NY orders schools to stop using Native American mascots, nicknames by end of school year

The New York State Department of Education is ordering all schools to stop using Native American mascots, nicknames and logos by the end of the 2022-2023 school year — or risk losing state aid.

According to the Times Union, the state Education Department announced the directive Thursday in honor of Native American Heritage month, which is November. The order was emailed to all districts and signed by senior Deputy Education Commissioner James Baldwin, but does not include NYS Education Commissioner Betty Rosa’s name or signature.

“Those school districts that continue to utilize Native American team names, logos, and/or imagery without current approval from a recognized tribe must immediately come into compliance,” Baldwin wrote.

“Should a district fail to affirmatively commit to replacing its Native American team name, logo, and/or imagery by the end of the 2022-23 school year, it may be in willful violation of the Dignity Act. The penalties for such a violation include the removal of school officers and the withholding of State Aid.”

Baldwin applauded districts that have voluntarily dropped sports mascots with Native American names or imagery, such as the Lyme Central School District in Jefferson County. Several pro sports teams have also changed their monikers in recent years, including the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians and the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

But as many as 60 school districts in the state still use nicknames or mascots that reference indigenous people, including the Oneida Indians, Oriskany Redskins, Sauquoit Valley Indians, Waterville Indians and West Canada Valley Indians. Others use the name “Warriors,” which is commonly associated with Native American origins and has been accused of depicting a negative stereotype of indigenous people as violent.

Baldwin invited schools to reach out to the state education department for advice on changing nicknames and mascots unless they have current approval from a recognized tribe.

“Schools are learning environments; students learn as much through observation of their surroundings as they do from direct instruction,” he wrote. “In addition to their legal obligations, boards of education that continue to utilize Native American mascots must reflect upon the message their choices convey to students, parents, and their communities.”

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