To the editor:

How many schools, towns or teams feature a Native American woman planting seeds or hand sewing leather garments as their logo  or emblem?

How many Dartmouth residents or graduates of Dartmouth High School can tell you which tribe is indigenous to Dartmouth?

How many Dartmouth residents can recite the history of the settling of Dartmouth?

How many members of the indigenous Dartmouth tribe routinely wore facial war paint in their everyday lives?

Does a young man in full battle uniform, with helmet and machine gun represent an accurate image of Americans?

The Dartmouth logo, then and now, undeniably represents a mythical image of a savage warrior who will vanquish their opponents.

The very fact that proponents of the logo speak and write about how this will now prompt a dialogue amongst the residents of Dartmouth with  mutual respect, goes to the heart of the matter.

The history of the indigenous tribe has never been mandated and included in the school curriculum.  Clearly many teachers may have unilaterally educated themselves and their students about the indignities perpetuated about, and against, Native Americans, but they are the exception.

If we want to preserve the historical record of Dartmouth then form a new and inclusive committee to create a school curriculum that is accurate and informative. And create or select a logo that depicts the qualities of a unified community.

Betty Ussach,

Dartmouth