Native American Nicknames Officially Scrapped In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The West Hartford Board of Education Tuesday night voted to officially eliminate the nicknames of both Conard and Hall high schools in a move to rid the athletic fields and school buildings of potentially insensitive Native American references once and for all.

The logos of Conard — the Chieftains — and Hall — the Warriors — had already been altered. Now new names and logos will be solicited and the goal is to have them in place by the end of the school year.

Opinions in town have been mixed, especially in the sports community.

In June, state officials made it clear that grant money from Connecticut's Tribal casinos would be in jeopardy for schools that maintained nicknames with Native American references.

In November, West Hartford officials sent a letter to Chuck Bunnell, the chief of staff for the Mohegan Tribal Council, seeking input on the matter.