Upstate New York's Whitesboro Village To Vote On Replacing Controversial Seal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A small village in upstate New York has made headlines over the years due to their controversial seal.
The village of Whitesboro's town seal depicts a white man and a Native American grappling. Critics have said it appears to show the white man choking the Oneida.
According to the village's website, the seal depicts village founder Hugh White wrestling with an Oneida.
"The wrestling match was an important event in the history of the settling of the Village of Whitesboro and helped foster good relations between White and the Indians," according to the village's website.
According to the website, the image commemorates the moment White won the wrestling match and the respect of the Oneida.
@BreeNewsome @AJstream Here's the original seal from the 1800s, for comparison:https://t.co/Oq8gYmdoH6 pic.twitter.com/74jGhKMreO
— Sam Klein ????,????,???? (@metasj) July 3, 2015
The seal was redesigned in 1977 to move White's hands so that they were placed on the Oneida's shoulders, not so close to his neck, according to the village's website.
On Monday, the village is reportedly set to hold a meeting to discuss options for replacing the seal.