Name the New High School

[204parent]

I like Native American names. That way we can always convert it to Chief ?? Valley HS and CASINO!!!

[gatormom]

Okay, I am going to throw another one out, Three Fires High School.

"The History of the Anishinabek Nation, begins with the historical Confederacy of Three Fires. The Ojibway, Odawa and Potowatomi Nations formed the Council of the Three Fires, a confederacy of peoples whose languages and territories were close, and who met together for military and political purposes. The Potowatomi Chiefs were Firekeepers. "

We don't have a valley between two valleys. We are still able to honor the Native American theme and I think this ties the three schools together. They could always be the Flames.

[wvhsparent]

That's kinda cool too....

[chicoryowl]

Trying not to be too effusive, I love it. I think it maintains some consistency with the other two high schools, and avoid some of the pitfalls previously identified (the great Chicago fire notwithstanding).

[gatordog]

gatormom said:

Okay, I am going to throw another one out, Three Fires High School.

I like the poetry of Three Fires being the 3rd HS. A nod to three different high schools ("tribes"), yet part of one alliance.

[Schooldaze]

Keep in mind the "new" HS will be the 4th HS in the district. It will be the 3rd comprehensive HS.

[proschool]

I would like to see a name that will inspire the imagination of the students. Three Fires doesn't do it for me. It just says that it is one out of three when really it is one out of four. I wouldn't be surprized if there were more high schools in the future.

[gatordog]

From Gatormom's explaination, Three Fires referes to the confederacy of the three different tribes. The "Three" didnt come from three high schools, I just thought it was a happy coincidence.

As far as "inspiring the imagination", that is hard to quantify. For me personally, bringing some recognition to these fascinating yet forgotten peoples and cultures here before white settlers arrived is much more likely to be a new source of imagination than, for example, a major, commonly known, widely credited recent political figure.

I think the main thing we want to "inspire" here is a sense of community. That is why Oswego names its new HS Oswego East, to maintain community connection. That is why I think we should place a lot of emphasis on carrying on the Native American naming traditions. We are the Indian Prairie School District!

Carrying on with tradition and preserving the way things have been done previously....that is a true conservative position. Ronald Reagan would be proud of that approach

[gatormom]

Thank you for reminding me about Indian Plains HS. Actually, that gives a little more support for a name such as Three Rivers and excuses us from selecting a Warrior or Chief name.

[gatordog]

Another idea, along lines of Native American geography:
Sauk Trail.

A major, Indian east-west path from Missisppi to Michigan I believe it actually was just a bit south of us, more towards Joliet. Yet there would have been tributary trails along way.

Major route of Pottawatomi's migrating into this area. And of course, route for their forced migration out later.

[gatordog]

Even though Indian Chiefs is not the ONLY possibity, let me throw more Pottawatomis out there. At this stage of the game...we need options. Cant have too many choices. These made may personal cut of a quick check of being "worthy" and of "sounding right".

Topenebee: 1758-1826. "Topinabee was a trusted friend of the whites, his only fault being his thirst for liquor, a habit which was his undoing." Intervened in favor of whites at Ft Dearborne massacre.

Aniquiba: father of Topenebee. Referred to as "perhaps the greatest chieftain of the Pottawatomies. " He would be ancestor to the Pottawaties of Wabonsee and Nequa. As highly regarded forefather of the tribes around here, I say he qualifies as local person.

Lets differ from warriors and chieftains...here are some women!

Mimikwe Topenebee. Daughter of above mentioned Topenebee. Wife of Chief Shabonee, who actually married into Potawattomi tribe. If Topenebee, use I actually would prefer the name being in her honor, her family name.

Komenoteya-daughter of Shabonee and Mimikwe.


A handful of women acually are known by fact that they signed the Praire du Chien Treaty of 1829. Apparently little (or maybe nothing more?) is known about them. Yet they were prominent enough to be part of the negotiations and recieve land.

Peitum
Kaywau
Waukawousay
Shemnaw

I would NOT discount honoring a women just because "very little is known about them." I would see there choice as honoring the Pottawatomi women who saw there husbands fight about a hundered years worth of battles against both other tribes and whites. They ended up moving their entire families from here, to points much further west. They saw their children die of smallbox. The history books may not talk much about their experience, yet I would go as far to describe their lives in a general way as being quite noble and quite worthy of honoring.

OK, I am off my soapbox. Any thoughts on which names may "sound right"?

[EagleDad]

Yup, liking Ronald Reagan high school more and more.

[gatormom]

Not to complain or anything ED, but a quick search has found schools name after Reagan in Arizona, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas (both a MS and a HS), and in Illinois.

Reagan has a nuclear powered aircraft carrier named after him, an airport and in Illinois this is what I found:

Institutions:
The Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Center, Alzheimer's Association, Chicago
Ronald W. Reagan Middle School in Dixon, formerly Madison School.
Reagan Physical Education Center, Eureka College renamed in 1970 (previously named for Reagan and his brother Neil.
Ronald Reagan Peace Garden, Eureka College (includes a piece of the Berlin Wall)
Ronald W. Reagan Exhibit, Eureka College
Ronald W. Reagan Leadership Program, Eureka College
Birthplace of Ronald Reagan (111 S. Main St. Tampico, now a museum)
Reagan Park, Tampico (named 1985, formerly Railroad Park)

Roads:
Ronald Reagan Highway (U.S. Highway 14)
Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88) [2]
Ronald W. Reagan Trail
Reagan Drive, Eureka, Illinois (named in 1979)
Reagan Way, Dixon, Illinois (A portion of Hennepin Avenue where Reagan walked from his home to the swimming hole as a youth)

There are many more places, things, roads, et cetera named after Reagan and even more that are proposed. I think he is a tad overdone.

[wvhsparent]

Sitting In Ronald Reagan Airport right now!!!
As much as I like the Gipper, It just does'nt feel right for the SD, But that's just me.....Willard (White Eagle) Scott would be better,

[bob]

Can the middle school be Katie Couric MS ?