Maine Becomes the First Official State to Ban Native American Mascots
The law will go into effect in the next 90 days.
Over the last couple of decades, the debate has raged on about using Native American people and symbols as the mascots of a sports team. Some teams have changed and some refuse to do so. One state has set their foot down on what they think about this. Maine's governor has signed a bill making the state the first to prohibit public schools, colleges, and universities from using Native American symbols as mascots.
Governor Jane Mills signed the bill on Thursday and the policy will go into effect within the next 90 days. The bill prevents a school from "having or adopting a name, symbol or image that depicts or refers to a Native American tribe, individual, custom or tradition and that is used as a mascot, nickname, logo, letterhead or team name of the school."
"While Indian mascots were often originally chosen to recognize and honor a school's unique connection to Native American communities in Maine, we have heard clearly and unequivocally from Maine tribes that they are a source of pain and anguish," said Mills said in a statement .
Apparently the last high school in the area to use this was the Skowhegan high school and they were the 'Indians'. They voted to change their team in March and no word yet on what they will go as in the upcoming school year. Here locally, Midwestern State University got rid of their 'Indians' team name in 2005. Switching to the Mustangs in 2006.
The following Texas high schools use some form of Native American team name. Avinger Indians, Comanche Indians, Donna Redskins, Fort Davis Indians, Frankston Indians, Friona Chieftains, Gonzalez Apaches, Granado Indians, Grand Saline Indians, Groveton Indians, Haskell Indians, Jacksonville Indians, Jourdanton Indians, Keller Indians, Morton Indians, Nocona Indians, Paint Rock Indians, Port Neches-Groves Indians, Quanah Indians, San Ang. Lake View Chiefs, SA Harlandale Indians, Sanger Indians, Santa Fe Indians, Seminole Indians, Sommerville Yeguas, S-ville Huckabay Indians, Waxahachie Indians, and Ysleta Indians.