Recently, Indian Hills has been moving away from the once-ubiquitous Native American imagery formerly present in our logo, merchandise, and more. This shift comes with good reason, as many have expressed distaste with the stereotypically-portrayed Native American head icon, and the generally disrespectful and appropriative nature of using images related to a real minority group without input from people of that group. Still, these problematic motifs remain in the name of our school itself, in nicknames for the student body like the “tribe,” and notably, in the name Drumbeats, the name of Hills’s newspaper.
The name Drumbeats, according to its very first print issue, was chosen in 1964 via student vote. The other contenders for the name were similarly inspired by Native American culture and included “Tribe-une,” “Moccasin Tracks,” and “Pow Wow.” Drumbeats, while more subtle than its other contenders, is a culprit of Hills’s misguided use of Native terminology, referencing Native American drumming and drum circles. In the early copies of Drumbeats, the bygone Native American head sat in the middle of the header, drawing attention to the inspiration for the publication’s name. While this may have been acceptable at the time, Drumbeats issues from this era also included articles about the recent election of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the student smoking lounge, and school sweatshirts selling for $2.25 — needless to say, times have changed.
One may argue that the Drumbeats name carries some historical value, as the paper’s influence around Indian Hills dates back 80 years—to the dedication of the school itself. Many current students, though, agree that the name may not have aged all too well. Senior Yerim Park, says, “I think it would be a good idea to change the name of Drumbeats to something without an offensive connotation, especially considering it was voted on so long ago.” Yerim semi-jokingly suggests “The Yawpost” as an alternative name, a play on the street that Indian Hills resides on and an example of a name with less controversy. Senior Taylor Tuttle says that she, “[…] didn’t realize the name was a reference to Native Americans,” but agrees it is “100% outdated” in today’s day and age. Others have attested that Drumbeats is a misleading name at best, with various eighth graders who approached the publication’s booth at Hills’s open house expecting a music club, and distasteful at worst.
As Indian Hills moves away from its problematic iconography, it may be time for updates in more than just logos. While some argue for maintaining pieces of history and others fight for what is societally considered correct, discussions about what is appropriate and respectful are important to have, even if it means challenging the status quo.
