Decision To Change American Indian School Mascots Stands

TAMPA, FL -- Brooker Elementary School students can still be brave. They just can't be "The Braves."

That's the conclusion of the Hillsborough County School District after a diversity advisory group recommended that the district do away with American Indian mascots at schools.

After a 10-year-old Brooker Elementary School student launched a petition drive objecting to altering the longtime mascot at the school, the Hillsborough County School Board discussed the matter at its meeting last week and said the school district's decision will stand.

However, the school district agreed to allow schools to have more time to make the transition to new mascots.

In May, the school district announced that five elementary schools and one middle school were either replacing or altering their mascots featuring American Indian imagery.

These included the mascots for Adams Middle School, Brooker Elementary, Forest Hills Elementary, Ruskin Elementary, Summerfield Elementary and Thonotosassa Elementary.

Adams' mascot is the Warriors; Thonotosassa is the Chiefs; Summerfield is the Indians; and Forest Hills, Brooker and Ruskin are all the Braves.

"The current mascots do not respect every culture and every person in our communities. Using Native American images and mascots can easily reduce living human beings to the level of a cartoon, caricature or stereotype," the school district said in a press release. "Even when there is no bad intent, these images can carry on and spread some of the symbols of the most painful parts of our great country's history."

The decision was made after consulting an advisory group made up of school parents with an American Indian heritage.

Among the members of the advisory group was Jaymie Perez who said the mascots are offensive to her culture.

"The mascot itself is a caricature," she said. "It has reduced us down to nothing more than a Mickey or Minnie Mouse."

The school district, however, made an exception for two high schools. Chamberlain and East Bay high schools will keep their current mascots. East Bay's mascot is the Indians and Chamberlain's is the Chiefs.

"We believe students at the high school level are better prepared to understand the differences and sensitivities around cultures," said the district. "These cultural details are now part of the learning for students and is the legacy these students are leaving for future students."

Before school ended for the summer, parent advisory groups at each school came up with a list of new mascots. Ballots were then sent home, allowing the students and parents to vote for their favorite.

But at the June 4 meeting students and parents urged the school district to reconsider before the schools go to the expense of re-branding with new mascots.

Among those speaking up was Brooker student Maggie Ramos, who objected to changing the school's 58-year-old mascot.

"I'm standing up for what I believe in," Ramos told the school board. "I feel like that defines what a Brave is. No one has had a problem with it for 58 years, so why now?"

Superintendent Jeff Eakins said the decision wasn't made lightly. Since February 2018 until May, there were at least 11 meetings to discuss the issue.

"There's a dangerous possibility that ethnic names and imagery may impact Native Americans and reinforce stereotypes," Perez said. "I expect to see differences in attitudes toward American natives by eliminating these mascots."

School Board member Melissa Snively agreed the school district has the authority to make this decision but felt there should have been more communication with the school parents and students.

"Some controversial decisions should be made more in the sunshine," she said. "We have a lot of people we have to answer to."

School board member Cindy Stuart agreed, noting that the school board wasn't even aware of the change.

"I didn't like the rush to make changes without the board being aware," she said. "To my knowledge, no board members were invited to participate in these meetings. The people in the community put us in these seats so when you put out information to the public, they come to us. We are rushing into something, in my opinion."

Eakin said the change in mascots had the support of all the school principals involved.

"Some schools are ready to move forward with this," he said. "For the schools that aren't, maybe we should allow time to have more conversations in their communities."

See related story:

School Board To Discuss Doing Away With American Indian Mascots