State bans Native mascots despite Tribal input

The Oregon Board of Education voted 5-1 on Thursday, May 17, to ban Native American-themed mascots by 2017 or schools risk losing state funding.

The decision, which runs contrary to the stated wishes of some of the state's nine federally recognized Tribes, requires Oregon public schools eliminate names, such as "Indians," "Chiefs" and "Braves." "Warriors" can still be used, but school logos cannot reference Tribal customs or traditions.

The Board of Education reportedly received about 750 comments on the new policy and about 400 of them were in favor of the ban.

The high schools directly affected by the decision are Banks, Mohawk, Molalla, Reedsport, Rogue River, Roseburg, Scappoose and Dalles-Wahtonka.

The seven high schools that use "Warriors" as their mascot that will have to drop logos and mascots depicting Native Americans are Amity, Lebanon, North Douglas, Oakridge, Philomath, Siletz Valley and Warrenton.

Chemawa Indian School, which is operated by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and uses "Braves" as its mascot, will not be affected by the new state rule.

The Grand Ronde Tribe's stand on the Native American mascots issue was that the mascots actually were compliments to Native Tribes and that their use should be settled on a case-by-case basis between individual schools and their nearest Native American Tribe.

Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy recently said that mascots are supposed to be inspirational and, therefore, it was a compliment that schools would use a Native American mascot.

The Tribe also opposed a one-size-fits-all solution to the issue.

Vice Chair Reyn Leno said he was disappointed that the Board of Education missed the entire point that the Grand Ronde Tribe supported - teaching Oregon children about Tribal history is a more important issue than the use of Native mascots by high schools.

Leno said he also was disappointed that the government-to-government process created by Gov. John Kitzhaber was overlooked in the process that brought about the Native mascot ban.

"The Tribe is very disappointed that they've trampled our sovereignty and have ignored something that our Tribes in Oregon have been calling for for years, which is curriculum that accurately describes Oregon's Native history," said Tribal Public Affairs Director Siobhan Taylor.

The Grand Ronde Tribe has consistently pushed for a proactive solution: Inclusion of Oregon Tribal history in state curriculum requirements as a way to honor Oregon Native American Tribes and educate Oregonians about Tribal history in the state.

"Why are our children going to school and teaching their teachers about Oregon Tribal history?" Leno has consistently asked in meetings.

Tribes should have been able "to address these issues within their territories," Taylor said.

"Instead, they moved ahead with a policy that really is a mandate without any funding," she said.