“We then went via the choice course of and ‘Eagles’ was chosen partially as a result of they’re about flying above all of it, rugged individualism, seeing far into the space, and that basically resonated with the children, and that grew to become the No. 1 choose,” Foster stated.
After the eagle was chosen, faculty leaders began fascinated by methods they might use the brand new identification to honor the heritage of the realm, floating the potential for partnering with a neighborhood Native American tribe.
Foster reached out to the Cowlitz Tribal Council, a Longview-based board of administrators that governs the affairs of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, a gaggle of Southwestern Coast Salish and Sahaptan folks residing principally in Western Washington. He was directed to council member Suzanne Donaldson, who agreed to satisfy with him and focus on his concepts in additional element.
“The very first thing I instructed her was, ‘You possibly can completely say no,’ as a result of we acknowledge that individuals make actually unhealthy selections about different folks’s cultures generally,” Foster stated. “She was below the idea that we had been speaking due to the just lately handed regulation round utilizing Native American symbols for colleges and the way it’s a must to get permission from the tribe. I used to be uninformed and didn’t know that was a factor. Instantly she was like, ‘Oh, you’re doing this as a result of it’s simply the correct factor to do?’ I used to be like, ‘Yeah, that’s what we need to do. We need to collaborate. We don’t need to take something from anyone. We’d like to share.’”
Donaldson instructed Foster he ought to contact Folden, the Cowlitz artist, and ask if she is likely to be prepared to create a emblem for the varsity.