Residents support seal of White man choking a Native American


The seal of the village of Whitesboro, New York

Residents of a village in New York voted to keep their community's seal, which features an image of a White man choking an Indian man.

The 157 to 55 vote was non-binding on Whitesboro. But it likely means the symbol -- which some consider to be racist and offensive -- will remain visible on trucks, police cars, signs and documents in the village.

“Whitesboro views this seal as a moment in time when good relations were fostered,” village clerk and historian Dana Nimey-Olney told the Associated Press. “It is a wrestling match, part of the history, and nothing more.”

The original seal featured the White man's hands on the neck of the Indian man, who is said to represent a member of the Oneida Nation. After someone complained in the 1970s, the hands were moved to the shoulders of the Indian figure, Nimey-Olney told the AP.

A spokesperson for the Oneida Nation told the AP that the symbol was inappropriate.

Get the Story:
Central NY village votes to keep logo criticized as racist (AP 1/12)
New York village votes to keep emblem labeled racist against Native Americans (The New York Daily News 1/12)
Whitesboro residents vote to keep controversial 'racist' village seal (The Syracuse Post-Standard 1/11)
Votes tabulated over controversial seal, as The Daily Show visits the Village of Whitesboro (WKBT 1/11)
Whitesboro to vote on 'racist' town seal showing white man wrestling Native American (The Syracuse Post-Standard 1/8)
A town called Whitesboro rethinks its seal showing a white man choking a Native American (Mashable 1/8)

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