Native American Live Mascot Retired By Maine West

DES PLAINES, IL — Maine West High School administrators announced Monday the school will no longer have one of its students dress up as an American Indian at sporting events and rallies. The decision to retire the Maine West Warrior live mascot the comes less than a month after it drew the attention of Native Americans on social media and the school promised to review its practices.

In an email to parents, Principal Audrey Haugan said Maine West will retain the name Warriors, but there would be "no student or adult in costume representing a Native American Warrior of any kind." The decision, she wrote, "best honors tradition while eliminating practices that are increasingly viewed as insensitive or demeaning."

Haugan said that she and Assistant Principal John Aldworth would lead a committee of students and staff to note the positive attributes of what a Maine West Warrior represents and work out "the details of our representation moving forward." That includes the future of the school's logo, according to a district spokesperson.

As recently as last year, school administrators claimed the school had received the endorsement of the Cherokee Nation for its mascot, which it has had since 1959. Tribal leadership disagreed.

“The Cherokee Nation did not endorse Maine Township High School West’s warrior mascot 20 years ago, and certainly does not approve of its use today,” said Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. in a statement last month. “I have no doubt that Maine West school leaders and students had good intentions, but we now live in an era of understanding, and one that embraces diversity with respect."

Haugan has not responded to requests for an interview or written questions about the mascot.

The origin of the alleged endorsement reportedly dates back to the early 1990s and a visit by a local poetry of Cherokee heritage. She later denied having endorsed the mascot in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

Oklahoma attorney Brett Chapman, a member of the Pawnee Nation, first noticed images of a student in costume performing at school events on social media. He criticized the school, which responded by blocking him. He researched the mascot and soon learned the school had been claiming endorsement from the Cherokee Nation.

"To me it was offensive that they were using that as moral authority," Chapman said last month. He said Monday he's satisfied with the outcome and thanked Haugan for her reconsideration of the mascot.

“I personally find this offensive and would ask that the school get rid of the Warrior idea completely,” American Indian Center of Chicago Executive Director Heather Miller, a member of the Wyandotte Nation, told a Chicago Sun-Times columnist and Maine West alum. “There are over 500 different Tribal Nations in the United States, and seeing these types of mascots portray Native peoples as being angry, hostile, and [warring] people. This does not represent the variety of histories, cultures or traditions represented by these 500+ Nations and leads to harmful stereotypes of our people.”

Read more: Cherokee Endorsement Of Maine West Warrior Mascot Questioned

Principal Audrey Haugan's letter to Maine West High School parents:

We appreciate and respect the wide range of opinions shared with us by students, staff, alumni, community members and other interested parties in recent weeks regarding the Maine West Warrior. The wide spectrum of viewpoints makes it obvious that there is no decision or path that would be met with approval by all. While we have weighed and considered many points of view, Maine West is moving forward with the course that we believe best honors tradition while eliminating practices that are increasingly viewed as insensitive or demeaning.

Maine West High School will continue its rich tradition and spirit by retaining the Maine West Warrior name, but will focus on the key elements of what it means to be a warrior: leadership, integrity, responsibility, respect, and empathy. Moving forward, there will be no student or adult in costume representing a Native American Warrior of any kind.

In the next few months and before the next school year, [Principal Audrey] Haugan and [Assistant Principal John] Aldworth will lead a committee of students and staff in determining the details of our representation moving forward, noting the positive attributes of what a Maine West Warrior represents.

Maine West represents a diverse community, and we take pride in our cultural diversity. We will remain the Maine West Warriors and will celebrate our cultures in a way that represents who we are as a Maine West community. We further wish to ensure that our practices do not detract attention from the exceptional work being done at our school by students, staff and community.