Venice 'Indian' topic at board meeting
By Michael Scott Davidson
Published: Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at 8:20 p.m.
When Sal Serbin addressed the Sarasota County School Board for its second meeting in a row, he made sure to spell out his argument.
“I am a man,” he said, repeating the words printed on a sign he held in front of the School Board. “Not the offensive mascot the Sarasota County School Board has representing the American Indian.”
Serbin, the Native American activist who last month requested the School Board change the mascot of two Venice schools from the warbonnet-wearing Indian and Little Indians, stuck to his guns during Tuesday evening’s public forum. He asked that the School Board members officially address the issue by adding it to their agenda.
“This issue has brought out the best and worst in Sarasota (County) residents,” he said. “The School Board’s lack of action only allows this issue to become very ugly.”
Serbin’s comments came in the face of overwhelming public opposition to his request that Venice change its mascot. Thousands of people have expressed their support for the mascot since the Herald-Tribune first reported Serbin’s efforts last week.
The issue was not on the meeting agenda, so action was limited to public comments. The School Board has ultimate authority on whether to change the name, but has not indicated whether it will take any action.
During his allotted three minutes to speak, Serbin maintained that the term Indian was a slur and that it degraded Native American culture as a whole.
“I would like to say to my detractors that this issue is not a politically correct issue,” he said. “This issue is whether or not the school board and Sarasota (County) will take a stand against racism or allow racism to continue in Sarasota (County) with the School Board’s blessing.” Serbin also said he plans to protest the name of the Sarasota Ringling Redskins youth football team at its opening game this Saturday.
Representing the hundreds who have opposed Serbin’s proposition online was a single speaker at the sparsely attended School Board meeting.
Joelene Morris, creator of the “Venice Indians Mascot to Remain Indians” Facebook group, asked School Board members to uphold Venice High School’s beloved mascot. The Facebook group she started has amassed close to 1,800 members since it was created Aug. 1.
A similar online petition made by Morris on Change.org has already exceeded 1,500 signatures.
“For over 60 years our community had the privilege to maintain the Indian as our mascot,” Morris told board members Tuesday evening. “I simply cannot think of any other icon that would be better recognized, loved or is more appropriate, because in its totality it’s the Indian that’s the only icon that would encompass everything we stand for and for a school that strives toward excellence in all avenues.”
Morris, a 2002 Venice High graduate, said she created the petition and Facebook group after reading Serbin’s request in the Herald-Tribune. His assertion that the mascot is insulting to Native Americans spurred her into action.
“For me you can’t think of Venice without thinking about the Indian, and there’s nothing negative that comes to mind with that,” she said. “It’s an excellent school, its somewhere that I feel closely connected to even though I haven’t attended in 12 years.”
Morris, 30, said most people with ties to Venice share her position. The tradition of the Venice Indians is not one of degradation toward Native Americans, she said, but instead shows community pride.
“I’m not trying to attack Mr. Serbin in any way, shape or form, but I disagree with his insight because I know what that mascot means to the school,” she said. “I would ask him to take a little bit closer look at the school and see it as we see it. There are a lot of people who live in this area who are a mix of many tribes and not a single person feels any shame or feels degraded by the fact that the Venice Indians are the Venice Indians.”
At least one School Board member has already taken a side of the controversy and is making it an election issue.
District 1 seat Bridget Ziegler announced her support to keep Venice High School’s current mascot Monday via Facebook.
“While I believe that we must always listen and consider feedback from every member of the community, we also need to keep an eye on political correctness going too far,” she wrote on her candidacy page.
Ziegler, faces re-election in the Aug. 26 primary, said she has received an influx of feedback regarding the controversy, virtually all of it in support of the Venice Indians.
It’s important to consider what the Indians mascot means to the community, she said. Most see it as a positive symbol of honor and pride, and their opinions shouldn’t be disregarded.
“I think this is a great representation of how the community can come together and stand strong for something they believe is important to them,” Ziegler said. “It’s exciting to see the mobilization and how passionate the Venice community is. Their schools and athletes mean a great deal to them and you can see that in the way they’re supporting them.”