Bill eyes American Indian mascots

Legislation would fine schools that retain derogatory nicknames

Colorado schools with mascots or names like “Savages” and “Reds” would have to change the derogatory American Indian symbols or face monthly fines under a bill just introduced in the Colorado Legislature.

Just 25 schools have such mascots. Many others have already made the switch to something less of fensive, but others have not changed despite recommendations, said bill sponsor and Wheat Ridge Democrat Sen. Jessie Danielson.

Her proposal would ban American Indian mascots and give schools until June, 1, 2022, to make the change. If they don’t, they’d face a monthly fine of $25,000.

“It’s long overdue,” Glenn Morris of the Colorado chapter of the American Indian Movement said. “There’s just no logical justification for them continuing it and it’s just a matter of privilege getting in the way of doing the right thing.”

The effort comes as people, governments and sports teams across the countr y are examining racist symbols in public places. Last fall, a geographic naming board in Colorado was formed to examine renaming racist or derogator y mountains and open spaces.

Various attempts by advocates to change the mascots of some Colorado schools in the state have recently been successful, while other efforts are ongoing.

A renewed push began last year in Lamar — whose high school mascot is the Savages — by a group of alumni and students who formed “Lamar Proud” and are petitioning the school board to make a change.

Ongoing discussions with the Lamar School Board have not brought about the change the group had hoped for.

Alumnus Jacob Reed, who graduated in 2012, suppor ts the new bill, saying he didn’t realize when he was a student the connotations mascots carried. But as he learned more and listened to indigenous voices, he said he became part of the effort in Lamar.

“We’re really in this to move Lamar and Colorado to be a more open and inclusive society and we’re just star ting at the mascot level,” he said of “Lamar Proud.”

Colorado isn’t alone in its push: Maine and Oregon already have statewide bans. Washington State’s similar bill just passed the House, Massachusetts lawmakers also are considering banning the mascots and, Wisconsin’s governor would look to use state money to help schools remove the mascots. Utah lawmakers tried for a ban, but the resolution failed last week.

On a national level, Washington’s NFL team dropped its offensive nickname last summer, Cleveland’s MLB team will find a new nickname soon and the NCAA banned American Indian mascots in 2005.

Arguments for and against

Colorado has tried this before. In 2010, a bill to require approval by the Colorado Commission of Indian Af fairs for any Indian mascots was ultimately withdrawn. Democrats couldn’t pass a bill to ban the mascots in a split legislature in 2015. That same year, then-gov. John Hickenlooper formed a commission to study American Indian representation in schools, but only four schools agreed to get involved. The commission had recommended the removal of all American Indian mascots in the state.

Opponents of changing mascots and names previously argued that the logos are not intended to be disrespectful and have been used for decades, so they would be dif ficult to change. Some have cited monetary concerns.

Sen. Don Coram, a Montrose Republican who opposes the new bill, is a graduate of Montrose High School, home of the Montrose Indians.

“I think it’s a local issue, not a statewide issue. … There’s so much respect for the Ute Nation in my district,” he said. “We’d never do something to disrespect them.”

But these mascots are denigrating and humiliating to American Indians, said Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, a Commerce City Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill.

“It continues the idea that native people are not people, that they’re cartoon characters or something else or that they no longer exist. And that’s not at all true,” she said.

And after a year where people across the nation demanded social and racial justice, there’s more to be done, Danielson said, and “the time to stop Colorado from using these derogator y mascots is now.”