For most institutions, the process of change begins by forming a committee to examine all facets of the issue. And because a school's mascot is a label that extends well beyond just the athletic department, it's important to include representatives from all constituents that would be affected by a change. This, administrators say, is a key step for minimizing backlash.
"You need to make sure you include everyone," says [Steve] Heuerman [Director of Athletics at Niles West High School in Skokie, Ill.], "from the cheerleaders, booster club, and student senate to school staff and coaches. Because your school is a community institution, you also need to include individuals not within your schools walls. If you exclude people, then you're not going to have their support in the future. And you need their support.
"We're always tapping the business community for ads in programs or calendars," he continues. "And if we are to expect them to help us finance some of our activities, then they need to feel they are a part of our program. So you have to send the message that you're looking for people to make this process complete."
Millard South[High School in Omaha, Neb.]'s 25-person committee held six meetings and dedicated each to reviewing a different aspect of the issue. "The first meeting was to explain the committee's purpose to participants," says [athletic director Barb] Wagner. "For the second, we brought in someone to explain the history of the high school's mascot—why we were the Indians and how the image evolved over the years from a kind of big-nosed drunken Indian to a sophisticated image that emulated pride and strength.
"Then we brought in opponents of our mascot, some of whom were Native American," she continues, "and they explained that even though they believed the mascot was well intentioned, some of the things being done—by our opponents as well as us—were disrespectful and even sacrilegious to their people.
"Our fourth meeting addressed where the impact of a change would fall—not just the image and the mascot, but the other things that would have to be considered if we changed the mascot. Obviously, expense was one. But we also looked at things like designing new letterhead and yearbooks.
"Our fifth meeting was an open forum for the public, so we could hear other people's points of view. And then the sixth meeting was to get a consensus from the committee on what direction the principal should go. The committee voted to change the mascot, but the final decision rested with the principal."
Other programs have decided to make all committee meetings open to the public. "I had a core of people that comprised a task force," says [Nancy] Gerou [Associate Vice President of Student Development at Seattle University], "but each of our meetings, held at noon every two weeks, was an open meeting and anybody could come and express their opinion. Usually six to eight people would show up each time."
Gerou also invited local and regional Native Americans to contribute. "I insisted on knowing what Native Americans thought," she explains. "I didn't think we should hear only from a group of people that was 99 percent Caucasian and then make this kind of decision. So my task force was charged with going out and talking to local Native American tribes. And the one piece of pivotal information unearthed during the process was that the tribe our Chief Seattle mascot came from didn't even have the word ‘chieftain' in its vocabulary."
Gerou also discovered that inviting Native Americans to publicly express their concerns at her open forum opened some eyes among those who originally opposed the change. "Some of our coaches were initially opposed to considering a mascot change," Gerou recalls. "But as soon as they heard first-hand what concerns the Native Americans had, and saw the emotion with which they felt those concerns, my coaches switched over and wanted the change—because they never intended to offend anybody."
Schools can also take advantage of technology during this early phase to make information gathering and evaluation more efficient. For instance, Niles West's school board videotaped each committee meeting so when it came time to make a decision, they could review what they'd heard over the months. And Seattle University set up a special e-mail address to procure feedback on the issue from the public, which received hundreds of messages.
From Much Ado about Mascots by Dr. Ellen J. Staurowsky and Shelly Wilson
1. Be leaders. On any number of issues, from how to behave at games to the value of sports within schools to protecting the health and welfare of students, coaches and athletics directors often play a key role in educating communities. Capitalize on that role by bringing this issue forward. Consider taking it up first as a department and issuing a departmental position on the matter. Look for liaisons that can be made with other offices within your school. For example, people responsible for diversity education programs would be natural allies to assist in educating your own staff and in developing presentations to bring the issue to the attention of constituencies within the community.
2. Model behavior for athletes and other students. Because American Indian mascots are literally and figuratively interwoven into the very fabric of school and athletic cultures, the way that you react to being approached about this issue will set the stage for how athletes and other students within the school react. Thus, consider how to maximize the educational experience for students in exploring the issue and how to encourage people not to minimize it out of hand.
3. The cost of replacing logos and refurbishing facilities should not be an impediment to change. In the many years I have been associated with athletics, I have never known coaches and athletics directors to decline the opportunity to get new uniforms or repaint athletic facilities except when the issue of replacing American Indian mascots is broached. It's perfectly understandable that uniforms might have to be phased out and a schedule for redoing floors or facilities might have to be set up. Beyond the moral imperative that change should happen so as to create a better and more respectful learning environment for all students, keep in mind that this is an opportunity for a fresh start—new uniforms, a new look for your athletic facilities.
4. Think of this as a beginning and not an ending. Sport psychologists often talk about the fact that eliminating a behavior without substituting something better will produce discouraging results. Such is the case with this topic. The goal is not to just get rid of the American Indian mascot but to work throughout the school system to effectuate change in the way in which American Indian issues are introduced throughout the curriculum. This is one small piece of a much larger initiative. Use the discussion surrounding the mascot issue as a focal point for developing lecture series and workshops, courses, etc., about American Indian issues.
5. Avoid polls to determine if a mascot should be retained. From a basic research perspective, polls measure what people have been taught to think. In a school district where an American Indian mascot has been the most constant symbol of identity, second only to the American flag, and something that has imparted an enduring lesson to students simply by its existence day in and day out, the notion that the results would reflect an unbiased finding is flawed. Additionally, the idea of subjecting this kind of question to the populace at large reflects a level of insensitivity that demonstrates how serious this issue is. A poll was not conducted several years ago to determine the offensiveness of the Stanford band's parody of Irish Catholics during half-time of a game with the University of Notre Dame. Americans did not have to be polled about the inappropriateness of the Irish being depicted as drunkards and the Catholic faith being depicted as backward. Just as it was sufficient that Irish and Catholics believed these depictions to be offensive for an apology to be issued and the behavior stopped, it should be sufficient that Native Americans object to this imagery.
From Reflections of a Former Methacton "Warrior" – Why I Believe American Indian Mascots Should Be Retired by Ellen J. Staurowsky, Ed.D.