ADAM: WELCOME BACK TO "CLOSE UP." WHILE THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT HAS BECOME A MAJOR FOCAL POINT OF POLICYMAKING ALONGSIDE THE PANDEMIC THIS
SUMMER, OTHER MINORITY GROUPS ARE WORKING TO RAISE AWARENESS AS WELL.
CONNECTING WITH US THIS MORNING FROM THE LAKES REGION IS PAUL POULIOT, THE SAGAMO OF THE PENNACOOK-ABENAKI PEOPLE.
THANKS FOR JOINING US ON CLOSEUP, PAUL.
PAUL: NICE SEEING YOU AGAIN.
ADAM: AS MORE AMERICANS COME TO GRIPS WITH ISSUES OF RACIAL INEQUITY, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE?
PAUL: IN OUR PARTICULAR CASE, IT MEANS WE ARE EXTREMELY BUSY.
WE ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN DISCUSSIONS OF RACE AND INEQUALITY DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE A SUPER MINORITY REPRESENTING LESS THAN 2% OF THE POPULATION.
IT HAS BEEN LARGELY IGNORED IN THE STORYTELLING OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY RESEARCH TEAM, INCLUDING UNH STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS, AND WE CALL THE PROJECT INDIGENOUS NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLECTIVE
COLLABORATIVE, WHERE WE FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND HISTORY BY DEVELOPING AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT INCLUDES THE INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE TO ENSURE A COMMON FUTURE FOR OUR STATE AND OUR
HISTORY.
THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION.
ADAM: ONE FOCUS HAS BEEN THE NFL FOOTBALL TEAM IN WASHINGTON.
THAT NAME IS CHANGING.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE NEXT MASCOT WILL BE.
BUT WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THIS INITIAL CHANGE?
PAUL: THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST RACIST AND CONTROVERSIAL OF ALL THE MAJOR SPORTS FRANCHISES.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW REMAINING TEAMS YET TO MAKE SOME KIND OF CHANGE.
WE HOPE THROUGH CONTINUED EDUCATION, REMAINING TEAMS WILL MAKE THAT CHANGE FROM THE INDIGENOUS MASCOTS AND LOGOS AND COME UP WITH OTHER IMAGERY FOR THEIR TEAMS AND FRANCHISES.
ADAM: FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, PEOPLE WERE CLINGING TO THAT TEAM NAME, AND, REALLY, NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, PEITHER AS AN EPITHET -- IT’S OFFENSIVE -- AND I BELIEVE THE
ORIGIN WAS A BOUNTY PAID FOR INDIGENOUS SCALPS IN WASHINGTON, SO I DO YOU THINK PEOPLE HELD ONTO THAT -- SO WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE HELD ONTO THAT FOR SO LONG?
PAUL: IT IS THE NARRATIVE THAT STARTED IN COLONIAL DAYS WHERE THE BOSTON TEA PARTY WAS THE FIRST TIME PEOPLE DRESSED UP AS INDIANS AND PROTESTED.
IT BECAME A NATIONAL ISSUE WHERE IT KIND OF MORPHED OVER THE YEARS TO INCLUDE TEAMS AND OTHER THINGS.
IT WAS NOT AN HONORING.
IT WAS MORE OF AN IN-YOUR-FACE THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE DO AND, UNFORTUNATELY, THESE IMAGES HAVE LASTED SO LONG.
THERE IS SOME HISTORY ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE BEING IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS, BUT THAT IS LONG OVERLOOKED NOW.
IT IS REALLY GOING TO CHANGE.
ADAM: HOW ABOUT HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?
OBVIOUSLY NOTHING ON PAR WITH THE WASHINGTON TEAM NAME, BUT ARE THERE MASCOTS OF HIGH SCHOOLS OR OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THAT YOU THINK NEED TO CHANGE?
PAUL: WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH 10 SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MASSACHUSETTS, SEVEN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
MOST OF THEM HAVE NAMES LIKE RAIDERS, INDIANS, TOMAHAWK’S, WARRIORS, OR SOME OTHER DEROGATORY TERM OR IMAGERY.
WE WERE WORKING WITH THE TOWNS THROUGH THEIR ACTIVISM WITH THEIR OWN GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, AND WE HAVE MADE QUITE A BIT OF PROGRESS.
MOST OF THE TOWNS ARE VERY OPEN TO TALK TO US ABOUT CHANGING THE MASCOTS AND REFRAMING SOME OF THEIR ICONIC IMAGES THAT THE USE.
ADAM: ARE THERE WAYS TO DO THIS THEY CAN HONOR THE TRADITION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HERE IN AMERICA, OR IS IT PRETTY TOUGH TO DO THAT AT ALL?
PAUL: IT IS PRETTY TOUGH TO DO THAT WHEN YOU USE THINGS LIKE RED RAIDERS OR USE TOMAHAWKS.
IT IS LIKE USING AN M-16 FOR AN IMAGE.
IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
A TOMAHAWK IS A WEAPON.
WARRIORS AND RED RAIDERS AND OTHER TERMS THEY USE ARE USUALLY CO-MIXED WITH WESTERN OR PLAINS INDIAN IMAGES, WHICH ARE REALLY INAPPROPRIATE IN THIS AREA.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH TOWNS, TOWN SEALS, THE SYMBOLS THEY USE COMING FROM COLONIAL ROOTS.
THEY ARE SHOWING NATIVE PEOPLE IN A MORE GENERALIZED SENSE AND ARE NOT AS OFFENSIVE.
BUT THESE TOWNS, WHEN YOU GET INTO SPORTS, YOU GET PEOPLE WEARING REGALIA AND PUTTING ON WAR BONNETS AND DOING TOMAHAWK SHOPS, SO WE HAVE TO DO THE LINE -- TOMAHAWK CHOPS, SO WE HAVE TO
DRAW THE LINE SOMEWHERE.
WE HAVE AN OPEN LETTER DESCRIBING WHY MASCOTS AND THESE LOGOS ARE OFFENSIVE.
WE SEND THEM OFF, A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF WHY IT IS INAPPROPRIATE.
ADAM: THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION LATELY OF THE HANNAH DUSTIN MEMORIAL.
THIS IS A STATUE HONORING A WOMAN THAT WAS ABDUCTED FROM SOMEWHERE IN NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS.
SOME FAMILY MEMBERS OF HERS WERE KILLED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THERE.
SHE WAS TAKEN UP TO THE CONFLUENCE OF TWO RIVERS, WHERE SHE WAS ABLE TO AVENGE THIS.
THERE WAS A VERY BLOODY SCENE THAT INVOLVED SOME REVENGE KILLING.
OBVIOUSLY, IT IS A UNIQUE EVENT IN HISTORY.
IT HAS BEEN CELEBRATED IN THE PAST.
THE STATUE IS T STILL THERE.
WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT STATUE?
PAUL: WHEN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT STARTED AND TAKING ON SOME TRAFFIC, PEOPLE STARTED TAKING DOWN CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS, WE KNEW THE HANNAH DUSTIN MONUMENT WOULD BE A MAJOR
FOCUS.
WE HAD A GOAL TO TURN THE SPACE INTO A WELCOMING AND EDUCATIONAL SPACE.
WE ARE WORKING ON A NAME.
WE ARE TRYING TO CALL UNITY PARK, WHICH TRANSLATES TO OUR LAND IN AN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE.
WE MADE A PROPOSAL THUS FAR ABOUT CLEANING UP THE MONUMENT, PRESERVING THE FUTURE, AND CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE TO REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES AND MAKE THIS INTO A WELCOMING LOCATION.
I PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO THE PARK -- OUR PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO THE PARK WOULD BE TO DEVELOP A COMMUNITY RAIL TO ADD OTHER STATUES, WHICH INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COTTON
MATHER’S ORIGINAL TELLING OF THE STORY, AND IT WILL ENABLE VISITORS TO SEE DIFFERENT, SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES OF TIME AS THEY ARRIVE AT THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
WE PROPOSED ANOTHER MONUMENT TO HONOR LOCAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
WE WANTED TO ADD THINGS ABOUT THE MERRIMACK RIVER AND ITS USES.
WITH THIS, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE RAILROAD HISTORY AND HOW IT CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF THE STATE.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO ADD OTHER HISTORICAL PLAQUES AND SIGNS DEPICTING VARIOUS REGIONAL HISTORICAL EVENTS, AND THEN MAKE IT USER FRIENDLY.
AT BENCHES, TABLES, AND OTHER DESIRED PUBLIC FEATURES, MAYBE A CANOE OR KAYAK LAUNCH FOR RECREATION.
IT IS KIND OF A HIDDEN GEM.
IT IS OFF THE HIGHWAY, DOWN OVER A RAILROAD BRIDGE.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO WORK WITH MANY AGENCIES, WITH THE STATE, WITH THE PARKS GROUP, PLANNING TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, THE NEW HAMPSHIRE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND OTHERS.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS AN INCLUSIVE PARK THAT REFRAMES HISTORY AND BRINGS IT TO THE FOREFRONT SO THAT IT IS AN EDUCATIONAL MOMENT.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME AND THE STORY HAS TO BE TOLD MORE BROADLY.
IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SITE ALMOST IN THE HEART OF OUR STATE, REALLY CLOSE TO THE CAPITAL.
WE THINK IT NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED AS A MAJOR PARKS PROJECT.
WE ARE WORKING ON IT NOW.
WE ARE ON FACEBOOK.
WE ARE GETTING -- FROM EVERY WITH BUDDY -- WE ARE GETTING -- FROM EVERYONE FROM THE DUSTIN FAMILY.
ADAM: SPEAKING OF HISTORY, YOU HAVE LONG BEEN INVOLVED IN THE EFFORTS IN THE LEGISLATURE TO TRY AND CHANGE THE NAME OF COLUMBUS DAY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY.
YOU THINK THAT WILL GET MORE TRACTION THIS TIME AROUND, OR WITH THIS STILL BE A PRETTY BIG FIGHT?
PAUL: THE PANDEMIC SLOW DOWN LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES ON OUR PART BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS NOW IN ZOOM BASIS, BUT WE CONTINUE TO FORGE AHEAD WITH GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY ACTION TOWN BY
TOWN.
A NUMBER OF TOWNS ARE BRINGING US UP TO THE SELECT BOARD.
WE ACTUALLY GOT SOME TRACTION WITH THE TOWNS.
AND EVENTUALLY, WE FIGURED THERE WOULD BE ENOUGH MOMENTUM AND PUBLIC ATTENTION DRAWN TO COLUMBUS DAY AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY AS AN ALTERNATIVE.
WE WILL GET THE MOMENTUM AND MAYBE WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH SOMETHING ON THE STATE LEGISLATURE LEVEL.
IT IS JUST LIKE THE MASCOTS, WHERE WE WILL BE PROPOSING TO CARRY ON FROM WHERE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MADE A MEMORANDUM IN 2002 TO BAN MASCOTS.
WE WILL PROPOSE LEGISLATION THEN ACTUALLY DOES THAT, SO THE OTHER STATES THAT ACTUALLY BANNED MASCOTS LEGISLATIVELY, TO ACTUALLY GET OVER THIS HUMP.
ADAM: ALL RIGHT.