Ketcham drops 'Indians' moniker in favor of 'Storm', drawing mixed reaction from community

There was a sense of pride for Yvonne Gor in learning the Wappingers Central School District would do away with the "Indians" nickname for its sports teams. But more so, the Roy C. Ketcham High School alum said, there is "an appreciation of the progress."

Through a series of student votes, "Storm" was chosen as the new moniker for the high school teams, district superintendent Dwight Bonk confirmed Wednesday. As well, Wappingers Junior High School teams will be called the "Wildcats."

Those changes were approved unanimously by the district Board of Education this week, ending what had been a three-year push from some former students and Native American groups to nix the themes associated with Indigenous people.

"I'm delighted that they're changing it, and the Native American organizations will be happy," said Gor, who along with former schoolmate Krisy Lawlor, started a petition for the change in 2020 that got thousands of signatures and the attention of the district. "This came from simply listening to Native Americans, and that's where I got the idea."

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There was pushback and many in the community argued vehemently that a change would be an unnecessary disruption of tradition, and that the former name served to honor the history of Native Americans in the region. Others, though, have insisted the names and imagery are offensive.

"We firmly stand against the use of Native Americans as team names and mascots," said Heather Bruegl, a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee, a Native American tribe that was among the first inhabitants of the Hudson Valley. "So many dehumanizing things happened to us throughout the history of the country, and having our people depicted as mascots has always felt like another dehumanizing thing."

At the professional sports level, the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins have rebranded in recent years, becoming the Guardians and Commanders, respectively.

More than 20 states have taken action to rid districts of those themes, prompting hundreds of schools and athletic departments nationwide to make changes. Nyack and Mahopac had similar petitions launched in 2020 and those schools also adjusted. Nyack adopted "RedHawks" and Mahopac announced last spring it would become the "Wolf Pac."

The recent changes locally are in accordance with the New York State Education Department, which ordered schools last winter to cease using Native American names, mascots and emblems for athletic teams by the end of the next school year, with the threat of state aid being withheld.

About 33% of the Wappingers district budget last year came from the state, Bonk said, so they were compelled to comply.

Designs for new logos and uniforms will begin and the old insignia eventually will be removed from the compounds, though Bonk said there isn't yet a timeline for its completion.

"The reaction has been mixed," the superintendent said. "Some people have said the name was insensitive, and others said they wanted it to remain to honor the tradition of the Native Americans in the region. We did the best job we could in terms of getting the information out to the community as to what we'd face if the changes weren't made."

Kathryn Hotle, who stars for the Ketcham softball and soccer teams, said many students and community members are displeased with the new name and believe the change was rushed. Students, she said, had only "a few days" to vote on the name.

"I think that the 'Storm' is generic and uninspired," the Sacred Heart University-bound senior said. "It does not represent the unique identity of the school and the community. I don't believe the name 'Storm' is a symbol of strength or ferocity, two of the qualities that the Indians were known for."

Nevertheless, the next step for the district will be the selection of a nickname for the combined Ketcham and John Jay-East Fishkill teams, which have been known as the "Warriors." Bonk said he hoped that process would be completed before the end of December.

Webutuck opted last spring to ditch its "Warriors" nickname, switching during the summer to the "Wildcats." The Warriors name itself wasn't problematic, under the state edict, but Webutuck's logo depicted a Native American face in war paint.

"I understand people feel an attachment to the name and they have memories attached to it, especially for athletes who wore that uniform," said Gor, who grew up in Wappingers Falls and graduated Ketcham in 2001. "But when you know it's doing harm to a community, it's not worth it. We learn as we grow, and the goal should always be to try to create a more positive and inclusive environment."

When the petitions began and there first was a groundswell, Ketcham voted in 2020 to do away with its Native American mascot. The school years earlier had changed its logo from a Native American in headdress to an encircled "K." But there was hesitance to overhaul the branding entirely as some, including current and former students, wanted to keep the name.

Wappingers was behind Mahopac in making the change as its district awaited the result of an appeal filed by the Cambridge Central School District upstate to keep its "Indians" moniker, Bonk said. Cambridge was denied its appeal in October, at which point Wappingers went forth.

"Knights" initially was chosen as the new Ketcham nickname, but it wasn't approved. A Board of Education member argued during an Oct. 16 meeting that name, too, could be deemed insensitive given the history of knights and Crusaders "oppressing other cultures."

So, students later were given another vote with the "Storm" beating out "Hawks" and "Titans."

"I think it's great," Gor said. "I like the name itself, and I love the fact they're making a change."

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Wappingers school district changes nickname from 'Indians' to 'Storm'