Campaign Beginnings

Through the course of a conversation with a colleague where we were discussing the image on the logo, I was encouraged to ask the police chief directly about it. I had never spoken to the chief before and this felt like it was a little outside of my comfort zone. I didn’t know what to expect but I sent him an email anyway. He responded quickly and we set up a meeting.

The question I had asked him via email was, “What would it take to facilitate YPD ending their use of a Native American face and headdress as a logo on their patches, uniforms, etc.?” It was a short meeting and he was friendly and easy to talk to so please don’t take this campaign to be an attack on the police, Mr. Murray, or the City as an organization. However, the content of our conversation only increased my determination and certainty that more needed to be done besides just asking the question.

The points he made in defense of the continued use of the image on the logo were fairly standard cultural appropriation responses and not surprising, though disappointing. I took notes so I could try to be as accurate as possible in understanding and recollecting what was said, though I now wish I had recorded the conversation for 100% accuracy. I didn’t know at the time that I would end up launching a campaign to get the logo changed.

To the best of my recollection and note-taking, this is what I heard him say about the logo:

• He loves the logo;

• It represents the people who came before us;

• It acknowledges the Yakama people, it’s the 1 thing we have left (as an acknowledgement)

• It’s not a caricature;

• It’s not a profit-making logo;

• It’s not been an issue from the tribe – the tribe has not brought it up (to him specifically);

• Imagery means nothing in the face of MMIW, violence, addiction, homelessness, etc. on the reservation;

• It’s what we owe (forebearers);

• It’s a way of not forgetting them (the Yakama people);

• To remove the logo would be a loss to the City of Yakima residents, they would be upset by that;

• There was a consent decree in Seattle that resulted in their city logo and badge being changed to an image of Chief Seattle.

I firmly believe that none of those points are valid reasons for keeping this image on their badges and I’ll be sharing rebuttals to each point through this blog and on the facebook page. This campaign is intended to be a point of education for all of us, myself included, and an opportunity to hear from community members, especially Yakama tribal members, about this image. 

I hope you will engage respectfully and honestly.