@@ NYS schools must replace Native American mascots/names

[whattheheck]

www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/main/indigenous-native-american-mascot-memo.pdf

NYS Department of Education mandates all school districts must commit to replacing “Native American team name, logo, and/or imagery by the end of the 2022-23 school year” and people in my District (Warriors) are losing their shit on Facebook.

[Jalapeñomel]

Good!


(Please include an @@@ in the title)

[whattheheck]

Dec 4, 2022 10:21:13 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Good!


(Please include an @@@ in the title)

Done and thank you for reminding me.

[cattledogkisses]

Maine did this in back 2019. It's nice to see some other states following suit.

Yes, there were some people that pitched an unholy fit about it. New mascots were picked anyway, life has gone on, and people still have pride in their schools and communities under their new mascots. And now our Native people don't have to see racist caricatures of themselves at sporting and other school events.

[wildfloweragain]

Our district is (hopefully) also affected by this, and it means a great deal to me. I get very angry because our district pretends they are "doing it right" and that our mascot is an honor, even when asked by several people, including elders, to stop using the name. I work for my district and am trying not to out myself on purpose, but if anyone needs specific resources, I probably have them saved.

If anyone reading this thinks they have an argument for not changing their name/mascot/imagery, you can also feel free to reply here or PM me and I won't make fun of you for not knowing. It's pretty much going to boil down to: "No, the group you are thinking of is not cool with it, but yes, I'm sure someone in your district said they were."

I'm running to my dad's for a few hours, but I'll be back in the early afternoon.

[penguingrrl]

It’s about damn time. My middle school changed our Warrior mascot from an Indian head to a knight (keeping the name) decades ago without controversy. There was agreement that it wasn’t right and it got changed. I don’t see why it’s a big deal.

Yet just this year a visiting HS football team was called the Indians with the most racist mascots I’ve seen in my life. It was absolutely triggering and startling to see and I wrote to our principal that we shouldn’t allow that at our home games, hoping that if maybe schools won’t play against them they’ll be forced to change.

[pixy0stix]

CO did this last year, and all schools had to change by June of this year (unless they had a partnership with an indigenous tribe).

[pandorica]

I'm so happy about this. Our oldest kid is only 3, but our school district is the Indians and we hate it and had discussed how we wanted to try to get it changed in the future. Glad to see they will have to change it now!

[stemmie]

Good for them.


A neighboring district's high school using "Redskins"; students and teachers having been fighting against this one for years and yet it persists. How is this a thing?

whyy.org/articles/defense-expert-neshaminy-school-district-mascot-reflects-living-tradition/


ETA: the district spent $500,000 defending the mascot. It's disgusting.

[Deleted]

It’s sad commentary that it requires a RULE to get some districts to do this, but I’m glad it’s finally finally happening.

Now if college and pro teams would only follow suit.

[NewOrleans]

Dec 4, 2022 12:56:24 GMT -5 @villainv said:

It’s sad commentary that it requires a RULE to get some districts to do this, but I’m glad it’s finally finally happening.

Now if college and pro teams would only follow suit.

Yeah, my elementary school changed its team name in the *80’s* so it’s not like this is brand new discussion.  Catch up, people.  America feels entitled to Native names, images… children… 

[NewOrleans]

Dec 4, 2022 10:56:31 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

CO did this last year, and all schools had to change by June of this year (unless they had a partnership with an indigenous tribe).

Interesting stipulation.  I wonder how it works and what other outcomes the partnerships are meant to produce. 

[wildfloweragain]

Dec 4, 2022 13:09:12 GMT -5 NewOrleans said:

Dec 4, 2022 10:56:31 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

CO did this last year, and all schools had to change by June of this year (unless they had a partnership with an indigenous tribe).

Interesting stipulation.  I wonder how it works and what other outcomes the partnerships are meant to produce. 

Yes, NY also has this stipulation. I'm concerned about this loophole because our school "scored a compromise" 20 years ago, so technically, they were given permission. It was not a blessing. It did make a big improvement because the more offensive imagery was changed and yes, an effort has now been made to teach the local history.

But the elders have since then asked that the name please be changed and our school said no, they don't have to. It has also been explained to our administration that the new logo is problematic in a different way now and our school doesn't care.

The day this came out, I did email the director of the educational place we worked with before for this and asked that "current permission" please not be granted.  The impact of forced compromises is really part of what we should be teaching, not taking advantage of.

[wildfloweragain]

Dec 4, 2022 14:30:00 GMT -5 wildfloweragain said:

Dec 4, 2022 13:09:12 GMT -5 NewOrleans said:

Interesting stipulation.  I wonder how it works and what other outcomes the partnerships are meant to produce. 

Yes, NY also has this stipulation. I'm concerned about this loophole because our school "scored a compromise" 20 years ago, so technically, they were given permission. It was not a blessing. It did make a big improvement because the more offensive imagery was changed and yes, an effort has now been made to teach the local history.

But the elders have since then asked that the name please be changed and our school said no, they don't have to. It has also been explained to our administration that the new logo is problematic in a different way now and our school doesn't care.

The day this came out, I did email the director of the educational place we worked with before for this and asked that "current permission" please not be granted.  The impact of forced compromises is really part of what we should be teaching, not taking advantage of.

And I believe the stipulation is just in there so a predominantly native school doesn't get their identity stripped if they happen to have a case that woudl be affected by this otherwise.

[karinothing]

This caused me to look up out HS mascot..we are the warriors but the mascot is a knight which always seemed random to me. But I guess it was an Indian head prior to 2003. So kept the name changed the mascot.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Our district did this in the early 2000s (I think). I'm sure people pitched a fit back then but literally no one cares anymore. I don't think that many people with kids in the district even really ever that we used to be the Braves.

[Deleted]

Dec 4, 2022 13:09:12 GMT -5 NewOrleans said:

Dec 4, 2022 10:56:31 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

CO did this last year, and all schools had to change by June of this year (unless they had a partnership with an indigenous tribe).

Interesting stipulation.  I wonder how it works and what other outcomes the partnerships are meant to produce. 

Florida State University (Seminoles) apparently had an agreement with the Florida Seminole Tribal Council allowing the use of the name and imagery. The mascot is, according to the school not offensive and meant to honor the tribe and not demean it.

However, they still have a white person dressed as Chief Osceola (complete with head dress) ride out onto the field, and the (predominantly white) students wear feathers in their hair and do the tomahawk chop and other chants meant to mimic native war cries…..so I think they still have a long way to go.

www.thenation.com/article/archive/florida-state-seminoles-champions-racist-mascots/

[AdaraMarie]

Dec 4, 2022 13:09:12 GMT -5 NewOrleans said:

Dec 4, 2022 10:56:31 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

CO did this last year, and all schools had to change by June of this year (unless they had a partnership with an indigenous tribe).

Interesting stipulation.  I wonder how it works and what other outcomes the partnerships are meant to produce. 

I think the partnership existed before the law and that's why it was written that way. The one I know of has this on their website:

AHS is one of the few public high schools in America that has a unique relationship with the Native American. The Arapaho Tribal Nation has endorsed not only the name of our high school, but also the Warrior Mascot and Logo. Native American visitors can often be seen in our school interacting with students and staff and teaching classes, as well as celebrating the renewal of our relationship. We are very proud of our authentic “Warrior Spirit” as we participate and compete with the top high schools in Colorado in athletics, activities, performing arts, visual arts, and academics.

[AdaraMarie]

My kid's middle school had to stop using their mascot, which I didn't even know was a Native American symbol. Thy started this year with no mascot and had a vote for the new one. The new one is dumb imo, but I don't care that they had to switch. It's a good rule.

[sonrisa]

About time.

A local school ditched Sir Francis Drake (who never landed anywhere near here but long time lore thought he did) a slave trader and general asshole for an Olympic gold medal winner who had also been a Tuskgee Airman and then taught at the school for two decades after retiring from the military. A fantastic upgrade.

[cattledogkisses]

This thread jogged my memory that the middle school I attended in New Hampshire had an Indian mascot when I was there. I googled and it looks like they've since changed the mascot to a lynx. It's good to see school districts making positive changes even without a statewide law (it also looks like NH rejected a measure this year to ban native mascots at a state level... ugh).

[livinitup]

I still have not seen a cohesive defense of keeping Native American names or likeness as school mascots in NYS. Near my parent’s house, “The Chiefs” HS have a huge wall painted with a Native American head with a headdress including feathers. I saw this recently and thought “What the? Still?? Really??”

Those opposing the required mascot change are screaming “Once a Chief, Always a Chief” on lawn signs and banners. Uhm, okay?

That’s it.

And one un-ironic editorial that we shouldn’t change the name because we shouldn’t erase the Native American culture. (Spoiler: the district has 0% Native Americans enrolled).

[akayf]

My middle school did not have a mascot when I was a student there. So I was very surprised when my kids started and they were the warriors. But the logo/mascot is a knights helmet and is rarely used. I actually had to go to the school website to double check that it was a knight and it took me awhile to find the logo!

[msmerymac]

There was a district near Buffalo that had the same mascot as the former mascot of the Washington Football Team and when they tried to change it maybe like 5 years ago there was SO much outrage from a ton of people who obviously peaked in high school and have never left their hometown. Anyway, they finally got the change through maybe two years ago.

I know there is a district near my mom that’s the Indians, though. There are a lot of kids in military families in that district, which really harkens back to the use of the military against the Native Americans, but also its a pretty diverse district for the area so you’d think they would have reconsidered it by now.

[starburst604]

Dec 4, 2022 20:00:33 GMT -5 livinitup said:

I still have not seen a cohesive defense of keeping Native American names or likeness as school mascots in NYS. Near my parent’s house, “The Chiefs” HS have a huge wall painted with a Native American head with a headdress including feathers. I saw this recently and thought “What the? Still?? Really??”

Those opposing the required mascot change are screaming “Once a Chief, Always a Chief” on lawn signs and banners. Uhm, okay?

That’s it.

And one un-ironic editorial that we shouldn’t change the name because we shouldn’t erase the Native American culture. (Spoiler: the district has 0% Native Americans enrolled).

It was the same here when our town changed the team name a couple of years ago. Formerly the Rebels - which people tried to argue wasn't didn't have racist ties since we are in the North. Ummm yeah, they used to play "Dixie" at games back in the day and there were confederate flags on display by the fields in the last decade, so no. So now we are the Timberwolves (no wolves in this area but that was the popular vote), and life has gone on! 

[Deleted]

Dec 5, 2022 15:23:54 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

There was a district near Buffalo that had the same mascot as the former mascot of the Washington Football Team and when they tried to change it maybe like 5 years ago there was SO much outrage from a ton of people who obviously peaked in high school and have never left their hometown. Anyway, they finally got the change through maybe two years ago.

I know there is a district near my mom that’s the Indians, though. There are a lot of kids in military families in that district, which really harkens back to the use of the military against the Native Americans, but also its a pretty diverse district for the area so you’d think they would have reconsidered it by now.

Can you elaborate on how military kids in a district has anything to do with use of the military against native Americans? I have not heard this perspective before and would like to understand it better.

[fancynewbeesly]

Dec 4, 2022 10:39:33 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

It’s about damn time. My middle school changed our Warrior mascot from an Indian head to a knight (keeping the name) decades ago without controversy. There was agreement that it wasn’t right and it got changed. I don’t see why it’s a big deal.

Yet just this year a visiting HS football team was called the Indians with the most racist mascots I’ve seen in my life. It was absolutely triggering and startling to see and I wrote to our principal that we shouldn’t allow that at our home games, hoping that if maybe schools won’t play against them they’ll be forced to change.

Was that visiting high school the one in my town. Because I don’t think they would change unless forced to.

[wawa]

I recently learned that my county has a policy of only naming new schools after geographic features and I think new mascots must be animals. Seems like a smart policy to duck aaaaaaaalll of this. People clinging to things like the mascot of their high school like it's an indelible piece of their culture are ri-goddamn-diculus.

[whattheheck]

Back when I went to HS in NYC we had the:
Stuyvesant Peg Legs
Bronx Science “Science-ites”
Brooklyn Tech Engineers.

I think Peg Legs is under debate and the Science-ites are now Wolverines.

[penguingrrl]

Dec 5, 2022 22:55:31 GMT -5 fancynewbeesly said:

Dec 4, 2022 10:39:33 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

It’s about damn time. My middle school changed our Warrior mascot from an Indian head to a knight (keeping the name) decades ago without controversy. There was agreement that it wasn’t right and it got changed. I don’t see why it’s a big deal.

Yet just this year a visiting HS football team was called the Indians with the most racist mascots I’ve seen in my life. It was absolutely triggering and startling to see and I wrote to our principal that we shouldn’t allow that at our home games, hoping that if maybe schools won’t play against them they’ll be forced to change.

Was that visiting high school the one in my town. Because I don’t think they would change unless forced to.

It was your town. I was so startled and upset by them. It was a disgusting display of racism, right down to the two mascots. I totally agree that they will need to be compelled by law to change, but I’m hoping that if districts refuse to play against them that will help push it. Realistically I don’t think that will happen.