Name the New High School

[gatormom]

eagledad said:

Sorry, but if my kids can't have Halloween, and you're gonna play the PC game, it cuts both ways .

Your kids get Halloween, its the poor kids from Gombert (and a few other schools in 204) who don't. You don't have to be PC. ;D

[justvote]

eagledad said:

Jeannette likes Inoka Valley, and of course flaps off about it in the press.

Therefore, I hate it and it must be eliminated.

Now down to 2....

Exactly how felt when I read her quote - if she likes it, then I don't. Why can't she keep her trap shut and remain somewhat objective until the "votes" are in. How are they going to decide this anyway?

[EagleDad]

gatormom said:

eagledad said:

Sorry, but if my kids can't have Halloween, and you're gonna play the PC game, it cuts both ways .

Your kids get Halloween, its the poor kids from Gombert (and a few other schools in 204) who don't. You don't have to be PC. ;D

Sure, this year the do, but I bet the days are numbered.

That's OK, to get back at them I'm dressing my kids up in Ari Rosenthal costumes

[Avenging Eagle]

gatormom said:

“It’s just hurtful to the eyes to look at the spellings of those words,” board President Jeannette Clark said. “When the dust settles I still like Inoka Valley.”

Wait till the dust settles? They haven't even put down one shovel to dig the first hole yet....

School Name: IV High
School Mascot: The Drips
School slogan: (No drug problem here)

[proschool]

Sounds like J.C. is interested in the best sounding name. I think that is kind of shallow like buying the text books with the prettiest colors or hiring the priciple with the best hair.

Howie Crouse Middle School rolls off the tounge rather nicely, but do you really want that?

[wvhsparent]

I am liking Metea the best out of the bunch..........
Although if Clarke really hates Chaboneh....I kind of like it too....maybe we can get her to write it on the chalkboard 100 times......LOL

[rew]

Question: Does anyone know what the process will be from here on out??? Is it a one board member/one vote? Are people emailing their thoughts on the three names to board members, "campaigning" for their preferences....will their be public comments on the name at the board meeting??? Are they lookiing for community input?

[EagleDad]

I hope not. They outta just flip a coin at this point. I mean really, most these names never lived here anyways.

I like the 1 board member 1 vote concept, but I'm hoping we can avoid the campaigning and public meetings.

[gatordog]

Here is what I learned about Inoka. I found it spelled Inoca.
From Illinois history website
www.tolatsga.org/ill.html

Names
"Illinois is the French version of their own name Illiniwek meaning "men" or "people" which is sometimes shortened to Illini. Various spellings were: Aliniouek, Aliniwek, Eriniouai, Hileni, Illiniwek, Illiniouck, Ilinoue, and Inoca. Other names included: Chicktaghick, Geghdageghroano, and Kighetawkigh Roanu (Iroquois); Oudataouatouat (Wyandot); and Witishaxtanu (Huron). "

I also found a link to the original source, the first French-Illini dictionary, 1725 by Jean Le Boullenger, equating the French word Illinois with the native word Inoca .

So I think Inoka Valley High School is a good, legitimate option. It nicely continues the Native American naming traditions. It meets the "true to history" test. Naming for an entire tribe, not just one person, has an appeal . It sounds good to my ear.

Metea to some may be the most pleasing to the ear, perhaps. I would grudgingly accept it for Chief Metea being a respected leader of his tribe. Maybe it ranks highest on the ear-pleasing/eye-pleasing scale. However, I hope his name is not chosen in general because of his support of the British for the entire War of 1812 and specificallydhis leadership role at the Ft Dearborn massacre/battle fighting against Americans.

So I like Inoka and also Chaboneh. Metea is a distant third.

[gatordog]

eagledad said:

I hope not. They outta just flip a coin at this point. I mean really, most these names never lived here anyways.

I like the 1 board member 1 vote concept, but I'm hoping we can avoid the campaigning and public meetings.

I think the public responsibility was suggesting names, and that time has come and gone. I agree its in the hands of the Board, with no need for further commentary or input or "campaigning".


I do not agree that "most of these names never lived here anyways." Members of the Illini/Inoka tribe certainly lived in this area during pre-history. They werent around to make contact with American settlers because they had been driven out by the Potawattamis (and others) who in turn had been pushed west by the French/British/Early Americans.

Chief Chebaneh is a historical figure who lived very much in this area..

I think its very accurate to say Chief Metea didnt live around here. He was from Wabash River area of Indiania. But he did come to these parts, to Chicago, for ....fighting!...and then treaty making after his side lost. As a notable Potawattomie Chief, he certainly had ties to his brethren in this area. So even if he didnt live here, there still are connections.

[gatordog]

Aurora Beacon News article:

Indian Prairie begins search for name of third high school

October 27, 2006
By BRITT CARSONtaff writer
AURORA -- The name game has begun in the Indian Prairie School District.

A month ago, administrators asked the public for suggestions for naming the third high school. The public responded, and 69 names were considered.

School Board member Alka Tyle said many people suggested the same names, and this week the policy committee narrowed the list down to three names; Metawa or Metea, Shabbona or Chaboneh, and Inoca or Inoka Valley High School.

Tyle said the board still is researching the spellings and meaning behind each name, but all three have a Native American background -- as do the district's other high schools, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.

"It is nice to see all the time students, parents and staff members put into the research and essays," Tyle said. "It is nice to see people getting involved in the process."According to the research provided by residents who suggested the names for the third high school, Shabbona was a Potawatomi chief and the grand nephew of Pontiac. He died in Morris in 1859. Tyle said the board is looking into which spelling to use for each of the suggestions. Chaboneh and Shabonee also are listed as spellings for the chief's name.

Metea, or Metawa, also was a chief of the Potawatomi tribe. Inoca, or Inoka, was suggested by a teacher at Waubonsie Valley. The name is what the American Indian tribes in Illinois called themselves before French settlers came along and changed the word to Illinois.

Waubonsie Valley was named after Chief Waubonsie of the Potawatomi tribe. His eldest son was named Neuqua.

Other suggestions that didn't make the final cut included Fox Valley, Potawatomi, Chippewa and Prairie Valley High School.The board is expected to vote on a name for the third high school during its Nov. 6 meeting.

The third high school will be built on 80 acres along 75th Street and the extension of Commons Drive in Aurora.

[rew]

gatordog said:

I think its very accurate to say Chief Metea didnt live around here. He was from Wabash River area of Indiania. But he did come to these parts, to Chicago, for ....fighting!...and then treaty making after his side lost. As a notable Potawattomie Chief, he certainly had ties to his brethren in this area. So even if he didnt live here, there still are connections.

Also...The original suggestion of Chief Metea was because he supported educating Potowatamie children, sending them to white settler's school, thus the connection to education...this was a radical concept in his time......that's why his name is on the list

[gatordog]

Over the past few days, I have been thinking a bit about Chief Metea's legacy, especially his role as an aggressive leader fighting against the US in a war to the bitter end. And now I am judging him in a bit softer light, perhaps. During the War of 1812 virtually all of the Midwest Indians were against the U.S. And its pretty obvious why-- they knew who was threatening to take there land. I cannot cast too much blame on a rational decision on Metea’s part to desperately try to defend his land or way of life. I am sure they saw throwing there lot in with the British was there only chance. For the Indian tribes in this region, this war was a devastating, total defeat.

War is always terrible for both sides. Yes, Ft Dearborn was a bitter American defeat, with unnecessary deaths of noncombants. But the Illinois governor responded in kind, with the militia attacking Indian villages, even tribes that were not involved. I can only image the loss of innocent lives in those so-called battles. I know there is tendency in history for the winners to think of a defeat as a "tragic massacre" and then forgot about similar behavior on their part when the result is deemed a victory.

Maybe it’s a stretch to compare Metea to Robert E. Lee, since Lee inflicted immeasurably more harm on the United States, and had a leading role in this nation's greatest tragedy. After the war, Lee was noted for noble behavior, trying to heal the wounds within the country, and more specifically, being directly involved in education (serving as chancellor of what is now Washington and Lee Univ.) as a way to make the future better. Maybe there is a parallel in Metea's role after his war for supporting education for his tribe and his standing as an orator at treaty-conferences. There certainly are plenty of high schools in the United States named after Robert E. Lee.

I feel that yes, Metea is worthy of consideration. Yes, I think it’s a good name to have on the proposal list. It is great to have his name brought out of history for our community. If chosen, I would consider it to be in honor of his legacy after his defeat in war. I would readily accept that. But, still, in my opinion, the other two options of Chaboneh and Inoka are more historically worthy of the naming honor.

[gatormom]

I disagree with only one thing you said Gatordog and that was that the other two names are more historically worthy of naming our new high school.

Metea acted ferociously to protect his people. That alone is enough to garner respect from me. I don't have to like his actions but he was faced with destruction of the life of his people.

When the dust settled and there was no more he could do, he encouraged the Native American youth to become educated. If we are going to be PC, than it is about time we drop the Wonderbread version of our own history and own up to what has been done to these people and their culture.

[title1parent]

I like Metea because of the correlation to education. Chebaneh....sounds like Chardonney....
AE or ED, does that come in a BOX? ;D

And I still feel it is too close to Shabbona, Illinois and their community, even if their HS is not called by that name.

I am tired of the PC stuff myself. My husband just returned a request for money from UofI....NO CHIEF, NO MONEY.