The following letter of June 1997, is Kansas Governor Bill Graves' response to Native American parents telling them they are on their own in addressing racial hate names against Native Americans in public schools, they will get no help from him.
18 months later 2 students have been arrested at Little River, Kansas for making criminal threats against Mr. Richter and his family. Their first court appearance is May 11, 1999.
Mr. Iron Wing's son has been transferred by educators to the third school district this year in Wichita, Kansas Unified School District 259, to avoid directly identifying him as a "redskin" and because repeated student ridicule of his Native American name led to a violent incident.
Parents, Matthew Richter and Clem Iron Wing, showed him the warning signs of these threats against Native Americans. They now warn him again of the teasing, ridicule and abuse of Native Americans for their cultural and religious symbols which increase the chances of more conflicts in Kansas schools. They continue to ask for the Governor's intervention, education on the dangers of stereotyping and mediation between school authorities and activists in a battle ground built by the silence of administrators and politicians. This is a battle ground of the Governor's making into which he has forced public school children as his shield against Native American activists asking for dignity for their families. This battle ground has already taken victims.
Why should there be more victims? Will Governor Graves stop his silence which is a guarantee of ridicule, isolation of Native children and a guarantee that educators will continue to hide the facts of history around this hate name against Native Americans. How long will children be placed by the Governor and educators into this battle ground which could lead to violence before they address the state wide wide abuses of Native American culture?
Governor Graves has told these parents he did not care enough for any children to heed the warning signs of violence in Kansas public schools or to prevent the hate crimes that came immediately after his failure to act.
The State of Minnesota, Los Angeles City Schools and Dallas Public Schools have banned the use of Native Americans as mascots so they do not have the conflicts which this issue brings into schools. Kansas is still seeking victims.
SEE RELATED ARTICLE REFERENCING THIS PAGE;
KANSAS GOVERNOR GRAVES GUARANTEES SCHOOLS CAN RIDICULE BY LOCAL CHOICE; A FORMULA FOR VIOLENCE?
READ HOW HE IS ACCOUNTABLE:
KANSAS GOVERNOR GRAVES WAS WARNED BY PARENTS
AND STILL REFUSED TO STEP IN
BEFORE RACE HATE CRIMES
TOOK VICTIMS
RELATED ARTICLES
TWO STUDENTS ARRESTED IN LITTLE RIVER FOR RACE HATE CRIMES
THE RAPE THREAT
"HAVE YOU EVER HAD YOUR ASS KICKED NIGGA?"- 2nd threat of February 17th
REDSKIN: A 500 YEAR HATE CRIME
TEACHING BIGOTRY: THEY START OUT WITH THE YOUNG ONES
copyright American Comments Magazine
Clem Iron Wing, Matthew Richter, editors 1999
