To the editor:

I agree with George Marcotte’s letter of Feb. 14 on one thing: I wish that the Dartmouth School Committee had gotten the public more involved in the argument over whether to retire the Dartmouth “Indian.”  I think that the committee could have done so by sponsoring a couple of widely advertised, well-attended forums devoted to the proposal. 

We could have had panel discussions or formal debates, each including audience participation.  We could have had three to five speakers, representing different points of view.  Each speaker could have been allotted 15 or 20 minutes to make a coherent argument.  This would be better, I think, than having 60 speakers holler for one minute apiece. 

We might have had one such meeting at the high school, where students could take an active part, and another at Town Hall, where anybody in the community could have attended. Both events could have been put on Zoom.

If such events had taken place, Mr. Marcotte and I probably would have been on opposite sides in the argument, but both of us would have had the satisfaction of knowing that our side had had a chance to present its case. 

Instead, it now appears that a decision will be made on this matter before any such rational deliberative process can occur. The Select Board has called for townspeople to vote in April on retaining the Indian mascot. While the plebiscite is non-binding, it would be hard for the School Committee or the Select Board to go against the expressed “Will of the People.” As far as I can tell, however, there has been no attempt by town officials to stimulate public discussion of the issue first. 

To me it seems that the town is putting the cart before the horse. If we put it in terms of parliamentary procedure, the Board of Selectmen has “called the question” before the debate has even begun. 

How can we can vote on something when we have not yet heard the evidence and logic for and against it?  If we don’t understand what this is all about, if we have not been presented with alternative points of view, what we are likely to do is vote on the basis of sheer prejudice.  

In an election that is not preceded by a campaign, the incumbent has a large advantage, because people usually vote for the candidate with whom they are most familiar.  Here in Dartmouth, the incumbent is “the Indian,” which may be expected to win the vote by a large majority.  

Is this foregone conclusion what the Select Board intends? Or would they rather have the decision made on the basis of informed, thought-out opinion? 

If the latter, would it be possible for the School Committee to arrange public discussions or debates before the April vote? My understanding is that the committee intends to hear from Native American groups in March, which is an excellent beginning. Might the committee then have a public discussion or two of the type I have described and, only after doing that, hold a vote?           

Wouldn’t it be nice if the argument over the mascot became a “teachable moment?”  Perhaps the high school would assert its rightful place as a center and source of education.

Jim Hijiya,

Dartmouth