http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7569

Southeastern president bashes school paper for “insensitive, stereotypical”
depictions of Native Americans

Paper’s editor counters Johnson trying to “appease” Indian critics

Sam Lewin 2/15/2006

Citing concerns about freedom of speech, the president of an Oklahoma
college has refused to take action against staffers at the school’s
newspaper over a series of articles containing anti-Indian slurs.

“I cannot and will not regulate the student press,” wrote Southeastern
Oklahoma State University President Glen Johnson, in a letter addressed to
the “Southeastern Family.”

Johnson does criticize the articles, saying they are at odds with the
university’s values.

“I can, however, exercise my freedom of speech to state my complete
disapproval of [columnist Beau] Chadwell and [editor Jason] May’s use of
insensitive, stereotypical, and divisive language in describing Native
Americans as a people,” Johnson wrote. “These writers do not speak for me
and do not reflect the values of diversity and inclusion which we strive to
achieve at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Central to the
University’s mission are values which promote competent communication,
intellectual freedom, respect for diversity, and the development of
responsible and ethical citizens.”

Johnson’s comments, however, do not appear to carry much weight with the
paper’s staffers. Contacted for reaction by the Native American Times, May
wrote in an e-mail that he believes Johnson “was responding to the columns
to appease those who have lodged complaints, not because he has any
personal vested interest in the situation.”

May also claims in the e-mail that he has “Native American heritage.”

The controversy began late last year when Chadwell penned a column calling
Native Americans “savages” and other slurs. In a subsequent edition, May
defended his decision to allow Chadwell’s column to run, and inflicted
further damage by asserting that the paper has perhaps not recieved any
letters of complaints “because 50 percent of Native Americans are at a
below basic literacy level.”

The articles created a furor, and the Indian Citizens Against Racial
Exploitation, an area civil rights group, contacted Johnson.

Referring to May as a “condescending beginner” and a “novice young
journalist,” members of the group asked the university president to review
the articles for violations of the school’s racial/ ethnic harassment
policy.

After receiving a copy of Johnson’s response, members of the group
expressed approval.

“Your unambiguous and decisive censure of the negative and false ideas
concerning American Indians inherent in the writings of Chadwell and May is
extremely important,” wrote the group’s Peggy Larney and W. Keith
Overstreet. “We believe parents, grandparents and supporters of our fine
tribal youth attending Southeastern now will know where you stand
personally in your abhorrence of such blatant racial disrespect.”

You can reach Sam Lewin at sam@...