What great research!!!! Fascinating and important work....I'll pass your article along to my son and his partner who lived in Minnesota for 20 years before moving to Ithaca. Thanks!
Thanks for passing the article along to this next generation of people with ties to Minnesota and its history and heritage. And thanks for the kind word as it comes from someone who does historical research on the local community of Ithaca. I'm glad you find it as fascinating as I found your book on the history of bookstores in Ithaca. Such revelations!
Thank you to Donald Kakaygeesick and the family for making sure the history is available for now and for the future. And thank you for your research work, Jill. It's a big job to save the legacy of the indigenous people who loved and tended this land. With gratitude.
I'm not claiming the purpose is not to save the legacy, but to UNFORGET. It's the sweeping away of convenient myths and legends about the past which go unexamined that allow us to continue to destroy the earth and each other. The past shows us a better way forward.
This is my favorite post of yours to date; maybe it’s tied with the tallest Christmas tree? The distinction between appreciation & appropriation is so important, but what gets me even more is the “stealing” of Don’s drawing when he left it behind at school. Imagine his surprise upon return. Stunning.
Thank you for being such a consistent reader and it is good to know the Lone Pine and this piece about how the Warroad Warrior logo came to be are personal favorites. "Stealing" is a harsh word. What happened to student artwork left behind isn't entirely clear. Did a teacher or janitor pick it up? Obviously they thought it was good. So good it may have originally been intended as a way to show cultural appreciation, even though recognition of its original artist never happened. Racism doesn't have to be intentional. It's about our attention and not our intention. No one paid attention to who drew the Indian head and no one paid attention when it was adopted by the school district and the city in the 1980s whether any credit was due. The 1980s, not the 1890s.
True, true! I knew “stealing” wasn’t quite right. Yes, I’d love to know the details of discovery, preservation, passing it on. Did anyone ever say, “Who drew this?”
Unfortunately my efforts to find any deets in school board minutes have been futile. But I have so many questions and now that I've stirred the pot a bit, perhaps someone will provide more accounts from their memories. I don't think it's too late for the Warroad civic leaders to answer that question. A public acknowledgment, even a public apology, might be a good thing. So many others have profited in the community from the iconic image of their hometown.
Jill, as a lifelong Minnesota resident, I know how embedded hockey is within the state’s culture. And Warroad is legendary! It moves me deeply to see the historical record set straight. Thanks to you for your research, and to Karen for seeking recognition for the real artist.
And thank you, Ann, for restacking this post. It’s a story that needs to be shared.
I also agree with Karen that the credit needs to go to Donald. It’s unfortunate that over the years that acknowledgement has not been directed toward Donald. I’m sure there are many that do not know where the current logo depiction originated.
Thank you Tara for agreeing with Karen that Don deserves credit for the design of the current logo. My guess is most people don't know who drew it. More should. History is kept alive by those who remember and tell the truth. We need to keep UNFORGETTING.
"Appears to acknowledge the Ojibway community .. without identifying who created it." Thanks for pointing this out in your essay, Jill - for helping to correct the record!
Teasing apart obfuscating language is something I enjoy. And now I am becoming more aware of how subtle "whitewashing" can be without careful and critical awareness.
Another article that supports the ongoing reconciliation journey. Thanks so much for this! People like you helping to set records straight is invaluable!
It was Karen, not me, who deserves the credit here for correcting the record. I heard her and it is something I can do to amplify her and other voices who are too often ignored.
The Warroad Warrior image and the long-standing logo of the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team in nearby North Dakota both bear a strong resemblance to the logo of the Chicago Blackhawks- although I'm pretty sure the latter organization used it first.
The UND team was known as the Flickertails until 1930 when they became the fighting Sioux. Some of those UND hockey team members were instrumental in starting the professional men's team in Warroad known as the Lakers. Those gentlemen became boosters of the Warroad high school athletic teams, especially hockey. I'm researching how the logo of the Warroad Warrior has changed over the last century. And I'm learning many of these logos were designed by Ojibway artists (including the original Fighting Sioux logo). You point me toward the Chicago Blackhawks and the similarities in logo design and I will explore that. Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to read it. That means a lot to me, Rebecca, because this is a place that holds such memories like the landscape along Taughannock Creek has for me.
Oh, I know! I can feel it in your writing, which is a big part of why I liked reading it. Your approach isn't dogmatic--you're exploring an idea and I can tell you have a strong connection to your town and your subject. I appreciate (and vibe with) that so much!
An excellent and illuminating piece, Jill, that will resonate with different communities and artists.
Thank you for reading it and am honored you restacked it. Kind of you to amplify this story. I enjoy reading Lost in the Archives immensely.
What great research!!!! Fascinating and important work....I'll pass your article along to my son and his partner who lived in Minnesota for 20 years before moving to Ithaca. Thanks!
Thanks for passing the article along to this next generation of people with ties to Minnesota and its history and heritage. And thanks for the kind word as it comes from someone who does historical research on the local community of Ithaca. I'm glad you find it as fascinating as I found your book on the history of bookstores in Ithaca. Such revelations!
Thank you to Donald Kakaygeesick and the family for making sure the history is available for now and for the future. And thank you for your research work, Jill. It's a big job to save the legacy of the indigenous people who loved and tended this land. With gratitude.
I'm not claiming the purpose is not to save the legacy, but to UNFORGET. It's the sweeping away of convenient myths and legends about the past which go unexamined that allow us to continue to destroy the earth and each other. The past shows us a better way forward.
This is my favorite post of yours to date; maybe it’s tied with the tallest Christmas tree? The distinction between appreciation & appropriation is so important, but what gets me even more is the “stealing” of Don’s drawing when he left it behind at school. Imagine his surprise upon return. Stunning.
Thank you for being such a consistent reader and it is good to know the Lone Pine and this piece about how the Warroad Warrior logo came to be are personal favorites. "Stealing" is a harsh word. What happened to student artwork left behind isn't entirely clear. Did a teacher or janitor pick it up? Obviously they thought it was good. So good it may have originally been intended as a way to show cultural appreciation, even though recognition of its original artist never happened. Racism doesn't have to be intentional. It's about our attention and not our intention. No one paid attention to who drew the Indian head and no one paid attention when it was adopted by the school district and the city in the 1980s whether any credit was due. The 1980s, not the 1890s.
True, true! I knew “stealing” wasn’t quite right. Yes, I’d love to know the details of discovery, preservation, passing it on. Did anyone ever say, “Who drew this?”
Unfortunately my efforts to find any deets in school board minutes have been futile. But I have so many questions and now that I've stirred the pot a bit, perhaps someone will provide more accounts from their memories. I don't think it's too late for the Warroad civic leaders to answer that question. A public acknowledgment, even a public apology, might be a good thing. So many others have profited in the community from the iconic image of their hometown.
I’m sure someone remembers something!
Jill, as a lifelong Minnesota resident, I know how embedded hockey is within the state’s culture. And Warroad is legendary! It moves me deeply to see the historical record set straight. Thanks to you for your research, and to Karen for seeking recognition for the real artist.
And thank you, Ann, for restacking this post. It’s a story that needs to be shared.
Thank you for reading and sharing this story and I am so happy to have more Minnesotans as subscribers!
Thank you for spreading the truth, to set the record straight! Amplifying and educating.
I appreciate you reading and spreading it further! This is how the word is passed.
I also agree with Karen that the credit needs to go to Donald. It’s unfortunate that over the years that acknowledgement has not been directed toward Donald. I’m sure there are many that do not know where the current logo depiction originated.
Thank you Tara for agreeing with Karen that Don deserves credit for the design of the current logo. My guess is most people don't know who drew it. More should. History is kept alive by those who remember and tell the truth. We need to keep UNFORGETTING.
"Appears to acknowledge the Ojibway community .. without identifying who created it." Thanks for pointing this out in your essay, Jill - for helping to correct the record!
Teasing apart obfuscating language is something I enjoy. And now I am becoming more aware of how subtle "whitewashing" can be without careful and critical awareness.
Another article that supports the ongoing reconciliation journey. Thanks so much for this! People like you helping to set records straight is invaluable!
It was Karen, not me, who deserves the credit here for correcting the record. I heard her and it is something I can do to amplify her and other voices who are too often ignored.
The Warroad Warrior image and the long-standing logo of the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team in nearby North Dakota both bear a strong resemblance to the logo of the Chicago Blackhawks- although I'm pretty sure the latter organization used it first.
The UND team was known as the Flickertails until 1930 when they became the fighting Sioux. Some of those UND hockey team members were instrumental in starting the professional men's team in Warroad known as the Lakers. Those gentlemen became boosters of the Warroad high school athletic teams, especially hockey. I'm researching how the logo of the Warroad Warrior has changed over the last century. And I'm learning many of these logos were designed by Ojibway artists (including the original Fighting Sioux logo). You point me toward the Chicago Blackhawks and the similarities in logo design and I will explore that. Thanks!
Thank you for this historical information.
This is such an important piece, Jill. Thank you for writing it.
Thank you for taking the time to read it. That means a lot to me, Rebecca, because this is a place that holds such memories like the landscape along Taughannock Creek has for me.
Oh, I know! I can feel it in your writing, which is a big part of why I liked reading it. Your approach isn't dogmatic--you're exploring an idea and I can tell you have a strong connection to your town and your subject. I appreciate (and vibe with) that so much!