I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico today to speak to the 2016 Conclave of state, tribal, and federal judges and lawyers. There is an interesting forum being held nearby at the University of New Mexico where students and faculty are debating the change to the school’s seal which features a Spanish conquistador and a frontiersman. The Native American group The Red Nation have declared the seal to be offensive. Critics are calling the seal a celebration of colonization. The seal is approaching its 50th anniversary at the school. It was adopted in 1969.
The University of New Mexico first developed an official university seal in 1898 that resembled the Territorial Seal of the State of New Mexico. The seal has undergone seven changes and the latest design was the work of an Englishman,the former university president Edward Dundas McQueen Gray. The current design was ratified and approved by the Board of Regents in 1969.
Student organization Kiva Club and Red Nation insist that the seal creates a hostile environmental for the Native American community. Those opposing the seal have come up with their own satirical version showing the bones of dead Native Americans:
Students objected, declaring that it is impossible to “have the conversation of structural inequalities if you have dehumanizing imagery of us.” University President Bob Frank has welcomed the debate and supports today’s forum.
Though there are distinctions, the debate is similar to controversies that we have discussed at other universities over names and images that are now viewed problematic or offensive. Universities reflect the history of a nation — good and bad. Some of us have opposed changes like the effort to remove references to Woodrow Wilson at Princeton as destroying that history. Historical symbols and references remind us of both the good and bad aspects of our evolution as a nation. That history is part of us.
That does not mean that this seal, which is only 50 years old, should not be changed. It is troubling that Native Americans are not represented. Frankly, I was surprised by the omission and I do not believe that the opposition should be dismissed as hypersensitive. This seal was only adopted in 1969 and does not appear to be deeply rooted in the university. I wish that I could attend the forum to hear both sides of this debate. The question however is whether all three groups should be represented since all three groups had profound impacts on this rich culture. Of course, one approach is to go with a design without any historical figures depicted or the use of a symbol like the state flag.
What do you think?
Along these lines readers may be interested in a recent interview with author Joanna Williams MHB conducted on her new book, Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity (Palgrave Macmillan 2016).
https://memoryholeblog.com/2016/06/15/confronting-the-fear-of-knowledge/
I share the general dismay of many commenters to this site, regarding the hyper-PC left, on campus. However, I think there is merit to the objections over UNM’s seal. As pointed out in this post, the seal itself is not a deeply ingrained part of UNM heritage. I don’t see why the university should celebrate conquest. I find it an odd seal for an academic institution, to begin with. There is other architectural imagery used on some UNM-produced documents, and something of that sort might be better suited to stand as a symbol of the school, given the campus architectures famous blending of cultural strands (with Anglos represented invisibly by the architects who initially created these fusions).
RudyM – maybe they need an O’Keefe vagina-like flower between the two men.
Flag of Canada: no Indians either.
I am shocked.
And -my God- the Flag of Australia has no aborigines on it.
Not one!!
The coat of arms of the state of New York has no Indians either, yet Indians had lived there.
So what?
Steve,
I would imagine, because they lost.
The German and British flags don’t acknowledge the Romans or the Muslims.
Because they lost.
Indians were also gold-diggers, rapists, and pillagers.
As were peoples all throughout history.
KCFleming: If that’s the case, why are they not recognized on the school seal? Why is it engrossed only with the imagery of Juan Ponce de Leon and Kit Carson lookalikes?
When I was a Navy Seal we had a few Indians in our unit. They spoke weird and had goofy eating habits and said that they came over from India for a new life. They were quieter when under water. Complained a lot.
I don’t think it is racist, but it is thoughtless. They should have the Pueblos in the background and that would solve the problem.
Maybe we should just erase all history and start recording history right NOW. But, who writes it???
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana
I doubt Grievance Nation understand that if we wipe out everything they find offensive that makes it much more likely it will occur again.
Nick writes, “I doubt Grievance Nation understand that if we wipe out everything they find offensive that makes it much more likely it will occur again.” I don’t think rubbing one’s nose in defeat by gold-diggers, rapistsb\, and pillagers, who ironically treated American Indians like an inferior savages is the proper context for a school seal. It’s the integration of human beings, not their segregation, that’s important.
What do I think?
I think that present day Education is missing the mark.
Watch out. Senator John McCain gets chased by angry Navajos. Gotta blame it something or someone.
I smell a Trump casino deal in this. If the Navajos, Pueblos, and Apaches think the seal offensive, change it.
I think it’s offensive as it represents empire building, something we’re currently dealing with and will be dealing with until we change the mindset.
By the way, the University of New Mexico has one of if not the best Native American legal studies program in the US. If you want to practice American Indian law, that’s where to attend law school.
http://lawschool.unm.edu/indian/index.php
The only lesson here is: White people bad.
Caucasiasque delenda est.
Times are good for America.
We can afford the endless debates about racism, homophobia, etc. There seems to be a class of Americans who are not affected by the requirements of paying for life.
For the rest of us however meeting our financial obligations is more important; when we have to look for a job, make the mortgage payment, fund our kids college education, we don’t have time for these debates – the need to pay for life seems to intrude on fighting these little battles.
I wish that I could afford to neglect my obligations and worry about these “insults” (by the way, I am offended that there is no picture of an immigrant in lederhosen on the flag – my German forefathers would be terribly offended).
We will soon have something banned because it is offensive to left handed blacksmiths. “Right handed blacksmiths and left handed people who are not blacksmiths, are not giving us proper respect,” will be the claim made by left handed blacksmiths.
The inmates are running the asylum.
You do realize there is no winning in this debate.Change the flag and next the buildings will be in question because they aren’t of native American design. It won’t end until the school runs the “white” flag up the pole or simply hangs whitey on the pole.