Native American Mascots Could Be Banned in Historic First

Massachusetts legislators are debating a pair of bills that would effectively ban Native American mascots and symbolism in public high schools.

State Senator Joanne Comerford and state Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley proposed the bills in February to eliminate Native American high school mascots statewide in addition to banning logos, mascots and team names that "denigrate...any racial, ethnic, gender, or religious group." It is the third such attempt to make the changing of mascots a statewide issue, dating to the 2019-2020 legislative session.

There has been a renewed focus on Native American mascots in recent years across many states and athletic organizations that encompass all ages, notably the National Football League's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians. Washington's football team, which became the Commanders in 2022, had been the Redskins until 2020. The Guardians changed from Indians after the 2021 season.

In September, the Washington NFL franchise was sued on behalf of the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) for what it claims has been a coordinated and willful effort by the team to defame NAGA. A Commanders spokesperson previously told Newsweek that the complaint is without merit and would be properly adjudicated.

Comerford told Newsweek on Wednesday that she hopes the third attempt is the charm. Seeing cultural advancements takes time, she said, but she referenced major changes among professional sports franchises and said the same standards can be met in her state.

"I believe it is a part of a racial justice reckoning that I believe has taken us to a better place, but it's not there yet," she said.

The issue was one of the main reasons that Native American constituents reached out to her during her campaign.

From talking to them and other representatives from other states across the country, she understood the gravity of a "really significantly long school-by-school battle in the Commonwealth" that to her is a civil rights issue.

"We can't fight this school district by school district," she said. "It's unwinnable, and it puts the burden largely on the shoulders of Native Americans and indigenous leaders and members of the community when it should be on the shoulders of someone like me."

Fluker Oakley said during a hearing Monday in the State House that Native American mascots and similar symbols can have pernicious psychological effects on indigenous children.

"Native American mascots reinforce negative stereotypes and generate a hostile climate for students," Fluker Oakley said, according to Boston public radio station WGBH. "Researchers have found that Native American mascots resulted in lower self-esteem, lower perceptions of...community worth and lower achievement."

In a statement provided by Fluker Oakley to Newsweek, she said tribal leaders and community advocates have been working tirelessly on the issue of Native American mascots for years.

"This bill originated from a resident with an idea, a law clinic at Suffolk University, and tribal representatives working together to find a solution to address the negative impacts of these harmful mascots on both native and non-native students," she said. "I was happy to join in their efforts by refiling this legislation that will make our public schools a safer, more inclusive place for students to learn and grow."

Others at the hearing made similar arguments, that the symbols are harmful, dehumanizing and racist. Activists in favor of such changes also expressed weariness, in terms of facing pushback from others who want to maintain the status quo.

"The remaining schools with Native mascots are stubbornly attached to controlling our Native identities, which they are using against our wishes," said Rhonda Anderson, the Western Massachusetts Commissioner on Indian Affairs. "Native Americans including myself have faced racial slurs, threats of violence and harassment from communities when we challenge the use of these mascots."

State Senator Jason Lewis, who chairs the chamber's joint committee on education, told Newsweek that he strongly supports the legislation.

"It's past time now for the state legislature to enact a statewide ban on Native American mascots," Lewis said. "I was proud to help lead the effort in 2021 to pass legislation to replace the current state seal and flag, which have long been viewed as racist symbols, and I'm hopeful that we will also take action to finally end the use of all racist school mascots in the Commonwealth."

The New England Anti-Mascot Coalition (NEAMC), which advocates for the elimination of racial stereotypes in the form of sports mascots, nicknames and logos in high schools, colleges and universities, and in professional sports, says that 46 New England high schools use some sort of Native American moniker.

Massachusetts has 23 schools with such mascots, more than any other state in the region, and is followed by Connecticut with 10. Some schools in Massachusetts, like Grafton and Algonquin, have changed their mascots.

Others have not, including some in Central Massachusetts like Bartlett High School (Indians), Narragansett Regional High School (Warriors), Nipmuc Regional High School (Warriors) and Tantasqua Regional High School (Warriors), according to the Worcester Telegram.

In 2020, North Brookfield High School changed its mascot from the Indians to the Bobcats. However, community members later voted to change it back.

In western Massachusetts, Taconic High and Turner Falls High changed their school mascot, while Mohawk Trail Regional no longer uses a Native American in its logo, according to WWLP.

Last month, the Foxborough School Committee voted to get rid of its Native American mascot and symbolism, according to Boston.com. The committee decided to keep the name "Warriors."

"It's a racist way of looking at us indigenous people," Faries Gray, a member of the Massachusetts Tribe of the Ponkapoag, said on Monday, according to Spectrum 1 News. "This crop of racism, we cannot just wave a magic wand at and get rid of. We can't do that. We can take away pieces at a time.

"This is one of those pieces. This is a place where it has to happen. We can't continue to go to these schools."

If voted into law, the state's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will set a deadline for schools still using any Native American mascots or symbolism to adopt new names and iconography. During the process, schools would be allowed to temporarily continue using old uniforms and signs, etc.

A spokesperson for the board told Newsweek via email that it does not comment on pending legislation.

Comerford, who spoke on the floor on Tuesday about her legislation, said this bill may not be fully deliberated and voted on until July 2024. However, she feels a personal sense of urgency due to how the issue resonates with her and the community and constituents she represents.

She hopes common ground can be met among those in opposition, including those who say that eliminating Native American mascots and symbols only alienate Native Americans themselves. To her, it's also an educational issue.

"It does offer us a real insight into some of the reason some, not all, are stubbornly wed to the mascots and have a right to it," Comerford said. "A tribe doesn't want to be honored as a one-dimensional caricature...There is this misguided notion that mascots are a way to 'teach' people."

Update 11/15/23, 10:31 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Joanne Comerford, Brandy Fluker Oakley, Jason Lewis, and the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.