She Changed Her School Forever

    The Brave Man was a White student dressed up like a stereotypical Native American man. His costume looked like it came from a Halloween store. On his head, he wore a feather headdress. He whooped and danced in a silly way.

    I stared at the mascot’s plastic feathers. In Navajo culture, feathers are sacred. You earn each one. They’re not something you can just pick up and wear. I doubted that the student dressed as the Brave Man knew that.  

    I squirmed in my seat. I already felt different from my peers. Now the thing that made me different was being disrespected.

    Even worse, everyone was cheering.

    I got up and ran out of the gym. For the rest of the assembly, I sat in an empty classroom. I felt angry and hurt.

    The Brave Man was a White student dressed up like a stereotypical Native American man. His costume looked like it came from a Halloween store. He wore a feather headdress on his head, and he whooped and danced across the stage in a comical way.

    I stared at the mascot’s colorful plastic feathers. In Navajo culture, feathers are sacred. You earn each one—they’re not something you can just pick up and wear. I doubted that the student dressed as the Brave Man understood that.  

    My face got red as I squirmed in my seat. I already felt different from my peers—and now the thing that made me different was being disrespected.

    Even worse, everyone was cheering.

    I got up and ran out of the gym. For the rest of the assembly, I sat in an empty classroom, feeling angry and hurt.

    That night, I told my mom about the mascot. I knew exactly what I had seen at the assembly. It was cultural appropriation.

    Every culture has music, art, food, clothing, and traditions that make it special. Cultural appropriation is when someone from another culture uses one of those things without understanding its history or meaning.

    My mom and I talked about what to do. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do anything. I was the new kid. I didn’t want to stand out.

    But my stomach hurt every time I saw the mascot. It was painted on the sidewalks outside the school. It was on posters and sports uniforms. I couldn’t escape it.

    I knew I had to stand up for my culture—even if it meant standing out.

    When I got home that night, I told my mother about the mascot. I knew exactly what I had seen at the assembly: cultural appropriation.

    Every culture has music, art, food, clothing, and traditions that make it special. Cultural appropriation is when someone from another culture uses one of those things without understanding its history or importance.

    My mom and I discussed how I should handle the situation. As the new kid, I was a bit reluctant to do anything that would attract attention.

    But I got a stomachache every time I caught sight of the mascot, and it was everywhere: on posters, on sports uniforms, and painted on the sidewalks outside the school. I couldn’t escape it.

    I knew I had to stand up for my culture—even if it meant standing out.

    It turned out that I wasn’t the only person who was upset. Some people who had graduated from my school were speaking out online. Together we started a petition to change the mascot. The petition got our principal’s attention. He planned meetings to talk about what should be done.

        At one of the meetings, I stood up in front of the school board to make my case. Speaking in public makes me nervous. But I knew I was doing the right thing.

I wore traditional clothing and jewelry made by my grandparents. That made me feel strong.

    Before long, I discovered that I wasn’t the only person who was offended by the mascot. Some people who had graduated from my school were speaking out online. I introduced myself, and together we started a petition to change the mascot. The petition got our principal’s attention, and he planned meetings to discuss the issue.

    At one of those meetings, I had the opportunity to stand up in front of the school board to make my case. I was nervous because I’m not comfortable speaking in public, but I felt certain that I was doing the right thing.

    I wore traditional clothing and jewelry made by my grandparents, and those items helped me feel strong and confident as I gave my speech.