Skate Canada Replaces "Mohawk" and "Choctaw" In Its Terminology

Barbara Manatee

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,475
I, for one, am super glad that Skate Canada is finally taking care of the real great problems in this sport and the world in general.

All the time we are getting useless and unimportant news about the 'rona, climate change or wars so kudos to Skate Canada for finally solving the most important controversial problems which are the names of certain figure skating steps.
Good point. It is a travesty that Skate Canada hasn't used its immense legal and political power to halt climate change and establish world peace.
 

misskarne

Handy Emergency Backup Mode
Messages
23,457
It's clearly a change that needs to be made.

But I think people are reacting the way they are because with Skate Canada's history, this feels incredibly performative, a minor cosmetic change that does nothing to address the real issues they've been judiciously ignoring this whole time.
 

syzygy

Well-Known Member
Messages
173
Racism is everywhere in figure skating and this is what they decide to focus on first? How about we attempt to get rid of the implicit bias from judges, technical specialists, referees, coaches, directors, and literally everyone else in the skating world. This reminds me of the SafeSport rule that keeps me, age 16 and perfectly able to distinguish right from wrong, from being able to text my skating coaches; instead, my mother has to do it. Most figure skating organizations are being performative about sexual assault, mental health, eating disorders, and injuries. Now we have this too.
 

Colonel Green

Well-Known Member
Messages
13,930
Racism is everywhere in figure skating and this is what they decide to focus on first? How about we attempt to get rid of the implicit bias from judges, technical specialists, referees, coaches, directors, and literally everyone else in the skating world.
I mean, the easy changes are the ones you make upfront. The other things you’re listing will take a lot longer.
 

deegee

Well-Known Member
Messages
517
well, it's something, isn't it?

i'd love to see some guidelines around cultural misappropriation so that we're not seeing any more 'aboriginal' or 'bollywood', etc. programs from skaters with zero ties to those bipoc identities. i feel like that wouldn't take that much more than these name changes, but i'm also fully outside of the skating world. just a casual fan who doesn't necessarily know or understand how these kinds of decisions are made.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
Messages
35,799
These are terms used around the world by all skaters.

FWIW the email says these changes are for "domestic applications", which I guess means that it only applies to tests, competitions, etc. that are regulated directly by Skate Canada. But given that Skate Canada has to run some events, like Nationals, under ISU rules, I'm not sure how this change is going to work in those situations.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
Messages
35,799
well, it's something, isn't it?

i'd love to see some guidelines around cultural misappropriation so that we're not seeing any more 'aboriginal' or 'bollywood', etc. programs from skaters with zero ties to those bipoc identities. i feel like that wouldn't take that much more than these name changes, but i'm also fully outside of the skating world. just a casual fan who doesn't necessarily know or understand how these kinds of decisions are made.

I haven't seen an "aboriginal" program for a while, not since the scandalously stereotypical original dance in 2010.



But that year was also the year that Davis & White did their Bollywood OD, which was very respectful and which a lot of South Asian people loved. D/W were very careful about making sure the dance was authentic and worked with a South Asian dance teacher to get the moves and expressions right. I think there is room for that kind of program, that acknowledges and honours the traditions of the music and the themes.

 

Aussie Willy

Hates both vegemite and peanut butter
Messages
27,871
FWIW the email says these changes are for "domestic applications", which I guess means that it only applies to tests, competitions, etc. that are regulated directly by Skate Canada. But given that Skate Canada has to run some events, like Nationals, under ISU rules, I'm not sure how this change is going to work in those situations.
Not knowing enough about the history of these words, are they US or Canadian? Or both?
 

jenny12

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,239
I don’t get this attitude of we can’t change something until some other thing is changed. I congratulate them on this change and hope they continue to make bigger changes. Just because they made this change does not make me think they should win Woke Organization of the Year but I do think it is a step in the right direction. We are really more concerned with the cost of re-printing materials than cultural appropriation?
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
Messages
35,799
Not knowing enough about the history of these words, are they US or Canadian? Or both?

The Mohawk traditional lands span the US/Canada border, around upstate New York and southern Ontario. The Choctaw territory is in Oklahoma, and AFAIK it doesn't have any affiliation with any of the First Nations in Canada. IIRC both "Mohawk" and "Choctaw" are phonetic spellings by European colonists of words in each nation's language - they're not the terms that the nations use to identify themselves.
 

starrynight

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,234
I love Bollywood music and movies. Particularly the ones with lots of singing dancing.

I’d be disappointed if they banned these programs.

Anyone who hasn’t watched some Bollywood movies should check them out.
 

Aussie Willy

Hates both vegemite and peanut butter
Messages
27,871
I haven't seen an "aboriginal" program for a while, not since the scandalously stereotypical original dance in 2010.



But that year was also the year that Davis & White did their Bollywood OD, which was very respectful and which a lot of South Asian people loved. D/W were very careful about making sure the dance was authentic and worked with a South Asian dance teacher to get the moves and expressions right. I think there is room for that kind of program, that acknowledges and honours the traditions of the music and the themes.

SYTYCD did a lot of Bollywood on their program treating it as just one style of dance that they got the contestants to perform. Some of them were fantastic. And if you work with those who are experts in the style, then it is trying to instill authenticity and be respectful to the style.

The D&S dance called itself Aboriginal without consulting anyone about appropriate costumes or styles of the dance. But when Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman did it, they consulted with Harley Windsor who is aboriginal. Subsequently the dance paid off.

In Australia when appropriating Australian aboriginal culture, you do need to be careful. My great great grandmother was aboriginal so it is something I am very aware of. There are many issues around people who find out they had aboriginal descendants. You should never automatically make assumptions based on it.
 

Dave of the North

Digging up dead relatives since 1992
Messages
6,304
From @SkateGuard's blog:
Since the inventors may have been Moe and Goodrich, let's call it the Moegood or Goodmoe. Either name lends itself to snappy feedback from a coach "You're no good at the Moegood", and after some practice "Your Goodmoe is now a good move!"
 

Aussie Willy

Hates both vegemite and peanut butter
Messages
27,871
Since the inventors may have been Moe and Goodrich, let's call it the Moegood or Goodmoe. Either name lends itself to snappy feedback from a coach "You're no good at the Moegood", and after some practice "Your Goodmoe is now a good move!"
I have called choctaws Chocolate Toes. Just like the Fiesta Tango is the Fiasco Tango.

Or the back inside 3-turn "that f*cking sh*t of a turn. I f*cking hate it".
 

caseyedwards

Well-Known Member
Messages
21,801
If you're so concerned about the terms being eliminated, why don't you spell "Choctaw" correctly?
Ok I will spell it Choctaw and be happy to spell it Choctaw and everyone will know Choctaw is how you spell Choctaw. No one should ever get the spelling of Choctaw wrong again! Choctaws are very important to learn and know how to do. I remember the big fight over choctaws recently. I think the argument over choctaws was between Barbara fusar poli and Fabian bourzat maybe? They were all about the Choctaw
 

Aerobicidal

Shut that door.
Messages
11,148
I'm so tired of all of this political correctness BS.
Yeah, the greatest atrocities in the world right now have all been directly caused by anti-colonialist political correctness. And, really, that's been true for thousands of years. Every genocide, war, totalitarian regime . . . and, most importantly, the time when McDonalds gave me one fewer McNugget than I ordered.
 

sus2850

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,534
I think it is a good change.

By the way, I also wondered why lifts are called „Lasso“. Who is the cattle there?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information