Poor Fernando.
There he stands in the Van Nuys Civic Center, naked except for a loincloth, so tall and muscular and imposing--a natural for the World Wrestling Federation, if only he'd come to life. Fernando, of course, is the statue of an American Indian that San Fernando Valley boosters erected many moons ago as a symbol of the Valley's first residents and a totem of community pride.
From the start Fernando had it rough. Snobs sniffed about his artistic merit. Scholars noted that real Fernandenos weren't nearly 7 feet tall. The elements and birds did their damage. For years he was pretty much ignored, until the Fernando Award Inc. crowd--which technically owns the statue and could have been taking care of him all along--decided to move him to the upscale domain of Warner Center. The people of Van Nuys, properly outraged, warded off the would-be statue-nappers.
And now Fernando finds himself in the news again. "I'M NOT A MASCOT," declared a sign placed over Fernando's, um, loincloth. A group of American Indian activists adorned him with this defiant message to emphasize their outrage over a lawsuit filed last week by some Birmingham High alumni seeking to halt the pending political execution of the Braves, Birmingham's symbol for 44 years.
If only Fernando could speak for himself. . . .
*
"Glad you asked. It so happens that I've been studying these multicultural conflicts for many years now. As a representation of the American Indian and the Valley, I'm well positioned to comment.
"The sign is right: I'm not a mascot. But you know what? I'm no American Indian or Native American or whatever the preferred term is either. I'm no Chumash or Fernandeno. I'm no brave or warrior or whatever it is people see in me. What I am is a statue of an American Indian.
"To be more precise, you could say I'm some 20th century white guy's fantasy of a 19th century noble savage, if you'll pardon the expression. I'm not based on somebody real like Crazy Horse or Geronimo. I'm based on an idea--an ideal. One advantage of being a statue is I can keep emotions out of this.
"There's no question the sculptor and people who commissioned me meant well. It was an honor being created. And it was an honor that these American Indians ticked about the Birmingham Braves would put a protest sign on me. I mean, to use me like that, they must think I look pretty noble, right?
