How dare you! Ketchikan gets dose of cancel culture over western wear at basketball game with Metlakatla

By
Suzanne Downing
-
58

In a rainforest town where there are no cowboys, and few, if any, horses, high school kids dressing up in western wear has caused great offense to some in the neighboring Alaska Native town of Metlakatla, also a place bereft of horses, cows, and cowboys. Those offended took to social media to declare the Ketchikan students racist.

The pep club for the Ketchikan High School has explained that it had simply chosen “country” as its theme, and so everyone dressed up in whatever western wear could be found in a town that has more Uniroyal boots than residents, and where fishing, boat repair, and tourism are the main economies.

One social media post about the event shows a person was not amused by the theme.

The Ketchikan High School Pep Club has now sent an apology to Metlakatla for wearing western gear at the recent high school basketball game between the two schools:

“On behalf of the Kayhi Pep Club and student body participating in the student section, we would like to apologize and discuss the incidents occurring this past weekend at the KHS I MHS boys basketball games. Our intentions were not malicious. In retrospect and upon reflection, there was an underlying offensive connection to historical atrocities. We fully acknowledge the cultural insensitivity of the theme and apologize for the harm that it has caused toward Metlakatla and in our own community.

“As we are working to understand your perspective, we humbly ask you to hear our perspective. The Pep Club theme, ‘Country’, was randomly selected with no intention of it being interpreted as ‘Cowboys v lndians’. The country theme is one that we’ve used repeatedly in the past including this October. To address the confusion around some of the ‘weird’ or odd noises that were heard by the crowd, embarrassingly, it is simply a habit that we’ve been doing every game this year to bark like dogs at the opposing team to try and distract them from shooting free throws.

“We can not go back in time and correct our misguided decisions, but we can move forward and learn from our mistakes. As a club, we have discussed our current practices related to decision-making regarding event themes and have outlined new approval processes which include checks for sensitivity relating to culture, race, and gender. We have identified a lack of cultural humility within our school and are committed to working with school administration, tribal leaders, and community stakeholders to identify meaningful opportunities to gain knowledge, understanding and rebuild trust among our student body, school staff, community, and neighbors. We regret our actions and look forward to discussing opportunities for growth, as individuals and a community, from this experience.”

58 COMMENTS

    • Not only should the Ketchikaners NOT apologized to the woke fanatics in Metlakatla, they should have demanded an apology from THEM for baseless race-baiting and fanning the flames of hatred instead.
      .
      ENOUGH WITH PANDERING TO PC CULTISTS AND BULLIES!!!

    • Way to teach subservience to a new generation KHS! These socialists need to be revoked from the education and healthcare systems. They’ve had their way for generations now, and I don’t see anything changing anytime in the near or far future either at this rate.

  2. Metlakatla needs to get over it and grow a thicker skin. What a bunch of namby pamby whiners. There was no offense intended and it is all about fun. There were myriads of Native American cowboys in the old west, ot to mention just about every other ethnicity. ‘Western’ is not a race or ethnicity. Ridiculous.

  3. Just tell them that although you KNOW you are not an ACTUAL cowboy, you IDENTIFY as a cowboy, and all will be well in the upside down and backwards world of cancel culture.

  4. Ketchikan Pep Club:

    You made a big mistake apologizing because you did nothing wrong. You made a REALLY bad mistake writing such a groveling, self-abasing apology and one day you will regret it.

  5. My father used to work on oil rigs up in the Arctic. One of his best friends was a full-blooded Eskimo from Wainwright who worked with him. Mr. Matoomealook loved Western attire and wore boots, a cowboy hat, and a large buckle when he came to Anchorage to visit us. His nickname: “Cowboy.”

  6. You know, I am just as sick and tired of this cancel culture BS as anyone but you have to admit that it was in poor taste and I agree they should apologize. It sure looks to me that it was intended as a slur and even if it wasn’t, someone in charge at the school should have been mature enough to realize it and head it off at the pass.
    ( western reference intentional :- )

  8. If this regional clothing style offended, they wouldn’t understand bill gaither’s homecoming radio. Yee haw! Praise the Lord! Good gospel southern style country music.

    • Metlakatla must not know about athabasca native fiddle dance with cowboy hats. What they going to tell them, no more fiddle dance cause it too represents the west.

  9. Whoa, did I miss something? Why is wearing country attire racist. I’m Native & I’ve got boots, jeans, & a hat in my closet- & oh the flannel! Alaska Natives, as do LOTS of Native Americans, wear these clothes & it’s ignorant & racist to assume otherwise. STOP FREAKING APOLOGIZING, you didn’t do anything wrong! No one even thought anything of it until one or two wack jobs told them to! DON’T BE SHEEP!

  10. I’m way more offended seeing all those children in masks. That is the outrage.
    I’ve lived in western states and saw plenty of native people wearing similar attire on a daily basis.
    Gloria Burns gives me the creeps with her being offended. Grow up lady.
    You students have nothing to apologize for and I hope you reconsider.

  11. The purpose of the left’s constant push to label everything as an example of “victim-hood” is to divide everyone into “oppressors” vs. “victims” in order to foster bickering, create chaos, and pit them against each other to disunite or actually destroy our country’s society and it’s history. Facts don’t matter in this effort. So far, with the main stream media’s help (Anchorage Daily News, Frontiersman?) they seem to be doing a great job!

  12. Who won the game? If Metlakatla won the game I will bet it wouldn’t have been an issue. Who won?
    That is all it is about race, sensitivity and culture. Poor kids from Ketchikan Would you please let me know who wrote the apology as stated in the article. I am almost certain it wasn’t the students. Will the one who wrote it please stand up.??

  13. Meanwhile the genocide continues with booster shot number 2 on the horizon. Cancer through the roof and immune systems being taken out at the cellular level.
    Canada is on the verge of totalitarian overrun for the world to see.
    LOL cowboy dress!!!

  14. Someone needs to tell Gloria Burns , YOU ARE NOT AN INDIAN, ITS CALLED NATIVE AMERICAN… LESSON 101: I AM NATIVE AMERICAN AND TAKE NO OFFENSE TO SCHOOL SPIRIT. PUT THAT IN YOUR PEACE PIPE & SMOKE IT, TROUBLE MAKER, ATTENTION SEEKER.

  15. What? Dressing like 18th Centry Russians or whalers from the same era might be offensive. Cowboys ? Sounds to me like someone is just looking to be a victim.

  16. I became of age in Southeast and played Varsity Basketball for Juneau Douglas High School back in the early ’70s. I am grateful for that experience since it enabled me to become familiar with folks across that beautiful region. Throughout Southeast, basketball is a common denominator. Every community wanted their team to be highly competitive. The teams I played on and played against had a rich diversity amongst the players, whether the boys hailed from Native ancestry or Native mix, Filipino, African and yes even WHITE, (whatever that is) meant next to nothing to us. We wanted to simply beat our rivals, especially Ketchikan.
    Looking back it was that keen competition which brought us together in earned mutual respect. It is a pity to see such silly distractions as were described in the article.
    BTW, who won? The fish, (KAY-HI Kings) or the Chiefs?

  17. Mistake to Apologize. That’s not what these Power Hungry Liberals want. They want You to be as Miserable as they are. Have you noticed that Libs take the fun out of Everything they can. Sad

  19. Metlakla is not an Alaskan Native community. It’s the only Indian reservation in Alaska, because the community was pushed out of Canada and allowed to form a reservation. All Alaskan Native communities have land that does not fall under a reservation. Research the history.

    • Let me know which books you read that says the Metlakatla Tsimshian were chased out of Canada – also, don’t be afraid to use your full name.

  20. At best it was a funny joke. At worst it was silly. But the only way Metlakatla could feel offended by this is if they actually WANT to be offended in the first place. Some people it seems just desperately want to pretend that this is still the 1930’s and that attitudes and beliefs are still the same. The woke mob wants to believe that this was racially tinged and the silly kids were glorifying genocide. News flash: no one to speak of thinks that way anymore. You’re free to wish that wasn’t the case, but not if you want reality.

  21. My Native brothers and sisters in SE Alaska need to get lives and try living better than they presently are. They are mistaking envy and sour grapes for racism. Learn to get along and quit being mad about life. Try being cheerful. We teach this to our Eskimo children on the opposite coastline of Alaska. And it works.

  22. Cowboys were and are of all races: white, black, native Americans, Hispanic and more … there are Native American rodeos and rodeo champions …. Maybe they should be the ones learning history!

  23. Everything is under a microscope these days and the hunt is always on for “racism.” The most overused, miss used, abused word in the English language today.

  24. Check out the Navajo Nation in Arizona – lots of cowboy hats & boots! No snowflakes there. Maybe it’s too hot.

  25. The 99% have got to stop apologizing to, and appeasing, the 1% who keep ceaselessly searching for made up ways to be offended.

  27. Our high school once had a Pep Theme of the Mickey Mouse Club; another was “The Syndicate”, where everyone dressed up with fedora, derbies, cravat ties, 1930s dresses and hair-do’s, carried violin cases, etc. I’m Italian, so maybe my high school, after 50+ years, needs to apologize to me.

  28. When I think of cowboys I think of people riding horses herding cows, and ranches and prairies. Not indians. The whole cowboy vs indian trope came out of Hollywood. Rather than turn on people who identify as cowboys, how about turning on all those idiots on the left coast who trivialized an entire lifestyle to make a bunch of cheap, cheezy movies? [Oops, have I now offended dairy farmers?].
    What we have here are a couple of “enlightened” victims finding another reason to be offended in order to get more internet points.
    JUST GET OVER YOURSELVES!

  29. I went to Kayhi from 81-84. Lived there from 1969-1997. The school has ALWAYS had themed events. Metlakatla never cared before and usually joined with whatever it was. Fast forward to today, a bunch of snowflake, liberal whiny babies (Metlakatla) throwing a fit because of a theme at a high school?? It’s not like they chose tomahawks and mohawks with all the garb! The way you handle all of this, is to IGNORE IT. Do not feed into the sickness. Seriously, this has gone way too far and people have lost their minds. Can’t even go to a kids BASKETBALL GAME.. Gotta make it about your agenda. Pathetic.

  30. Miss downing we love your guts ma’am congratulations on the must read app it’s lots of fun. And to all the oath breakers who got us all here with their coward ness lack of integrity BOOOOOO to all. Who dares mock GOD oath breakers.

  31. My Dad (R.I.P.) was a full blooded Tlingit indian. I remember when growing up, that he was always wearing western wear snap button shirts, levi 501 blue jeans with big belt buckle and loved watching western movies (especially ones with John Wayne and Audie Murphy) and TV western series. I wanted to emulate him, so i did the western wear route too for awhile even wearing the cowboy boots with my snap button shirts and levis. Metlakatla, quit being a bunch of PC whiners and live and let live. Too much of this cancel culture and people that easily being offended at the smallest perceived slight.

  33. I’m not aware of the bad history of Cowboys and Alaska Natives. I need more history books I guess. I would think it was more of a Alaska Native-Russian thing.

  36. We were warned against the outside Native and White influence poisoning our culture decades ago, and it just keeps getting worse. The idea that “western” wear is offensive to Natives is so absurd, that it hurts from laughing so hard. How do these geniuses think we ended up with so many kids with one brown and one blue eye? The young women would greet the mail planes in cowboy boots to go check for new visitors coming to town. Ended up with lots of mini Coast Guards. And here the Tlingit were once proud warriors who traveled as far as Puget Sound, looting, taking slaves and bringing women back home with them. No end to the free fall of the culture, and character. Rural Alaska has become ghetto like.

  39. It’s just bullshit, no apologies necessary. This AK native has a cowboy hat and boots. If I ever go to Metlakatla I’ll wear them.

  42. Here, we have more evidence that racism is alive and well…….because the woke, race-baiters have nothing better to do than to blame others for their lack of civility, character, and honor.

  44. It’s called outrage porn. People get addicted and they GOT to have their next hit, wherever they can find it.
    .
    Break the addiction. Try smiling once in awhile.

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