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Re: The future of "The Clan"
Hello Eugene,
To clarify my thinking: I don’t object to changing the team’s name given that the present name makes many of us uncomfortable. But even having changed the team’s name, being a member of the NCAA is still problematic. For example, are our students supposed to stand for the US national anthem when they play there, or should they kneel like some Americans to protest racism? Will they be subjected to abuse which ever choice they make?
Best,
George
> On Jul 4, 2020, at 3:12 PM, Eugene McCann <emccann@sfu.ca> wrote:
>
> Hi George,
>
> I’d want to acknowledge Roxanne’s point that Canada is a 'racially charged’ place too. I’d also say that words are not fixed in their meaning or their location of origin. As they travel their meaning changes. The vast majority of our student-athletes think of Klan when they hear it, as do their opponents. This is harmful and, as Nick says, the easiest thing is to change the name.
>
> On a much more mundane level, I expect withdrawing from the NCAA would be an expensive process. That die has been cast, for better or worse.
>
> Happily, from my perspective at least, SFU has agreed to change the name by mid-August. Not a minute too soon. https://varsityletters.ca/simon-fraser-student-athletes-vote-97-per-cent-in-favour-of-change-clan-moniker-could-be-replaced-by-september/
>
> Best,
> Eugene
>
>> On Jul 4, 2020, at 1:53 PM, Roxanne Panchasi <panchasi@sfu.ca> wrote:
>>
>> I am a brown woman who was born and raised in Canada. The sounds of "the Clan" and "the Clansmen" would have made me think of the KKK even as a child. This may be, in part, because of my exposure to American television, film, music, etc. growing up, and now. But it also has to do with my experiences of racism and a sense of vulnerability to white supremacy in its various hideous forms from a very young age...in Canada.
>>
>> My son, born in Vancouver, is 10 years old. He has, for several years, attended SFU Camps. He also pays attention to what is happening in the world. When I asked him the other day what "The Clan" and "Clansmen" make him think of, he said, "the KKK." He has no more connection to Scottishness or the "Scottish heritage of SFU" than I do, despite the fact that we are both Canadian. He has a much stronger awareness of, and sensitivity to, racism. Some of his associations and references are American, sure. Others, however, come from right here at home, where racial inequality, racist violence, and even the Ku Klux Klan, have histories.
>>
>> If it's not possible for one Scottish person to speak on behalf of all Scots, it is also not possible for any one person to speak on behalf of what other people in this country might think or feel when they hear words like "clan" and "clansmen".
>>
>> I am very happy that a change seems to be coming. SFU's team names have made me think of "the Klan" since my arrival at this institution in 2001. They sound that way to my own kid, and, I'd be willing to bet, to many other people in this country. I think it is important for us to remember that Canada is also a "racially charged environment".
>>
>> Roxanne Panchasi
>>
>>
>> From: George Kirczenow <george_kirczenow@sfu.ca>
>> Sent: Saturday, July 4, 2020 12:14 PM
>> To: Eugene McCann
>> Cc: David Macalister; academic-discussion@sfu.ca
>> Subject: Re: The future of "The Clan"
>>
>> If membership in the NCAA means that our students are being forced to explain that they are not racists and that their team’s name is not racist, then I think that SFU should seriously consider withdrawing from the NCAA. Any benefits of membership in the NCAA are in my opinion more than offset by the exposure of our students to such a racially charged environment.
>>
>> Best,
>> George Kirczenow
>> Physics
>>
>> > On Jul 3, 2020, at 8:56 AM, Eugene McCann <emccann@sfu.ca> wrote:
>> >
>> > Hi David,
>> >
>> > Thanks for your note. It’s great that faculty have a discussion about this. A few responses:
>> >
>> > — I didn’t speak for Scots. I spoke as a Scot about Scots, just as you do in your email.
>> >
>> > — We agree that Fraser wasn’t from Scotland. I, personally, don’t think that Fraser's connections to colonization, ’nobility,’ or feudal ‘chiefs’ and landowners are reasons to valourize or romanticize him. To me, and I expect others, these ties would be reasons to be sceptical of our connection to him.
>> >
>> > — While I agree that the Clan is not the Klan, the reality is that our university administration decided a few years ago to join the NCAA, meaning all the teams’ competitions are with US schools. Therefore, students are exposed to shock and hostility down there. They find themselves trying to explain. This is not their fault and it is not fair to ask them to try to educate their opponents as well as try to beat them. It’s clearly awkward and sometimes painful.
>> >
>> > — Given this, a nickname change is inevitable. It should happen now. Names can be changed quickly and for various reasons, after all. Our university was originally planned to be Fraser University (as in the Valley) until someone pointed out what the letters might also stand for! So, old Simon was quickly drafted in to allow it to be SFU (Johnston, 2009, Radical Campus, p.32). Not the deepest or most profound connection to the man, really!.
>> >
>> > — Re the role of local First Nations: I suggested that we "should invite local First Nations to lead a renaming process that is appropriate. This would be an opportunity to engage in our reconciliation agenda …”. Maybe they would come up with another Scottish name. Who knows? That’s the point. Who names land, places, institutions is a question of power and I think the idea of reconciliation is, in part, to shift power. As I said before, I would rather the new name not commemorate colonizers from a small country far away, but it’s not my choice to make. Scottish people have named enough stuff around the world already.
>> >
>> > — (Btw, I was a bit reticent about my suggestion about First Nations being consulted or invited to lead a renaming. It could be seen as yet another example of more of the work of reconciliation being put onto Indigenous folks. So I was careful to phrase my suggestion as an invitation to local First Nations. They may say they’re not interested. And that would be up to them.)
>> >
>> > Thanks again for engaging in the conversation, David.
>> >
>> > Best,
>> > Eugene
>> >
>> >> On Jul 3, 2020, at 12:12 AM, David Macalister <david_macalister@sfu.ca> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I have mixed feelings about this topic. I will try to keep my comments brief because we have all experienced an exponential growth in the volume of messages coming to our inbox during the recent pandemic.
>> >>
>> >> First, I would ask that Eugene please refrain from speaking on behalf of all Scots. I was born in Scotland. I have been a faculty member at SFU for 18 years. To many Scots, Clan membership is a source of considerable pride. I see it as a source of some pride. My family comes from the Clan MacDonald. I see that as a source of some pride (although it does not get me a cut rate at the hamburger chain), and while there are many Clans that see themselves opposed to other Clans, my grandfather married a woman from the Campbell Clan... historical enemies. Were it not for this odd pairing, I would never have come into this world, so while I don't believe in the longstanding prejudices some Clans hold for others, it does not take away from the pride that many Scots feel for their ancestral heritage.
>> >>
>> >> Second, Simon Fraser was indeed born in New York, but not in the United States of America. At the time of his birth, the United States would not come into existence for another six weeks! He was born in May of 1776, so he was indeed born in a British colony. His parents, both born in Scotland, drew their lineage from a long line of nobles of Scottish ancestry. The Clan Fraser is one of the oldest Clans in recorded history. The first recorded Simon Fraser dates back to at least 1160, where he held lands in East Lothian, bordering the Scottish capital of Edinburgh.
>> >>
>> >> It is very unfortunate that the racist KKK has co-opted the homonymn of Clan as the Klan, such that the very mention of the term brings to mind racist ideas; but the Klan is not a Clan. It is a collection of racist bigots whose ideas should not be tolerated for a moment.
>> >>
>> >> The idea of adopting an indigenous name for SFU's teams is not necessarily a bad idea, but it does nothing to reflect the history and heritage of the man whose name is attached to our university. I understand that the Kwantlen people did their best to eliminate Simon Fraser and his accompaniment in 1808, and he was lucky to escape with his life. Having also taught and worked at Kwantlen Polytechnic University for 15 years, I have no hestation in supporting a recognition of the pre-colonization residents of these lands. It just doesn't directly connect to the heritage of the university's namesake.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> David MacAlister, MA, JD, LLM
>> >> Director and Associate Professor | Criminology
>> >> President, Western Society of Criminology
>> >> Simon Fraser University | Saywell Hall 10134
>> >> 8888 University Drive Burnaby BC V5A1S6
>> >> T. 778.782.4305 | sfu.ca/criminology
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> From: Eugene McCann <emccann@sfu.ca>
>> >> Sent: July 2, 2020 4:08 PM
>> >> To: academic-discussion@sfu.ca
>> >> Subject: The future of "The Clan"
>> >>
>> >> Hello colleagues,
>> >>
>> >> I hope you don’t mind me adding to your mailboxes. Some of you might be aware from being on social media or looking at the news media over the last few days, that there is a renewed push to change the SFU sports teams’ nickname. Currently it’s The Clan but, in a recent survey, 77% of the 163 student athletes who responded were in favour of changing it.
>> >>
>> >> They say they feel very uncomfortable, embarrassed, and even fearful when they play American teams, which is all the time, since SFU became an NCAA school. (If you’re still not seeing the issue, say it out loud!). So, this is why I bring this to the faculty email forum: the name Clan is harming our students. That makes it squarely our concern.
>> >>
>> >> The students have a petition that you can sign, if you are so inclined. It already has 7,500 signatories.
>> >>
>> >> They also ask for emails to be sent to SFU administrators (see the petition link).
>> >>
>> >> They have come up with a clever and pointed social media hashtag, #IamNotYourClansman, presumably referencing this documentary film and James Baldwin’s work. And they have been active in the news media. See, for example: Othniel Spence’s moving essay and Mason Glover’s CTV interview. Our own colleague, Holly Anderson (Philosophy), has been forthright in the media now and in the past about the problematic name.
>> >>
>> >> For me (a 17-year member of the SFU faculty), I fully support the students. The name has got to go, and soon. Its fate was sealed when the University decided to join the NCAA. The only question is why it's taking SFU so long to change it, given the hurt it’s causing.
>> >>
>> >> The main argument against the proposal (largely in comments below the line in news articles about this issue, rather than from current students) is that getting rid of “Clan” disregards SFU’s Scottish heritage. As a Scot, I have some thoughts ... Appeals to ‘heritage’ are particularly charged these days and should be treated with a great deal of care. But the appeal to Scottish heritage in this case is a thin argument at best. As you know, Simon Fraser wasn't from Scotland. He was from New York. Moreover, I have a feeling that some people in Canada think that one’s “Clan” is somehow a big deal for the average Scot. It is not. Very few Scots care. Yet, some in this debate are arguing that, if the SFU name is changed, the new name should reference Scotland too (I see ‘Claymores’ raised as an option). For me it would be best if the new name didn't celebrate a small country half a world away and its people’s role in colonizing this continent.
>> >>
>> >> My feeling is that the University should get rid of “Clan” and should invite local First Nations to lead a renaming process that is appropriate. This would be an opportunity to engage in our reconciliation agenda and, I think, would be supported by most of us at the university. (Although, I would note that one of the things that the students are frustrated about is that deliberations and consultations over this issue have gone on for a while and they feel that they may be being used as a stalling tactic. A respectful consultation should be done with as much alacrity as possible.)
>> >>
>> >> I am in no way involved in this campaign but I greatly respect those who have been out front in it (see names above). For me, the least I can do is sign the petition, email the admin, and provide my particular Scottish take.
>> >>
>> >> Best,
>> >> Eugene
>> >> _______________________________________________________
>> >> Eugene McCann
>> >> University Professor, Geography
>> >> Associate Faculty, Sociology & Anthropology
>> >> Simon Fraser University
>> >>
>> >> Managing Editor, EPC: Politics & Space
>> >>
>> >> Personal website: https://emccanngeog.wordpress.com
>> >> Collective website: http://research.northumbria.ac.uk/urbanfutures/
>> >>
>> >> Contact information:
>> >> Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University,
>> >> 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
>> >> Unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
>> >>
>> >> Email: emccann@sfu.ca; Phone: 778-782-3321; Fax: 778.782.5841
>> >>
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________________
>> > Eugene McCann
>> > University Professor, Geography
>> > Associate Faculty, Sociology & Anthropology
>> > Simon Fraser University
>> >
>> > Managing Editor, EPC: Politics & Space
>> >
>> > Personal website: https://emccanngeog.wordpress.com
>> > Collective website: http://research.northumbria.ac.uk/urbanfutures/
>> >
>> > Contact information:
>> > Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University,
>> > 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
>> > Unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
>> >
>> > Email: emccann@sfu.ca; Phone: 778-782-3321; Fax: 778.782.5841
>
> _______________________________________________________
> Eugene McCann
> University Professor, Geography
> Associate Faculty, Sociology & Anthropology
> Simon Fraser University
>
> Managing Editor, EPC: Politics & Space
>
> Personal website: https://emccanngeog.wordpress.com
> Collective website: http://research.northumbria.ac.uk/urbanfutures/
>
> Contact information:
> Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University,
> 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
> Unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
>
> Email: emccann@sfu.ca; Phone: 778-782-3321; Fax: 778.782.5841
>