School chant reignites 'tomahawk chop' debate

Students and staff at Marysville-Pilchuck High School want to put a stop to the "tomahawk chop" at the school's sporting events.

The chop and its accompanying chant — akin to the one used by Atlanta Braves fans — were banned by the School Board during the 2001-02 school year, after some Native American students complained it was offensive.

But since then, many students at the state's largest high school have disobeyed the district policy and continued to use the chop at games when cheering for their teams, the Tomahawks. After a near brawl over use of the chop at a football game last fall, school officials took action.

"We believe that all students should be respected, and if some students are finding the chant offensive, then we need to be real sensitive to that," said district spokeswoman Judy Parker.

Roselle Fryberg, 17, a member of the Tulalip Tribes, said she was shocked when she saw the chop and heard the chant at her first school pep rally two years ago.

"I felt like they were mocking my culture, I mean not intentionally but ... it just didn't feel right to me at all," she said.

About 5.5 percent of the school's more than 2,600 students are Native American.

The Monday following last fall's football game, school officials called together student leaders to find out why students wouldn't drop the chop.

"People didn't fully understand why we weren't able to do it," said ASB President Laura Baird. "People enjoyed it and it was taken away from us."

So about 15 students formed a "tomahawk-chop task force" to discuss how to get out the message that some groups found the chop offensive.

Following several months of planning, the students this week led talks in every classroom about the history of the chop. Students also watched a documentary about why some Native Americans find mascots like "Redskins" offensive.

"A lot of people were able to understand how we were offended," said Courtney Sheldon, a Tulalip and a task-force member. "I mean, they just were able to put themselves in that position."

Task-force member Jenna Hanson said students want to compromise and keep the arm motion of the chop but come up with a new chant. The task force will present some options to students in the coming weeks. Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors Vice Chairman Stan Jones Sr., who attended Marysville High School in the 1940s, said he and the majority of tribal members think the mascot is OK.

J.J. Jensen: 425-745-7809 or jjensen@seattletimes.com. Times Snohomish County bureau reporter Emily Heffter contributed to this report.