The Ketchikan High School pep club’s “country” theme, for which some students dressed like cowboys for a basketball game against Metlakatla, wasn’t intended to be “racially provocative” but it had a negative effect that was “predictable and should have been prevented,” according to an investigation of the incident.
The investigation, released last Friday, was conducted by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District following a Feb. 5 game between the Ketchikan Kings and the Metlakatla Chiefs.
The report from the borough school board and district administration said the high school pep club has long planned themed outfits for home games as a way to show school spirit. For the “country” theme, students wore outfits that included cowboy hats and plaid shirts, leading to an “association with a ‘Cowboys vs. Indians’ theme” that was foreseeable and should have been prevented, the report said.
“For this we must take accountability,” the report said.
The report includes apologies to Metlakatla and the Native community.
“We acknowledge that our actions were not sensitive nor displayed empathy and understanding of the historical and ongoing hardships of our Native community members,” the report said.
The situation was “escalated” by the behavior of some Ketchikan students who “included inappropriate racist remarks and sounds directed toward the opposing team,” according to the report. The behaviors violated district policies and “have been handled according to the district’s student disciplinary policy,” the report said.
The report said the responsibility for what happened does not fall just on students, who “lacked adult guidance and adequate administrative oversight.”
For many Native Americans, portrayals of “cowboys and Indians” conjure offensive stereotypes.
The report said the incident also hurt Ketchikan students and community members. “Ketchikan’s Native community was devalued and our students experienced mistreatment by their peers and others in the wake of the incident. Additionally, students who were committed to maintaining positive and appropriate behaviors have been implicated alongside the few who misbehaved.”
The report said the district would take several steps in response to the incident. Those include instituting a plan for school theme selections “that thoughtfully considers culture, race, and gender impacts;” outlining expectations for Ketchikan student fan behavior that includes “zero tolerance for hateful speech;” and conducting a racial equity audit of district policies.
The district plans to consult with the First Alaskans Institute on a plan for training and professional development related to “racial equity and healing.”
Reader Comments(0)