History of the name "Cherokees" and "Ravens" at Sequoia

In 1922 the Block "S" and the Circle "S" societies formed and backed a movement to have a nickname for Sequoia's athletic teams. So far, no other high school on the Peninsula had done this. Having a school mascot or a name for teams was something done at the college level.

An editorial in a 1922 edition of The Ikozian championed the idea that Sequoia High School should become the first to name their teams. The idea caught on. The Block S Society appointed a committee of three (Lester Harper, Stanley Mitchell and Joe Britschgi) to review suggestions and present them to the Block S who would select a favorite to present to the Student Body for their final decision.

At the first meeting held, the first nickname suggested was the "the Sequoia Giants", in reference to the giant Sequoia trees. The name went over pretty well.

The years 1923 and 1924 passed by and there was no final decision on what to call the teams. Finally on October 7th, 1925, the winner was announced: The "Cherokees" won more votes and would be the official name, beating out the runner-up, "Sequoia Jackrabbits". (Note: The "Jackrabbits" was a contender due the number of jackrabbits running around the athletic fields).

We don't know who suggested "The Cherokees" in reference to the great Indian Chief Sequoyah, who was half Cherokee, but it seemed quite fitting that since the school was named for the Sequoia redwood trees, and that they had received their name from the great Indian chief, that the school's athletic teams should become "the Cherokees" in his honor.

Thus, it was in 1925 that Sequoia's athletic teams became the Cherokees to honor the Indian Chief who was the namesake for the school.

Helen Graves, a former member of the City of Redwood City Historic Resources Advisory Committee researched and wrote the above history in 1995.

The Cherokee affiliation at Sequoia is expressed in the foreword to the 1926 Sequoya Commencement book as follows:

Long, long ago in the land of the Cherokees there lived an Indian chief, Sequoya. Besides being one of the greatest of the Indian wartime chiefs, Sequoya was a leader in times of peace. In order that the name of his tribe might live forever in the thoughts of men, Sequoya invented the Cherokee alphabet. Now "Sequoya" is a symbol of learning, of wisdom.

Long ago, a tree grew up in the forest. Sequoia, "Big Tree," was the name given to it. Sturdy, tall, majestic, grand, towering above all else, the tree was a masterpiece of Nature.

When the trustees and taxpayers of the Redwood City District decided to build a new high school, after much discussion, Sequoia was selected as a suitable name: Sequoia — for the brave, self-reliant Sequoya, who, not with- standing many hardships, never faltered in his high ideal to make the name of the Cherokees famous; Sequoia — for the Sequoia tree, the tall, majestic Sequoia, a symbol of honor and truth, sturdy uprightness.

Last fall, Sequoians adopted "Cherokees" as the name for athletic teams and students; the Cherokees — Sequoya's tribe, for whom he lived, labored, and died; the Cherokees — Sequoia's own tribe of self-reliant, brave young Indians.

In honor of the Cherokees, both past and present, the Indian motif is used in this, the 1926 SEQUOYA.

In 2019, the Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees retired "Cherokees" as the name for athletic teams citing non-compliance with the updated SUHSD Board Policy Manual with respect to Nondiscrimination and Equivalent Opportunities in the Athletic Program.

The action marked the end result of a student-led effort to change from "Cherokees" to "Ravens". Since 2001, the Raven was the physical mascot and the team name was "Cherokees". Prior to that, since 1925, it was "Cherokees", with no distinction between the name and mascot or imagery.

The change from "Cherokees" to "Ravens" is expressed in the foreword of Sequoia's 2020 yearbook, which is an adaptation of the 1926 foreword, as follows:

Long, long ago in the land of the Cherokees there lived a Native American chief, Sequoya. Besides being one of the greatest of the tribal wartime chiefs, Sequoya was a leader in times of peace. In order that the name of his tribe might live forever in the thoughts of all people, Sequoya invented the Cherokee alphabet. Now "Sequoya" is a symbol of learning, of wisdom.

Long ago a tree grew up in the forest. Sequoia, "Big Tree," was the name given to it. Sturdy, tall, majestic, grand, towering above all else, the tree was a masterpiece of Nature.

Long ago, inhabitants settled in the region that today we call home, finding their safe havens not in modern homes, nor bustling suburbs, but amongst the branches of these towering Sequoia trees. Descending from Above, these creatures were given the name, "Raven." Versatile, opportunistic, intelligent, devoted, and social, these earliest inhabitants were recognized across cultures by their humanlike traits and capabilities. In traditional Cherokee culture, the Raven was seen as a creature of metamorphosis, symbolizing change and transformation.

When the trustees and taxpayers of the Redwood City District decided to build a new high school, after much discussion, Sequoia was selected as a suitable name: Sequoia — for the brave, self-reliant, Sequoya, who, notwithstanding many hardships, never faltered in his ideal to make the name of the Cherokees famous; Sequoia — for the Sequoia tree, the tall, majestic Sequoia, a symbol of honor and truth, sturdy uprightness.

In April 2019 Sequoians adopted "Ravens" as the name for athletic teams and students; the Ravens — Sequoya's symbol of resiliency and adaptability; the Ravens — Sequoia's own flock of ambitious, intelligent students. In honor of the Cherokees, both past and present, the Raven story is told in this, the 2020 UNALIYI.

This foreword is adapted from the original foreword in the 1926 Sequoia Yearbook, published as the 1926 SEQUOYA, the first year in which students and athletic teams were named the Cherokees. It has been modified to reflect the recent changes in the Sequoia's team name and mascot.