Mascot IssueWednesday, January 01, 2003USDA Weighs Complaint Over W. Va. 4-HBy VICKI SMITH .c The Associated Press MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Ethan Lash didn't know he was hurting anyone's feelings when he joined the Delaware ``tribe'' at 4-H camp three years ago. In West Virginia's Pocahontas County, that is how hundreds of children each year are taught teamwork, unity and respect for leaders. ``A tribe is just like a big family, more or less. It's friends - and some people you don't know that you get acquainted with,'' says Lash, 12. ``You're just part of something.'' Something racist and stereotypical, say American Indian groups who are criticizing the West Virginia University Extension Service for using tribal names in its statewide 4-H program. ``Our people have objected to the way that our culture and spiritual identity and self-esteem are used in popular culture for America's fun and games,'' says Vernon Bellecourt, spokesman for the American Indian Movement in Minnesota. ``Indians, warriors, braves and chiefs are the inventions of 10-cent novelists. We have words in our languages that show more respect,'' he says. ``They have no concept of who we are, so it does them a disservice as it does us.'' After a six-month review of camps around the state, West Virginia 4-H leaders announced Dec. 16 they would abandon traditions deemed offensive and stereotypical but retain those believed to honor Indian cultures. That includes allowing children to continue the 80-year practice of joining one of four tribes - Mingo, Cherokee, Delaware or Seneca. Extension officials ordered the review in April after a parent lodged a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which helps fund 4-H. The changes apparently were not enough for the USDA, which has promised a full investigation. If the state's 4-H program is found to be in violation of federal civil rights laws, the West Virginia University Extension Service could lose at least $4.5 million in USDA funding a year. Every state and U.S. territory has 4-H chapters, but USDA spokeswoman Maria Bynum would not say how many use Indian themes. She also would not comment directly on the West Virginia case. While deciding to keep tribal names, West Virginia abandoned the practice of wearing feathered headdresses, performing ``stereotypical motions and dances'' and chanting a tribal cheer of ``Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!'' 4-H Leaders in Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and Delaware have already reviewed - and in some cases, changed - their programs in light of the West Virginia case. Delaware has dropped tribal traditions in response to the West Virginia case. ``Some people might believe we were hasty in making these changes and we should have waited to see what ruling comes from the USDA, but we have a tribe in southern Delaware, and we didn't want to offend them,'' says Delaware state coordinator Joy Sparks. Virginia, which has federally recognized tribes and two reservations, will present recommendations for its program in February. In the meantime, it has dropped certain tribal traditions and intends to abandon references to tribes that no longer exist and consult with those that do. ``That enables us to contact those tribes to get accurate information. We need to identify a historical basis for anything we do,'' says Barry Grast, an Extension Service specialist in Virginia. He would not provide further details on the changes. Ohio 4-H leader Dennis Elliott says the tribal system is not used in his state, but an Indian campfire night theme is one of 18 that counselors can choose. A survey found only a few have done so in recent years. Ohio has no plans to change the practice. Counselors are sensitive to ``creating that special environment where children feel accepted - the fat ones, the skinny ones, the nerd ones, the ones who aren't necessarily accepted in school,'' Elliott says. Maryland camp directors have been equally careful, says 4-H leader Dick Byrne, whose state is now examining its practices. He expects a report in the spring but says some Indian elements will probably remain. ``Certainly, we are going to teach and learn about Native Americans,'' he says. ``But that's different than going to camp and playing Indian, and that's what we want to ensure we're not doing.'' On the Net: National 4-H Council: http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/ American Indian Movement: http://www.aimovement.org/ West Virginia 4-H: http://www.wvu.edu/exten/depts/famyou/4h.htm Cherokee Nation: http://www.cherokee.org/ posted by: Webmaster@ 11:02 AM
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