Posted: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 7:00 pm
The State Board of Education has offered sage advice to the 30 or so school districts in Nebraska that have Native mascots or nicknames.
The board wants them to consider dropping mascots such as Indians, Braves, Chiefs and Warriors.
The districts should take heed and start local discussions.
Schools will soon be formally informed of the board’s position in a letter signed by Education Commissioner Doug Christensen and board President Fred Meyer.
The board is trying to discourage usage of Native mascots and nicknames without being heavy-handed about it.
Board action on the issue was requested at a meeting last spring by Native leader Frank LaMere and a group of school age Natives.
Opposition to Native mascots on the grounds that their use is stigmatizing and patronizing has existed for years. The trend away from usage seems to have gained strength in recent years.
The trend accelerated at the college level after the National Collegiate Athletic Association prohibited schools from displaying racially or ethnically “hostile” or “abusive” names or logos in postseason play starting this year.
A handful of colleges have won exemptions after showing that the schools had approval of local tribes to use the nicknames. But many other schools are dropping their Native nicknames. Southeastern Oklahoma State University, for example, is dropping “Savages” in favor of “Savage Storm” after the powerful storms in the Great Plains.
The Nebraska communities with Native mascots may believe that they do no harm. But Christensen said that the nicknames sometimes provoke fans to make disparaging racial remarks, which makes Native students feel bullied.
The U.S. Civil Rights Office averages about one complaint a year from someone in Nebraska complaining about fan behavior related to Native nicknames, Christensen said.
While it’s true that communities are reluctant to alter tradition, it’s also true adoption of a new mascot is not that uncommon. New traditions take root quickly. How many people remember what Stanford’s mascot was before it became the “Cardinal” in 1972? The “Sooner Schooner” did not become the official Oklahoma University mascot until 1980. OU retired Native dancer “Little Red” in 1970.
A great example of how dealing with the issue can be a learning experience was set in Nebraska by Millard South, which dropped its Native nickname in 1999 after a two-month process including presentations by Native representatives. At the start support for the nickname was strong. By the end many had changed their minds.
The remaining schools in the state with Native mascots should follow Millard South’s lead. The state board of education’s encouragement for voluntary local action is a good first step toward reform.