The following letter was sent to the New York State Board of Regents, Sachem’s Board of Education, Sachem’s Administration, and the state and federal politicians representing our community.
Sunday, April 16, 2023
Greetings,
I never thought in my lifetime I would have to write a letter advocating to keep Sachem’s name and tradition intact. Our community has been led down a unique path, and my sentiments are written on behalf of a majority of the 60,000 alumni who graduated from the Sachem Central School District since 1959 and, more importantly, the thousands of current and future students and their parents who call this community home.
As the New York State Board of Regents votes and decides on parameters that will impact several school districts regarding Native American names and mascots, I want to be crystal clear that our entire school community was built on the premise of honoring Native American culture and heritage. Not only is the name of the district representative of the Native American term known as “chief,” but nearly every building uses Native American names, and the moniker and logo is, of course, Flaming Arrows. These are distinct and consistent with our branding, tradition, and history since the district was formed and centralized in 1955. To change any of this would be devastating to our community’s identity. Remember, this is not just a school district; it’s a large community comprising several hamlets and villages with nearly 90,000 taxpayers.
The rebuttal to all of this is that we are offending Native Americans, which is not for us to decide, of course. We hope to honor and bring forth Native American heritage through our school community, not “harass or discriminate” as the Dignity for All Students Act suggests.
Here are some suggestions:
*Funds & Curriculum: The state should not force Sachem to spend hundreds of thousands – or millions – of dollars – to make these changes. Instead, carve out state aid to help build mandatory curricula for all districts and all grade levels that educate students and faculty on Native American culture and heritage. Not to mention, those funds will be taken away from other educational needs for our students.
*Open Dialogue: Can we agree to bring community stakeholders from the education department, Native American tribes, political sector, school district administration, student bodies, school board, and alumni organization to have an open and honest dialogue? I suggest this happens in every school district and would be happy to help organize on behalf of Sachem when the time is right.
*Day of Understanding: Students have several days throughout the year where they learn about different cultures. Can we institute a Native American Day of Understanding across all school districts in New York State, where students are learning and creating projects that reflect the full story of tribes in their area and beyond? Sachem students and faculty should also understand the history behind the district’s centralization and identity.
*Naming: While we’re still waiting for proper guidelines that school districts will use to make any changes, might I suggest a consolation for Sachem? Keep “Arrows,” and drop the word “Flaming.” Arrows and arrowheads are synonymous with history, fighting to feed tribes, in some cases peace alliance, and have been an artifact dug up for centuries across Long Island.
Sachem can be a leader in this process and discussion. Just because the Board of Regents votes this week to make a change doesn’t mean we can’t advocate with our community and Native American heritage in mind.
I look forward to being an active participant in these discussions and hope that we can find common ground among all stakeholders to preserve our community’s identity, honor our tradition and history and evolve with an honest reflection of the Native American people near our Sachem community on Long Island.
Best,
Chris R. Vaccaro, ‘04
President/Founder
Sachem Alumni Association
Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame
Sachem Hall of Honor
SachemReport.com