Kathy Morning Star, director of the American Indian Cultural Support, states: “It is the responsibility of educators to set the example and teach the youth of today to respect other ethnic or minority peoples - NOT to exploit or disrespect them by using them as 'mascots' or stereotypical 'images' which perpetuates racism."

Dictionary.com :: [Definition of sav-age ] Show Spelled Pronunciation [sav-ij] Show IPA adjective, noun, verb, -aged, -ag-ing. Use savage in a Sentence –adjective 1. fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed: savage beasts. 2. uncivilized; barbarous: savage tribes. 3. enraged or furiously angry, as a person. 4. unpolished; rude: savage manners. 5. wild or rugged, as country or scenery: savage wilderness. 6. Archaic. uncultivated; growing wild. –noun 7. an uncivilized human being. 8. a fierce, brutal, or cruel person. 9. a rude, boorish person. 10. a member of a preliterate society. –verb (used with object) 11. to assault and maul by biting, rending, goring, etc.; tear at or mutilate: numerous sheep savaged by dogs. 12. to attack or criticize thoroughly or remorselessly; excoriate: a play savaged by the critics. Origin: 1250–1300; ME savage, sauvage (adj.) < MF sauvage, salvage < ML salvāticus, for L silvāticus, equiv. to silv(a) woods + -āticus adj. suffix Related forms: sav-age-ly, adverb sav-age-ness, noun Synonyms: 1. wild, feral, fell; bloodthirsty. See cruel. 2. wild. 3. infuriated. 5. rough, uncultivated. 9. churl, oaf. Antonyms: 1. mild. 2, 4. cultured. 5. cultivated.

Photo taken, November 6, 2009, downtown Salmon, Idaho.

Salmon schools will abandon Savages mascot
September 16, 1999 - Associated Press - SALMON, Idaho - The Salmon School Board has decided to change the Salmon Savages' Indian mascot after being told by attorneys that fighting a lawsuit being threatened by a national coalition would cost more than $100,000.

The National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media said it would file suit against the district if the Savages do not get rid of their Indian head logo. Indian mascots, especially those coupled with names such as Savage, are derogatory and offensive, coalition members said.

Last month the Illinois-based organization demanded a decision within 45 days and wanted the district to sign a memorandum of agreement saying they would get rid of both the logo and the name, and add Indian studies to the high school curriculum. The board voted not to sign the memorandum, and school board chairman Steve Lish said it would take longer to change the logo.

Local attorneys said fighting the name change in court could cost more than $100,000. In a district where teachers who do not scrimp on paper can find themselves without by the end of the year, a court battle is not an option, board members said. According to a timeline for responding to the coalition's demands, in January 2000 students and the community would select a new mascot/logo and a name if they wish. This month and next, the district will begin informing students and community groups. That will be followed in November with presentations on possible mascots. The board will make and announce its decision in December, and by the 2000-2001 school year the new mascot would be in place.

"The evolution of the Savage mascot," racist mascots used by the Salmon Savage High School from 1934-1999, printed by the Recorder Herald, Salmon, Idaho, Nov. 5, 2009. (Right >>)

Some Schools that have changed their name / logo

Stanford University had The Stanford Indian, a Native American as mascot (1930-1972). Today, The Stanford Cardinal honors the color. The mascot of the Stanford Band is a Tree.

Seattle University changed the nickname of their mascot from Chieftains to Redhawks in 2000.

Other Indian tribes have also supported the use of their tribal names as a tribute to their heritage. The Ute tribe approved the use of the name "Utes" for the University of Utah and the NCAA granted a waiver to allow the name to remain.

The Sioux tribe, however, refused to approve the use of the name "Fighting Sioux" in the name of the University of North Dakota. UND has appealed several times to the NCAA and is currently under a championship host ban for not removing the moniker.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, however, is permitted to use the name "Illini" owing to the NCAA ruling that the name "is closely related to the name of the state and not directly associated with Native Americans." The mascot Chief Illiniwek was ruled "hostile and abusive" and was retired in 2007 to comply with the NCAA's ruling, and the following year, in compliance with a related NCAA ruling, both UIUC and Northwestern University retired their then-current rivalry trophy, the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk.

The College of William & Mary, nicknamed the "Tribe", was forced to remove the two tribal feathers stemming from their logo in 2006 due to insensitivity towards Native Americans.

Many high schools across the country have encountered the same scenario. Frontier Regional School, in Deerfield, MA was forced to remove their Redskin mascot in 2000. The school now goes by the moniker of the Redhawks.

Recorder Herald, Salmon, Idaho :: Opinion Pages

My two cents worth - Recorder Herald, Salmon, Idaho

Dear Editor:

I'd like to put in my own "two cents" on Ms. Ungaretti's column (below) in last week's The Recorder Herald.

She advocates the return of the portrait of a Native American as the "emblem" of the Salmon Savages,
and insists that the word "savage" has no negative connotations, merely meaning "not domesticated or under human control, untamed."

Ms. Ungaretti, if it's inconvenient for you to wrestle with a heavy old dictionary when you're right in the middle of a biased rant, just go to www.dictionary.com.

Read carefully and you'll find that your definition of "untamed" refers to the use of the word when describing animals.

Since even you would be forced to admit, if you were cornered on it, that Native Americans are human beings, you'll see that the word means "uncivilized, fierce, brutal, cruel, unpolished, rude, boorish," etc., when describing people.

You probably have a thicker hide than I do, Ms. Ungaretti, but personally I feel a little insulted when foreigners use these terms to describe my people, the oft-misunderstood American race.

Then again, let's look a bit at our local history. Without the help of the noble Sacajawea and her people, the Agai Dika, our white heroes would have starved.

Without the leadership of the noble Tendoy the Lemhi people would have probably joined up with Chief Joseph to wipe out young salmon City.

When you whine "why do you think they picked on Salmon," Ms. Ungaretti, if you have any shame at all, rereflect on the friendship that was extended to the first whites here. I won't tell you how it was repaid. Read up on it.

Savages! If you feel that "the only problem is that the Salmon Savages has no logo, mascot," Ms. Ungaretti, I have the solution: keep the Savages logo, as its so very dear to you, but make the mascot historically accurate: a portrait of a leering, bearded white man holding up a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a lying treaty in the other.

Peter McNevin
Lemhi

Thanks for the idea Peter!

Heres' my 102 cents worth (above), since it's been 102 years since the Lemhi-Shoshone people were removed by force after 12,000+ years of occupancy of the Lemhi Valley (Salmon, Idaho). The Lemhi people were stripped of federal recognition and exiled to Fort Hall, Idaho in 1907. Kel Ariwite - Lemhi-Shoshone descendant.

Two more cents worth - Recorder Herald, Salmon, Idaho

Dear Editor: Peter McNevin failed to mention another "splendid service" the Lemhi people contributed to Lemhi County when they "ran all the Mormons completely out of this country," only to have them sneak back, one by one, and then run the Lemhi people out!

So it goes! Thar' aint no justice! Salmon city has never been the same without the native Lemhi peoples! They are sorely missed by this 'ol timer! Pete "you hit the nail squarely on the head" by your description of a logo, mascot!

It's neat to hear a native's opinion of this matter!

David L. Strode - Salmon, Idaho

The Two Cent Scoop. . .

By Annette Ungaretti - Recorder Herald, Salmon, Idaho

Savages. Salmon Savages. Doesn't that just sound right? Could you imagine. Salmon Snakes, Salmon Bears or maybe the Salmon Russets? Salmon Savages it just rings too, right, maybe thats what Irman Gott
thought when he entered it into the contest as a high school student.

The only problem is that the Salmon Savages has no logo, no mascot. And unfortunately it's been that for a ten long years. I have talked to a lot of community members of Salmon and I do have to say a good 90 percent are in favor of instating the Indian emblem. Some think it was ridiculous to get rid of it and I agree. There will always be someone that doesn't agree with you or like you whether it's an individual person or a group of people. But why give up so easy?

The National Coalition of Racism in Sports and Media has only two high schools nationwide listed on their website that they were filing suit against and Salmon was one of them. Why do you think they picked on Salmon?

Eleven other schools in Idaho alone have adopted Indian names not to mention over 2,000 schools nationwide. Some critics say it's the name with the face. Savages with an Indian emblem. The word savage means, not domesticated or under human control: UNTAMED. But do you really think that before a football game the coach tells the athletes, "Boys, go out there don't act domesticated, have no human control !" No. Other high school mascots could be taken much more offensively, by opinion of course.

Vandal: a member of a Germanic people who lived in the area south of Baltic. ; one who willfully or ignorantly destroys, damages or defaces properfy. Viking: one of the pirate Norsemen plundering the coasts of Europe in the 8th to l0th centuries.

Trojan: a native or inhabitant of Troy; a gay, irresponsible or disreputable companion. Just because Salmon calls itself the Savages that doesn't mean we would take pride in acting by its definition. The Vandals, I doubt would take pride in damaging or defacing property or what about the Trojans? Do you think that they would want to go by their definition of gay, irresponsible.

High school mascots are intended for the students to take pride in their school and even bring good luck. Pretty soon some animal rights activist will come along and claim that animals as high school mascots are "damaging stereotypes."

The freedom of expression is protected by the First Amendment as well as freedom of speech, press association, of assembly and petition. If we didn't have freedom of expression we wouldn't be individuals, we would all pray to the same god, live by the same morals and have the same customs and beliefs.

The Declaration of Indepdence is based upon the "self evident" truth that "all men are . . . endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." The Salmon High School let their freedom of expression go in 1999 and ever since then the school has been left with no individuality.

It's the argument itself, considering the fact that this group was never supported by any tribes, it should have
never been disassociated. It was a group of people that thought that their beliefs should be pressed upon our community.

If everyone in the world acted like that no one would have a name, or a mascot, we would be referred to as the school in Idaho near the 45th parallel.

Their opinion shouldn't have mattered and unfortunately their two cents has left us without a mascot and without a logo.

Salmon, Idaho - "Bring The Salmon Savage Head Back!!!" facebook forum.

Robert Matthew Armstrong (Salmon High School) -The savage head has been the logo since my great granma went to school here. i think we should keep the name and fight for the savage head back
Holly Boyce Smith - Let's fight for it! After all we are the Savages, not the freakin' Eagles! We need our original mascot back, if it offends you move somewhere else or don't look at it! Or just go away, don't go away mad just go away!
Mary Jane Gerow - Schennum Keep the Savages mascot and fight for it. I am with Dennis
Terresa Decker Kane - http://www.lemhi-shoshone.com/salmon_savages_mascot.html Unfreakin belivable! Jeez this is just a high school. The name Salmon Savages was never meant to be about racism. It was meant to take our teams seriously. If your worried about racism go after the Washington Redskins. They could afford a legal battle. Anyone is ...welcome to move to Lemhi county including the Lemhi-Shoshones. Do like everyone else and buy, rent, & get a job.
John Darrah (United States Air Force) - I remember when I was going to school they were trying to change the name to the Salmon Steelhead! Looks like they didnt get any Yah's on that one...Just my two cents, but they need to bring back the Savage head. It gave us as students and as athletes pride to be a Salmon Savage!
April Shepley - If the Washington Redskins can have their name we should certainly be able to have the savage head. Salmon should fight to keep the savage head. The best part of Salmon is that we have always stood up for our selves and not worried about being PC. Fight Fight Fight
Robert Matthew Armstrong (Salmon High School) - i think we should just go back to the way it was...when we were the salmon savages and we were proud to be savages. who cares what any one thinks? it's not their town. we should stand up for ourselves, and not be pushed around. if need-be, we'll take it to court. we need to stand up for ourselves tho

Michele LaRock, Chairperson, of the Wisconsin Indian Education Association affirmed the resolution and the efforts of the taskforce stating, “It’s wonderful that people are standing up for our children. Because that’s the bottom line of our sovereignty, protecting our most valuable resource - our children, our future.”

§ 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include— (1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; (2) the nature of the copyrighted work; (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.