To the editor:

As life-long members of the local community, Dartmouth Pride isn’t just a motto in our family, it’s in some ways part of the fabric of our lives. And as former Dartmouth High Student athletes, Dartmouth Pride was always inextricably and proudly intertwined with the “Indians” logo and name.

Of late, the “Indians” logo has come under attack from curious opponents with rather unclear motives.

Near as we can tell, there is significant support for the “Indians” logo in the community, a point that will be clarified on April 5.

There is certainly no ambiguity to the feelings of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah, the first federally recognized tribe in the state of Massachusetts, based on the letter Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais (also a DHS graduate) sent to the Dartmouth Select Board on July 12, 2021.

In part, Andrews-Maltais wrote, “we do not wish to be erased from today’s contemporary life, society or social existence; or to be relegated into history, as if we have vanished, or do not still exist as a flourishing Tribal community, culture, and as a sovereign Tribal Nation … We believe that the initial reference to the ‘Dartmouth Indians’ was meant to be emblematic of our athletic abilities and excellence, an iconic level of athletic dominance and achievement; desired, and to which the teams aspired to demonstrate.”

It’s also important to note that one of the iterations of the current logo was designed by a tribal member and DHS graduate.

Indeed, the Dartmouth Indians logo and name are meant to acknowledge and honor our history. It’s meant to be a point of pride and unification within our community, a bond that should and could be explored even more deeply in the future.

The Dartmouth Indian has always been a point of pride in our community and always should be.

Andy & Deidre Hart,

Dartmouth