Controversy continues to swirl around the Washington Redskins and the team’s nickname and logo, which depicts the profile of a Native American man. That controversy is now trickling down into the public school system, but officials say they are unconcerned.
According to the Washington Post, a bill was introduced by two members of the D.C. Council, which is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia, that if approved would alter the Human Rights Act and ban the use of any race-based nicknames, logos, mascots or team names.
If the bill passes, two schools in the area would be forced to change their nicknames and would align the policy with the resolution that the council passed last year calling on the Washington Redskins to change its name.
Many schools in Indiana feature Native American nicknames and mascots, including two in Miami County, the home of the Miami Nation of Indiana.
“The Maconaquah Braves mascot has not been an issue since I was hired four years ago,” Doug Arnold, superintendent of Maconaquah schools, said. “I am told it has never been an issue. In fact, the Maconaquah Schools have had a very healthy and productive relationship with the Miami Tribe in Miami County. Maconaquah High School uses the Brave mascot in a very respectful manner. I hope that we can continue to do so.”
North Miami schools use the Warriors nickname. A representative for the district could not be reached for comment.
Mike Powell, superintendent of Mississinewa schools in Gas City, said it had received some negative feedback on its nickname a few years ago but that it was quickly sorted out. Mississinewa High School’s nickname is the Indians.
“Probably about five or six years ago we had an Native American from Indiana call us about wanting to come to a board meeting because they were concerned about us using that mascot,” he said.
Powell said that once the individual had visited the school and spoken with district officials that, “They were totally fine and had no problem with it. Other than that, I haven’t heard of anything else in the 30 or so years that I’ve been here.”
Since the 1970s, more than 600 high schools and college teams across the U.S. have retired their Native American nicknames, with the topic sparking passionate debates about whether the use of Native American tribe names or images are racially insensitive or an homage to history and culture.
The Washington, D.C., school system is not the first to consider or outright ban the use of Native American names and mascots from schools. In 2012, eight Oregon high schools retired their Native American mascots after the Board of Education voted to prohibit them.
According to the Associated Press, Oregon schools have five years to comply with the order or risk losing their state funding. Seven high schools with the nickname “Warriors” will be allowed to keep their name but will have to change mascots or graphics that depict Native Americans. Elementary and middle schools will also be affected by the order.
In a 2012 report from the Associated Press, Jim Smith, the principal of Banks High School in Oregon, whose mascot is the Braves, said the order was an opportunity to welcome public discourse on the subject.
“It’s a chance for us to talk about family and tradition and loyalty,” he said.
Among other states, Wisconsin has also enacted restrictions on Native American mascots and, more recently, Colorado began discussing limitations to Native American mascots or logos in September.
According to the Associated Press, Rep. Joe Salazar plans to introduce a bill during the legislative session that begins in January and would call for a panel with representatives from Native American communities to decide whether a school can use a certain logo or mascot.
“We have too many people saying, ‘I don’t think this is offensive,’ and they’re not Native American,” Salazar said in a report from the Associated Press. “It’s about saying that we as the state of Colorado, we will not fund discriminatory behavior.”
The list of nicknames and mascots derived from Native American culture is long: for high schools alone there are 30 different recorded names from the Apaches to the Warriors.
Powell said the decision to change a school’s established mascot and nickname was something that each individual school should decide for itself.
“That’s totally up to every individual school,” he said. “We’ve had that nickname since Mississinewa was consolidated over 60 years ago. Until we’re mandated to change that, I’m not going to waste my time worrying about that.”
The Miami Nation of Indiana could not be reached for comment, but Arnold said that there is a difference between an NFL team and a local school district that has strong ties with its local community.
“I don't see the Washington Redskins controversy affecting public schools. There is a clear difference between professional athletics and high school athletics,” he said. “Schools are connected to their communities and have their support and trust.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.