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RedskinstotheWashingtonFootballteam.Strongopinionswereexpressedfrombothsides, <br />butallhaveseemedtoacceptthatchangeonceithadbeenmade. <br />RosevilleandPocahontasParkexistsonthetraditionalhomelandoftheDakotapeople.Icould <br />seeanargumentmadethatPocahontasisnotlocalandthattheRosevilleParksandRecwishes <br />tohonorthelocalNativeCommunityasarationalforanamechange.Thiswouldbypassany <br />debatesurroundingoffensivenessasarational,thatisatleastamongtheNativeperspective. <br />Iwouldfurthersuggestthatthepark'snamebereplacedwithanameoriginatingfromthe <br />Dakotalanguage.LocalDakotahistoriansandlanguagespeakerscanbearesourcefor <br />identifyinganappropriatenameandspelling.Ifyoudochosethisoption,bepreparedtohear <br />strongopinionsfromoutsideoftheNativecommunity. <br />AlocalexampleofthisnamechangecanbefoundinthenamechangefromLakeCalhounto <br />BdeMakaSkaortheadditionoftheDakotalanguagetoFortSnellingtoincludeatBdote.Two <br />excellentexamplesofplacesthatstruggledwiththecomplexitiesofasimplenamechange. <br />Myadvicewouldbetopursuethenamechange,butbeclearwiththerationalforthischange <br />andarticulatethatrationalwell,youwillfaceoppositionfromallsides.Bychangingthename, <br />itdemonstratestheRosevilleParkandRec'sdesiretobemoreinclusiveofallcultures, <br />converselyifParksandRecdoesnotchoosetopursueanamechangeitcouldsendthe <br />messagethatParkandRecacceptsandcondonesthehistoricalmisrepresentationofNative <br />Americanpeople. <br />OthersNativeAmericangroupsyoumayseekoutfortheiropinionsaretheRosevilleArea <br />SchoolsIndianEducationOfficeandtheParentCommitteetheyworkwith,thestateofficeof <br />ggestionsoff <br />IndianEducationatMDE,ortheMNIndianAffairsCouncil.Thesearejustafewsu <br />thetopofmyhead,Icanassisttoidentifyothergroupsifneeded. <br />Idohopethisresponsehelpsyouinyourefforts,pleasefeelfreetocalloremailifyouhaveany <br />questionorneedfurtherassistance, <br />JohnBobolink <br />2 <br /> <br />