To the editor:

To recently read that our Minnesota Legislature has used their powers to change ISD 88 mascot name, not to mention the city name has my mind boggled.

A can of worms has (now) been opened as Minnesota has numerous towns named after their origin, by indigenous native people. Examples: Minnetonka, Wabasso, Winnebago, Shakopee, Wabasha, etc. This trend of erasing sacred history, the origin of individual areas by those who were first living here is laughable. History is to be respected, learned from and held dearly. Chief Sleepy Eyes (yes EYES) was his given name. On the monument honoring him, it reads “Always a friend of the whites”. We can’t deny his existence or all the others. “United” is suggested for the mascot name now?

Likely, we’ll soon run out of names or adjectives. Do we now demolish monuments, statues, school signage? Where I have to ask does this erasing, denying originate? Seems a minority are offended. Do we erase from the dictionary Heritage, Decedent, Ancestor, Generation? The world, nation, states, & (now) small towns have fallen for the “deny history” trend. I’m now picturing the crying Indian in the PSA commercial not to litter from the 1970s.

Linda Weldy

New Ulm