Photo by Jamm Aquino.
Kahuku High and Intermediate School administration will change the school’s mascot after more than seven decades of being the Red Raiders, according to a letter written by Kahuku principal Donna Lindsey.
Lindsey will start exploring a new identity for the school after the Hawaii State Department of Education’s Civil Rights Compliance Branch received complaints that the moniker “Red Raiders” and the use of the tomahawk chop by fans are disrespectful and potentially discriminatory to Native Americans.
KHIS CRCB Response to Mascot and Moniker Complaint November 2020 this week.
This is so ridiculous! We will always and forever be Red Raiders for Lyfe!! We’ll fight this to the end! Our roots is deep!! #RR4L
Gosh. I really thought you guys had chance with stopping the name change.
I guess they didnt buy the story about the red dirt.
TO BE HONEST, Dr. Lindsey, attempting to change Kahuku’s Red Raider identify, is not correct or proper. Isn’t the logo Texas Tech Red Raider accepted nationwide. Not to mention that there is a lots of smart and sensitive people in Lubbock, Texas, and a lot of Apache Tribes and Reservation in Texas itself. They are not complaining. By the way, the original name Red Raider came from the comic strip Terry and the Pirates 85 years ago. The pirates also known as Chinese Bandits worn red garments and face mask and were called Red Raiders. It had nothing to do with Indians. In fact, Fr. Kenneth Bray, the noted Iolani Football Coach during the 1930’s through the 1950’s, probably gave Iolani that mascot because his teams were small in size but played big on the field, winning many championships. Seventy years ago, Iolani shared their Red Raider uniform with Kahuku, and you know the rest of the story. TO BE HONEST, if Red Raider is “offensive” to Indians, what about Crusaders to the Muslims, and Spartans to the Greeks and Persians? Should St. Louis and Maryknoll change their logos? The priority is not the name, the priority is the intent. In the school cases, the intent is to rally the students, teachers, alumni and community. TO BE HONEST, it will be easier to change the school principal, like how she changed all those outstanding Kahuku Football coaches, than to change the Red Raider logo. HONEST!
KAHUKU CANEFIRES
KAHUKU RED FLAMES
KAHUKU NA KOA
Sad to see that over seven decades of tradition, culture, legacy, and pride will be erased because of today’s Cancel Culture. I believe when the nickname was created , it was done without any malice or disrespect to the Native Americans and their culture.
According to the referenced letter in the article, the use of Red Raiders and tomahawk chop was deemed offensive. The use of the Native American Warrior and the Polynesian Warrior can also be offensive.
Kahuku’s school colors are Red & White, identified in the lyrics of the school’s Alma Mater. Thus the use of RED in the future can be deemed offensive, but it represents the school’s color. Heck Stanford changed their nickname to the Cardinal, the color, as it’s known. Can Red Warriors be considered because other schools, Kamehameha & Waianae, for example, already have that name. IN Kahuku’s case the RED represents the school’s COLOR, not a specific race, ethnic group, or culture.
Sorry, Waianae are the SEARIDERS. The spell check typo should have said , WAIAKEA. Apologies to Waianae and the West Side Pride.
Concerning the tomahawk chop, if Kahuku was to wave a red or white towel, like the Steelers Terrible Towel, without chanting the way Kansas City Chiefs or Florida State fans do, will that be okay? What if they CHEEEEEHOOOOO, offensive?
Kahuku Football Team like the NFL’s Washington or maybe Kahuku Sharks
Ridiculous! Stop the cancel culture insanity!
U can call them the Kahuku snowflakes.
@BE HONEST…i agree 100%
Lindsey needs to go. She’s always finding ways to put herself in the spotlight that’s always detrimental to the community. She’s running a dictatorship in your community. Get her out before she causes any more damage to your school.
So if “Red Raider” is an offensive name, why does Kauai High get to keep their name? We change our logo to a red “K” slap some bird wings does this issue go away?
Sorry but this was already put to bed. News articles from the 40’s proved we were the Red Raiders years before Iolani ever donated the jerseys. The actual origin of the Raiders part is not documented but strong evidence poits to a callout to the 40’s and the Raiders fighting for America throughout the Pacific and the world (eg Doolittle’s Raiders) that our then principal held in high esteem. Before that news articles referred to out teams as the Kahuku Reds or Kahuku Whites. Nobody has a claim to the color red otherwise the gum BigRed is in the same boat. Red Square in Russia must be renamed too. Red Roof Inn, Red Rock in WY, AZ, OK, and so on. We are and will always be the Red Raiders and nobody has a right to come to our Islands and tell us they don’t like it because they mistake it’s origin but regardless are still offended. Also, can we get a count of how many people are “offended” by our mascot? Two? Three? One? And where are they from? Just because a student who did not know the origin of our mascot posed the question does not mean we need to jump to placate an ignorant question or proposition? I use ImuaKahuku and I mean it. If the principal goes forward with this it will be a huge step in the wrong direction.
KAHUKU
1. Chiefs
2. Tribes
3. Braves
crimson raiders or crimson warriors. just like university of alabama, instead of roll tide, it’s roll raiders/warriors!
Kahuku Winter…ie Winter is coming…for you!! buwahahaha.
RRFL!!!!
Kahuku WindMasters
We kona come blow you away…with the windmills! lol
RRFL!!
Just call us “Da Nation”
RRFL!
Where does it say the team will no longer be called the “Red Raiders”?
Where does it say that people will no longer be a Red Raider For Life?
How does it take away your identity?
The school is changing a picture and eliminating a chant that is deemed offensive. A chant that has nothing to do with Hawaiian culture.
They will still be the Kuhuku Red Raiders
Keep the Name Red Raiders, just get rid of the Indian Mascot & Tomahawk chop; Simple as that. Red Raider is not racist! The school color is Red (DUH)
Nobody calls The Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders Racist.
Nobody calling Iolani or Kauai Racist.
Change the logo so it doesn’t identify with Indians. I dont care if you say, it represents polynesians. It looks like a Native American and that’s what the complainers are referring too. It’s the ethnic group vs crusader, marauder, spartan, etc. Maybe except for Spartans but no one in Greece is calling anyone out for that.
Overall it sucks that it’s happening to your school, but it is what it is.
Stanford changed their name to Cardinal
Redskins changed their name to Football Team
Ya’ll are Kahuku, one of the most creative/prideful communities on the island. I’m sure you’ll figure out something. Best of Luck
If you read it they are complaining about Red Raiders and the chop. It says nothing about the logo. Now our principal must punted to the DOE as it is too “hard” for her to pick a new mascot. No fight, no showing the evidence that we have presented, no nothing. Here you go DOE, how about the Pink Chiffons? Would that work?
The bad part in all this is if you roll over for this they will now demand more tricks and it will never stop because these kind of people are never happy and never satisfied. Hey Dr. Lindsay and mr DOE, how about you guys drink in just a drop our our Polynesian culture and tell these people to go pound sand! We are now being approached by leaders of several Indian tribes and organizations from the mainland and they are outraged about this too! They support us not the woke flakes trying to make a name for themselves.
Always a Red Raider! RR4L
Kahuku complainers
To Be Honest, Kahuku Red Raider supporters should sign a petition to “Save Kahuku Red Raiders”. Take this petition to Gil Riviere and Sean Quinlan and tell them what you want. These guys are smart and they know what 10,000 votes mean at the next election. There is nothing wrong with the Red Raider logo either. A Souix or Apache Indians can easily walk down Maunakea Street in Chinatown and pass for one of us. To Be Honest, there is no racial problem except for those who want to make it a problems. In Hawaii, we accept everybody for who they are. Honest!
Lets BE HONEST, is Kahuku School Principal wanting to change the Kahuku Red Raiders name because its disrespectful and potentially discriminatory to Native Americans, or is to impress the Hawaii State Department of Education Superintendent by demonstrating her power? Just as “beauty is in the eye ’s of the beholder, there are many including most of Kahuku Town and the North Shore, and all the Texas Tech Red Raider fans in America that don’t consider the name Red Raider derogatory. To BE HONEST, is the Kahuku School Principal being condescending to the people of Kahuku?
How much people signed that petition to change the name?
It wasnt just a few, right?
It was signed by people in your community of varying generations, was it not?
Maybe it isnt exactly half, but it seems that the community is divided on this issue?
As I have mentioned before, maybe its time for a new start.
When you think of Red Raiders, most, if not all people think only of Football.
Your community is much more than that.
Much, much, more.
I think RED Pride or Crimson Pride is a great name.
Pride of the North Shore.
Im just an outsider with no HATE but think that this may have been put to bed already.
Maybe its time to focus on making sure your voice is heard in the creation of whatever is NEXT?
Aloha IloveHawaii November 13, 2020 2:12 pm. For your information,
“Kahuku to remain as Red Raiders but will change logo and replace any offensive chants or traditions moving forward
KHON2·19 hours ago”. Lets BE HONEST: Mahalo State Rep. Sean Quinlan.
1. Not a big deal. If it is offensive to some Native Americans, due to today’s climate, it will be changed. Many people are fighting a losing battle.
2. I find the tomahawk chop offensive. Most people who are doing it, have no idea what the chop ethnically symbolizes and are just doing it to go along with popular norm. Even if it’s not maliciously done, it does offend a bunch of people.
3. I find it interesting that so many people in the community are appalled by the “potential” change of the nickname, logo, etc. But many of these same people are okay with low standardized test scores, low academics, inadequate facilities, and a large student to teacher ratio.
4. There are so many more issues needed to be improved to help these children in this community. Much more so than a name or logo.
It shouldn’t be the name and logo that make the people, it’s the people that make the name and logo.
Many seem to have it backward here.