Girls High school basketball poster dubbed 'insensitive'...

High school basketball poster dubbed 'insensitive' | Local News - Home

OSCEOLA, Iowa -
A girls high school basketball team poster is causing a stir in southern Iowa.

The poster features the 2016 Clarke basketball team in headdresses and war paint.

A viewer told KCCI none of the girls is Native American, and many in the community find the poster racially insensitive.

Vicky Apala-Cuevas of the Oglala Lakota tribe said everything depicted on the poster is culturally incorrect, and it is painful to look at.

"Everything that I saw on the poster does not in any manner depict Native American women and that's the sad part," Apala-Cuevas told KCCI over the phone Thursday. "Our women are very beautiful and to be respected."

Apala-Cuevas said dance is a form of sacred prayer in Native American culture, and the totem pole is like a family crest honoring their leaders.

She said the way the basketball players are dressed is "culturally insensitive."

Clarke Community Schools Superintendent Steve Seid said the poster is meant as a prideful demonstration of the school embracing its heritage.

"Really out of total respect for not just the community, but the entire state in general with a Native American background," Seid said. "No negativity intended at all. Just respecting a rich culture."

Community members and parents of the players said the poster is meant to show how proud they are to be Clarke Indians.

"These girls are representing being ready for the season to come up, being ready and even nowadays it's an empowering message for women all over and these young women are doing it," said Arminda Cosner, who has a daughter on the team.

Apala-Cuevas said she wants people to be educated in order to avoid misinterpretations like those in the poster.

"The saddest part, the part that we feel is most overwhelming and overcoming, is that there's another generation depicting us in an offensive way," Apala-Cuevas said.

The poster has not been distributed yet and is in the process of being reviewed.

Seid said the district will take a further look at it, continue to listen to feedback and make changes if needed.

A state agency has taken notice of the poster, calling it an unwelcome example of people not understanding the culture.

The Iowa Commission on Native American Affairs said: "The poster misused symbols representing a Native culture and spirituality in a disrespectful way. This is a young team that probably did not intentionally mean to be disrespectful; they may not realize that portraying a racial minority group in a stereotypical manner is not appropriate. We hope that the school and other individuals recognize that this poster reinforces and perpetuates offensive imagery and stereotypes of our culture."