Victor Cope, Absentee Shawnee and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, was a student at Tecumseh Public Schools more than 50 years ago. Back then, he had pride in his school’s mascot, the Tecumseh Savages.
“It wasn't until I went to college,” Cope said in an interview with KOSU. “I went to Oklahoma Baptist University, and I never really thought about the word ‘Savage,’ you know. It was just a word to me back then.”
He said an OBU professor opened his eyes to the terminology and made him reconsider what the word actually meant and the power of a word’s connotation.
Now, as an Indian Education Director at the Tecumseh Public Schools, he said he feels a lot differently about the term than he did when he graduated in 1970. He is passionate in his fight to change it.
“The only reason I'm remaining up Tecumseh Public Schools and have not retired is because I want to be able to see this to the end, whether it's positive or negative on my end,” Cope said. “I want Tecumseh Public Schools to know that they were in a battle and they just can't haphazardly throw around the word ‘savage’ without knowing that it hurts people.”
He’s taken advantage of Tecumseh School Board meetings to communicate his message. He said he’s made two major presentations to the board, once following the Black Lives Matter movement in February 2021 and then in March 2022.
But it wasn’t until his daughter spread the word about her dad’s efforts and dedication to honor Shawnee Chief Tecumseh that the message became louder.
On Monday night, a crowd of Indigenous people, some dressed in traditional regalia, gathered and made their voices heard during the public comment portion of the board meeting. Cope estimated over 100 people showed up, with many calling the term offensive.
Research has shown the negative impacts Native-themed mascots can have on Indigenous youth, specifically their self-esteem. In 2005, the American Psychological Association requested that all Native-themed symbols, imagery and names be removed because of detrimental outcomes.
Some Oklahoma schools have also taken notice. In 2021, Tulsa Union Public Schools changed from using an outdated nickname shared with the team now known as the Washington Commanders to the Redhawks. Oklahoma’s School for the Deaf changed from the Indians to the Bison that same year.
While a loud outpour of opposition was expressed at Monday night’s meeting, others expressed a continued pride in being a ‘Tecumseh Savage’ and argued it does no damage. Additionally, changing the mascot will involve more financial resources to change the school’s branding.
"I think that changing the word 'savage' and our mascot will not just be detrimental to the district as a whole, but to our children. We have generations that have come up before," said a Tecumseh resident as reported by KOCO News.
Following the meeting, the Tecumseh School Board released a statement shared by News 9, noting it is considering the voiced concerns.
“The presentations made at the meeting last [Monday] night provided our members with even more information about the matter, and Board members will be considering all of the statements that were made as they work toward making a decision,” the statement said. “As public officials representing the community, our Board members will continue to dedicate themselves to listening to the community and making decisions about whether to change or keep the current mascot of Tecumseh Public Schools based on the feedback received from them.”
Cope explained he does not want to change the city or district’s name; instead, he hopes the mascot’s name can reflect the meaning and values of the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh himself.
“Tecumseh’s name can be translated [to] ‘Comet Crossing the Sky’ because on the night that Tecumseh was born, a light, a bright shooting star, came across the sky,” Cope said. “His name can also be translated to ‘Panther Crossing the Sky.’ And so, Tecumseh Panthers would be very close to the definition of Tecumseh’s name, and I would rather see that happen: Tecumseh Panthers or Tecumseh Warriors.”
The Tecumseh School Board has not said whether the mascot name in question will be an agenda item at the next board meeting.
