Redmen issue transformed Natick

NATICK - The firestorm ignited by the push to change Natick High School's nickname did not start in 2008, but the blaze grew more intense this year and may well have a transformational effect on the town's political scene.

The School Committee's 4-3 vote in March 2007 to stop using Redmen as the school's nickname started the controversy, which spilled into 2008 with a ballot measure introduced by the newly formed advocacy group Redmen Forever.

Supporters pointed to the decades of tradition using the name for NHS's athletes, and also to the town's heritage as a home to the Praying Indians. Those against the name said the name is a racial slur and insults American Indians.

Voters approved the measure — by a vote of 6,085 to 3,291 — asking the School Committee to ``reconsider'' its decision to stop using the nickname, which has been in place since 1956.

``We probably ran the most successful losing campaign that Natick has ever seen,'' Jimmy Brown, co-chairman of Redmen Forever, said this week. ``What it did obviously do is pointed out many other issues in Natick.''

Following the election, the School Committee did take a second look at the nickname. To gather input and opinions the committee hired a law firm to examine the legal ramifications and held a public forum in Wilson Middle School's auditorium in May. Hundreds of supporters of the name and those looking for it to be removed showed up and spoke for hours.

In June, the School Committee gathered once again to vote and this time voted 7-0 to end the use of Redmen as Natick High School's nickname. The school now calls the teams the Red and Blue, the pre-Redmen name.

The Redmen Forever group considered pushing for another referendum, this time one which would be a binding vote, but that effort ended soon after the School Committee's vote.

Instead, the group went in a new direction, officially becoming a political action committee and named itself Natick Forever. Brown hopes to address other issues facing the folks who supported his effort to keep the nickname.

``The Redmen issue is the thing that kind of ties people together,'' Brown said. ``But I get a lot of questions - What can we do about this? What can we do about that?''

Natick Forever held a political ethics seminar in September, and Brown said the group plans to endorse candidates in the 2009 town election. He also hopes to see members push for more open and responsible town government.

``It's amazing when something comes in front of selectmen or Town Meeting and a question is asked about specifics and no one has answers,'' Brown said. ``That's seriously now what we are concentrating on, and (also) hopefully getting responsible people into office.''