Thank you and others for answering my request for help. I have thought at
first it would be best to answer off the list as this is a sensitive
subject but realize that there are many people looking in on this who may
benefit from my responses. Anyone looking in or who may know of someone
who can add to this investigation or has knowledge of students or families
who have suffered discrimination and racism, I encourage you to let me
know. Please feel free to answer me off list or call on the telephone.
Thank you for the information regarding you book, Live Heroically,
Institutional Racism and American Indian Education, I look forward to
reading it as this subject addresses what we are trying to change in
schools.
A little background may help to show my concerns. I have recently filed a
complaint with the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil
Rights. I live in Kansas. This complaint is directed toward Wichita North
High School and the Kansas Dept of Education, Wichita Civil Rights and
Services Board, Wichita City Council and the Wichita Board of Education
and revolves around the mascot, nickname and logo "redskins". There are
many issues that are addressed and the mascot is the tip of the iceberg.
The Dept. of Education, Office of Civil Rights, officer who is
investigating my complaint has asked me for some help. He is looking for
persons familiar with SD/NDakota schools who can direct him toward schools
which, "have engaged in unequal treatment in discipline and incidences of
racial harassment." He expressed to me on the phone that any help in this
direction whatsoever is appreciated. Like all civil rights investigative
officers the difficulties of the complaint procedure are complex and
discrimination is hard to pin down. He needs to find more ways of exposing
discrimination. Perhaps we and you could provide that. It is my belief
that he is sincerely trying to investigate and make changes.
I am certain he is primarily interested in investigation but there are
also factors of educating himself and the DOEd on the breadth of Native
American issues as he has learned some things since I first talked to him.
I think, thirdly he is trying to maintain and build contacts in the Indian
community that are reliable and informative. A Department of Education,
Office of Civil Rights investigator has considerable latitude in how he
may conduct his inquiries though he is restricted in how his findings may
be interpreted.
Any information and help with this situation is appreciated. The
reluctance of people to reveal situations of racial harassment and
discrimination has many justifiable reasons and sometimes the only avenue
for change lies in third party actions that are taken to protect those who
have suffered from discrimination. Changes will not come without taking
action.
Matthew Richter, 1131 Iron Horse Rd., McPherson, KS 67460-6014, 316-241-7240