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Banning Native American school mascots

May 20, 2012 @ 5:07 pm (Updated: 9:04 am - 5/21/12 )

Banks High School in Oregon will no longer be the home of the Braves. You won't find Indians or Warriors in Oregon in a few years either.

The Oregon State Board of Education has banned public schools from using American Indian names and mascots for their athletic teams, out of a concern they disparage native American people.

Researcher Stephanie Fryberg says the use of Native Americans as mascots "devalues and limits individual identity."

"I do not believe any of our schools with Native American mascots intended to be disrespectful, however intent is not enough," Superintendent Susan Castillo says.

The board held over eight hours of public testimony on the topic and received over 700 pieces of written testimony.

"Our role as educators needs to be to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for all of our students - an environment which honors them for who they are as individuals with a rich and varied cultural history," Castillo says. "We can no longer accept these stereotypical images for the sake of tradition when they are hurting our kids."

Braves

The Banks High School mascot on the wall of their gym in Banks, Oregon. Oregon now has the toughest restrictions on American Indian nicknames, mascots and logos. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Oregon’s ban prohibits using a name, symbol, or image that depicts or refers to an American Indian Tribe, individual, custom, or tradition that is used by a public school as a mascot, nickname, logo, letterhead, or team name.

Prohibited names include: Redskins; Savages; Chiefs; Chieftains; and Braves. Schools may continue to use the name "Warriors" as long as it is not combined with a symbol or image that depicts or refers to an American Indian Tribe, individual, custom, or tradition.

The move is believed to be one of the nation's most sweeping prohibitions of its kind in favor of native Americans who say their culture is stereotyped by a number of sports teams.

The vote in Oregon was 5-1, and schools have until July of 2017 to comply with the decision.

Washington has a number of schools with Native American mascots. You'll find "Braves" at Bethel High School and Seattle's Bishop Blanchet High School. Clover Park High School has Warriors.

Several years ago, Issaquah also banned mascots based on racial stereotypes. Issaquah High School has done away with its long time "Indians" mascot. They are now the "Eagles."

Scappoose

Is this mascot inspiring or offensive? Seven schools in Oregon will have to change their nicknames and mascots or risk losing state funding. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (54)


  • Add A Comment

  • ron prevost wrote...
    Blind associations
    May 20, 2012 8:02 pm
    "The Chieftains" is the name of a quite successful Irish Celtic bans. And how does 'warriors' apply only to First Peoples ? ... EVERY year these politically correct ideas of banning school mascots jumps up. You'd think by now that all 'Indian' names would have been banned by, say 1968. Oh, well. Gave MYNW a new post this PM.
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  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    America is going to
    May 20, 2012 8:37 pm
    PC is its self to death and go by the way of the Roman Empire
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  • mtvmdh wrote...
    no names for naything
    May 20, 2012 10:15 pm
    The way it is going maybe we should remove the names for everything. Call a school a high school or middle school. The way all of the pc people are going that's the way it will be. I think they need to look back at history and see what all of the people did back then before they open their mouths.
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  • maplefish wrote...
    Honor..
    May 20, 2012 8:39 pm
    I thought the names were meant to honor the people?
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  • Ted Bundi wrote...
    Oh for Pete's sake
    May 20, 2012 9:12 pm
    Or do I have to say "for Mike's sake" because I will offend all Petes out there.
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  • Shoreliner wrote...
    I totally support this...but believe that it should be expanded
    May 20, 2012 9:28 pm
    Being of scandanavian ancestry, I vociferously object to the use of the Vikings as a mascot as depictions as warlike raiders does not fairly represent the accomplishments they made as explorers and the impact of the Normans throughout Europe...Also, I object to the use of Spartans as a mascot as it detracts from their piety...I also object to the use of wildlife such as Bears, Tigers, Lions, Wolves, etc. as such use detracts from the image of those creatures and the harmonious role they play in nature. Heck, I think that the Evergreen State College in particular is quite offensive in utilizing the geoduck as a mascot which also detracts from the critical role it plays in the environment.
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  • Sunny Thai wrote...
    WHAT?
    May 20, 2012 10:43 pm
    Researcher Stephanie Fryberg says the use of Native Americans as mascots "devalues and limits individual identity." That's the 2nd dumbest thing I have ever read. Many of the city, and town names in WA, and OR are American Indian names. Where will it stop.
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  • Whidbeyboy wrote...
    Sunny Thai
    May 21, 2012 11:06 am
    You bring up a good point. Are not the indians fighting to change the name of Mt. Rainer to some indian name? I guess it is just a way for indians to try and get back at white people IMO, and of course those tree huggers who think everyone not white is a victim.
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  • CH wrote...
    Put Slot machines in high schools . . . .
    May 21, 2012 2:54 am
    give 20% of the take to the indians. Ho HO HO-HO . . . . ho ho ho-ho . . . . time to smoke the peace pipe Ho HO HO-HO . . . . ho ho ho-ho . . . . http://youtu.be/4bu248f3Th8
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  • tlmbrt wrote...
    The decline
    May 21, 2012 3:42 am
    of a civilization starts as soon as they begin devaluing and disparaging their own culture and traditions, so they won't "offend" others! It has happened with so-called "religious" holidays (Christmas, Easter, even Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day). We even go out of our way to ban things that don't (but COULD) offend someone. Our President runs around apologizing for America. Why is pride in your own country considered old fashioned, uncool, even radical?
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  • cw1997 wrote...
    Seriously
    May 21, 2012 5:13 am
    Typically a mascot is adopted because of the RESPECT that it has earned not because there is some reason to ridicule or otherwise demean the name or what it stands for. I know we could adopt the "Fighting Artichokes" or some other....wait then the carrots would be offended. Could we just get OVER IT
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  • artimus wrote...
    I don't know what they're complaining about
    May 21, 2012 5:56 am
    We took their land a long, long time ago, killed the majority of their food source and drove them on to 'reservations' (ever been through White Swan by Yakima? It's delightful). You'd think they'd be willing to forgive and forget after all this time.
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  • NH3Hank wrote...
    We Who?
    May 21, 2012 9:28 am
    I am only 45, so I didn't do anything. In fact, I'll bet there isn't a person tuned into MyNW that did ANYTHING to a Native American!
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