To the editor:

I have lived in Dartmouth my whole life and am a proud alumnus of Dartmouth High School, Class of 1998. On April 5, I’m voting to save the Dartmouth Indian.

The indigenous inhabitants of the region have a rich history that predates the establishment of our country. Why do we want to cancel that history? We honor our native warriors and depict them in a respectful manner. A select few on the school committee want to overturn the will of an overwhelming majority of residents in Dartmouth who support keeping the Indian symbol. Where does this foolishness end?

I question the motives behind erasing the history of our area. Recently, we have seen many examples of cancel culture and the whitewashing of history. If the Wampanoags approve of the symbol and the way Dartmouth honors their history, why is our School Committee rejecting them? Our identity as a town and region is a deep reflection of a rich and vibrant culture established before the settlers. Without that native influence, what would we be?

In history we learned how there was almost an extinction process of the native people planned by our own government. Fast forward to present day—certain members of our school committee want to completely eradicate the little history we have left. Will our children’s children look back at this debate with “Dartmouth pride?” Will we continue to lose our history, or will we finally take a stand?

Vote on April 5 to preserve the Dartmouth Indians. 

Stacey Martin,

Dartmouth