalping, a violent custom used throughout history where the skin and hair were removed from a person — alive or dead — as a trophy or form of currency (depending on the time period).
Now, to be clear, I’m not sure specifically why the Cowlitz Indian Tribe is against the tomahawk chop motion at this point — whether because of the national conversation about cultural appropriation or because of its roots in violence — but aside from the cultural concerns, I think we can all agree it certainly harkens back to a violent and darker time.
In fact, I’ve often wondered if my own beloved high school mascot, the Adna Pirates, will be safe from scrutiny. After all, according to Disney, pirates are known to “extort, rifle, pillage and sack, drink up me hearties, yo ho!” Among other violent and awful acts. It doesn’t mean I love my mascot any less — it just means I can understand the concerns with violent imagery in a high school athletic setting.
The previous dress up mascot had reportedly been created in David Ike’s likeness, believed to be the last full-blooded Cowlitz tribal member — and with his blessing. When some found that mascot to be too macabre and stereotypical, it was updated again to its current (now former) mascot, which was again approved by the Cowlitz tribe.
According to the late Gary Ike in a 2010 article in The Chronicle by Aaron VanTuyl, the Toledo mascot was a huge source of pride for the Ike family, though they recognized perceptions often change through the decades.
“I love it,” Gary Ike told a reporter of the updated mascot in 2006. “I didn’t have a problem with the old costume, but just like everyone else we’ve got to stay up on the changing times.”
In any regard, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe has expressed strong interest in continuing their historical ties with Toledo School District, and the school will be keeping the dreamcatcher logo and Indians mascot name along with the historical artifacts in place at Toledo High School.
And, as I watched the Toledo boys basketball team in Spokane compete on my TV screen, I couldn’t help but smile seeing the word “IKE” on the back of each player’s basketball jersey.
While the dress up mascot and chant may be gone, I have faith that Toledo will continue to blaze a trail find new, creative and thoughtful ways to honors their shared historical roots.
Hats off to Toledo Superintendent Chris Rust for handling this community conversation with grace, authenticity, and reverence for history and relationships beyond his own tenure.
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Brittany Voie is a columnist for The Chronicle. She lives south of Chehalis with her husband and two young sons. She welcomes correspondence from the community at voiedevelopment@comcast.net.
