Twelve Colorado Schools Still Need to Remove Indigenous American Mascots

Schools around Colorado have until June 1 to stop using Indigenous American mascots, names, or symbols; if not, they will face $25,000 in fines per month for each month that the school continues to use a mascot after that date. 

More than 20 schools were on the list when Governor Jared Polis signed a bill on June 28, 2021. The act, titled “Prohibit American Indian Mascots,” prohibits the use of Native American mascots by public schools, including charter and institute charter school, and public institutions of higher education. It also allows public schools K-12 that are using Native American mascots to apply for state financial assistance for public school capital construction grants. 

The Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs (CCIA) has to identify each public school in the state that uses a Native American mascot and that does not meet the criteria for an exemption. On March 10, the CCIA updated the list of the 12 schools that are not yet compliant with the law, passed last year. 

According to The Denver Post, the Sanford School District is changing its mascot to the Thundering Mustangs from the Indians. Frederick High School also changed the name of its mascot from the Warriors to the Golden Eagles last fall. 

Danielle Seewalker, co-chair of Denver American Indian Commission, is an Indigenous women with two sons and assisted with the bill last year. She told 9News that the Indigenous community has some of the highest suicide rates in the country and that stereotypical images of their culture can be extremely harmful. 

“They need to realize it’s nothing personal against the school,” Seewalker says. “It’s really about our children feeling confident in who they are.” 

The schools remaining on the list are: Arickaree Elementary School (Indians), Arickaree Undivided High School 6-12- (Indians), Kiowa Elementary School (Indians), Kiowa Middle School (Indians), Kiowa High School (Indians), Lamar High School (Savages), Johnson Elementary School (Thunderbirds), Montrose High School (Indians), Mountain Valley School (Indians), Kenneth P. Morris Elementary School (Indians), Yuma Middle School (Indians), and Yuma High School (Indians).