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Are we focused on the wrong things?

June 5th, 2023 by Kenneth Abrahams

Recently, we had some programs out in the western part of Massachusetts and to get there I drove on the Mohawk trail, also known as Route 2. It is a beautiful drive along a mostly rural route that winds through some small villages, towns and eventually the Berkshire Mountains. For some when they drive, they call friends and family, crank the radio, or engross themselves in podcasts. I get lost in thought, with the radio on in the background. Along the Mohawk trail there are souvenir shops with Totem Poles and Teepee’s out front. Statues and placards with Native American symbols on them and depending on the time of year, signs advertising an upcoming Pow Wow. In a society that talks about DEI and cultural appropriation, are those symbols still appropriate? Honestly, I have no idea what is and isn’t okay anymore.

A camp that I am involved with in New Hampshire has formed a committee to discuss potentially renaming 3 cabins in the section of camp occupied by the youngest group in the boy’s camp. Those 3 cabins are named Apache, Blackfoot, and Cherokee. All three are currently recognized Native American Nations, although none of them call New Hampshire home. To provide a bit of context, all 3 cabins are less than 100 yards away from Lake Winnipesauke, a lake with a Native American name, and the camp is in a part of the state that has a strong tie to the Abenaki Nation. If you have ever traveled in New England, there are several cities, trails, rivers, mountains, and lakes with Native American names.

In fact, the town I live in, Natick, has a Native American name. Years ago, the town’s high school sports teams were known as “The Redmen.” It is not as bad as it sounds. They were so named when a local sportswriter covering an athletic contest, decades ago, referred to them as the Redmen because they were in all red uniforms. Over time, however, they adopted Native American symbols on their uniforms. It was a bitter fight, which resulted in a name change to the RedHawks, and a new mascot. Today, there are still people manufacturing and selling Redmen gear. Many felt the name should have been changed. Yes, the genesis of the name was in no way tied to or intended to belittle Native Americans, but once the mascot adopted was in fact Native American it was time to move on.

Both the camp and the town’s battle over names, to me, seems to be a colossal waste of time and energy. Call me old fashioned, uninformed, or a Neanderthal but what is offensive about using recognized Native American nations as cabin names? Overall, my belief is that, in both cases, we have more important things to talk about. Nationally, we are seeing hate crimes of all types on the rise. Acts of violence against Jews, people of Asian heritage, Transgender people, and people who identify as Gay are on TV, in the news, and filling social media feeds daily. Look at the recent Bud Light controversy. Sales of Bud Light plummeted once the social media post from Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender social media influencer, hit the airwaves. It is disheartening to see how upset people have gotten over Bud Light sending one can of beer to one person. Not only have they stopped buying the beer, but they have taken video of themselves shooting and crushing cases of the product.

When talking about this piece with several people, the question was asked more than once whether things had really changed that much. Is there more hatred in the world today than before? Has the climate changed to the point that open hatred to groups or people is more acceptable now or are we just noticing it more? Regardless of the reasons, it is a huge problem. People shouldn’t be afraid to go out in public because of the color of their skin or who they love.

We have real problems in this country, as well as in the world. We are a nation that can’t feed, house, provide clothing, or health care to all our citizens. Yet, we are spending time discussing whether buildings, named after our forefathers, many of whom owned slaves, should have their names changed. Like it or not, that is our history. It is who we were. How far should we take this? Regardless of what you do, someone will always be offended. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) objects to the phrase “more than one way to skin a cat.” Do they really believe that by using the phrase we are going to encourage people to run around skinning cats? Do we not have more important things to worry about?

Perhaps a better use of our time, energy, and resources would be to really work towards change. Organizing food drives and raising money for those less fortunate. Providing scholarships that would allow more Native Americans and disadvantaged youth to attend schools. Provide additional job training and housing for people that want to get off the streets. Over time we have shown that when it is important, we rally, we support one another, we roll up our sleeves and we go to work.

Driving down the Mohawk Trail surrounded by beautiful scenery should have brought a sense of peace. Instead, it left me with sadness and anger. As always, it forced me to examine my own life and ask, have I done enough? Sadly, the answer is a resounding no. There is more that I could do, and I will continue to strive to do better. How can you help? Focus on what is truly important. Help those who need some assistance. Do not stand idly by when you see acts of hatred and bigotry happening around you. Hug the ones you love and let them know how much you care about them. It is the people in our lives that matter most. Hopefully, next time I drive along the Mohawk trail, or any scenic road, I will have the time and desire to appreciate my surroundings and get out of my own head.

About the Author

For almost 40 years, Ken Abrahams has traveled this country trying to bring some fun and happiness to people. Over time, he has seen a lot of shifts in the country, the people, technology, and how we interact with one another. Not always for the better.

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