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LISTEN: 'We Learn Together' Tribal Educator On Why It's Time To End Native American Mascots

Senior Jacob Gilman, 18, wears a Red Hawks shirt while his friend, 18-year-old Josh Monty, wears a Redmen shirt during a Killingly High varsity basketball game on Jan. 11. Gilman says he wore the shirt mostly because he got it for free.
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public Radio
Students at Killingly High School cheer on their team while the debate continues over the school's mascot.

The racial injustice reckoning the nation is experiencing in the wake of George Floyd’s death has only amplified calls for sports teams to get rid of Native American nicknames. That’s a movement that was already underway in Connecticut. 

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To explore this issue, Connecticut Public Radio’s All Things Considered host, John Henry Smith, spoke with Chris Newell, director of education at the Akomawt Educational Initiative and a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe.

They spoke about Native American culture -- as well as the term “Native American” itself -- and the real problem posed by sports team nicknames.

Hear the interview below:

John Henry Smith is Connecticut Public’s host of All Things Considered, its flagship afternoon news program. He's proud to be a part of the team that won a regional Emmy Award for The Vote: A Connecticut Conversation. In his 21st year as a professional broadcaster, he’s covered both news and sports.

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