They are showing fighting spirit.
Two Long Island communities are embracing Native American-themed school team names and histories despite their woke missions. Residents say it is absurd that clinging to tradition means losing state aid.
The Massapequa Chiefs and Wantagh Warriors have no plans to change their names or images by the government's June deadline. Locals in the Nassau County hamlet defiantly wear their team uniforms, refusing to give in to what they call a tone-deaf attempt to “cancel” the game. culture. “
“It just erases history…that's the problem with cancel culture,” Matt Sasko, president of the Wantagh Museum and Wantagh Preservation Society, told the Post. “I can't believe it's actually coming to our hometown and making its way into our classrooms. How do you explain this to an 8- or 9-year-old?”
The two towns, which bear Native American names, are vigorously fighting any future bans in court, but in April 2023 they received funding threats from the New York State Board of Regents. It is one of 13 school districts forced to change its name.
Proud Long Islanders say they take no offense to the name or image and respect the unique and spectacular heritage of their coast.
Former UFC star turned Wantagh-based real estate agent Al Iaquinta said it was “upsetting” to consider abandoning his alma mater's path as a fighter.
“It makes no sense,” Iaquinta, a former multi-sport athlete at Wantagh High School, told the Post.
“The great thing about Long Island is we have this history.”
Sasko, 46, said Wantagh's logo depicts Chief Wantagh, a Sachem leader who settled in the area in the mid-1600s. He reiterated that the mascot's face is historically accurate.
“It's the same as the actual portrait in the museum…to say it's offensive is wrong,” said Sasko, a 1996 Wantagh High School graduate who proudly sports a Warriors tattoo.
State Sen. Stephen Rose is also adamant about preserving the Wantagh legacy in his district. This month, he introduced two bills to exempt Wantagh schools from the ban and protect other school districts that don't comply.
“This is a part of who we are and a celebration of our heritage,” said Rose, a Wantagh graduate.
He said it was “unfortunate” that the state education department “just wants to eradicate” local heritage rather than use it as a place for education.
In Suffolk County, the Wyandanch and Connetquot school districts (also named for their Native American roots) have filed their own lawsuits to maintain their respective titles Warriors and Thunderbirds (abbreviated to “T-Birds”). is happening. Newsday reported.
“Once you're a chief, you're always a chief.”
Just a few miles east of Wantagh in Massapequa, parents are also upset that the word “chief” has come under intense scrutiny. Joe Diesso, a 52-year-old father, said it's hypocritical that the term is used to describe the president of the United States, CEOs, and senior law enforcement and fire officials.
“Why is that OK but not when I use this word?” Diesso told the Post. The father of three said his children were also angry at the double standards.
“They wouldn’t want to be anything other than a chief.”
Gary Baldinger, a Massapequa High School graduate who played in the National Football League in the 1980s and early 1990s, said over the years, feathered Native American team names and logos have He says there has always been respect.
“I think 99.9 percent of the local residents would be positive about keeping the name,” said Baldinger, who served as a longtime Massapequa School Board trustee until 2021.
Baldinger, who spent time with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, is doubly upset that the state would broach “such a trivial issue…any issue with the education of children across our country.” he said.
“We're going to keep fighting,” Baldinger said. “This is more than just a school or a sports team. It really represents who we are. I can't think of any other name.”
DiEsso pointed out that a name change would be foolish, given that it pays a lot of homage to Native American culture.
Five minutes from the high school in Massapequa is a towering bronze statue of a Native American chief.
Almost every year, students paint a chief-themed mural on a wall adjacent to campus.
Since the 2023 threat, Diesso said he has noticed more residents wearing Massapequa gear, especially clothing emblazoned with the phrase “Once a Chief, Always a Chief.”
“This situation is not going to go away in Massapequa, no matter what happens,” Diesso said.
