Not Your Mascot

November 5, 2015 Article

Adidas offers to help eliminate Native American mascots

An excerpt:

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Adidas is offering to help high schools nationwide drop Native American mascots.

The athletic shoe and apparel maker said Thursday it will provide free design resources to schools looking to shelve Native American mascots, nicknames, imagery or symbolism. The German company also pledged to provide financial support to ensure the cost of changing is not prohibitive.

Adidas announced the initiative in conjunction with the White House Tribal Nations Conference on Thursday in Washington. Adidas executives were among those attending the conference, which includes leaders from the 567 federally recognized tribes.

The company, which has its North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon, also said it will be a founding member of a coalition that addresses Native American mascots in sports.

To read the entire article, click here.

May 5, 2015 Matthew Campbell Announcement, Culture, Discussion, Events, Legal, Politics, Sports

CO Mascot Bill Fails

CO HB 1165 – Use of American Indian Mascots – failed in the Republican controlled Senate State Affairs committee last week. While this is not a shock, it is disappointing. Representative Salazar, who introduced the bill, has vowed to re-introduce the bill again next year.

You can see TEDNA and NARF’s testimony in support of the bill here.

March 4, 2015 Matthew Campbell Announcement, Culture, Discussion, Events, Legal, Politics

Colorado House Bill 15-1165 – Concerning the Use of American Indian Mascots by Public Institutions of Education

Here is CO HB 15-1165. The Summary:

The bill establishes the subcommittee for the consideration of the use of American Indian mascots by public schools (subcommittee) and requires the subcommittee to evaluate and approve or disapprove the use of American Indian mascots by public schools and public institutions of higher education (public schools) within the state. The subcommittee is repealed, effective September 1, 2025. Before such repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the subcommittee.

The bill requires each public school that uses an American Indian mascot to either cease using the mascot or request approval for the continued use of the mascot or another American Indian mascot from the subcommittee. If a public school receives notice from the subcommittee that the school’s use of an American Indian mascot has been disapproved, the public school shall cease using the mascot on or before the date 2 years following such notice.

For each month in which a public school uses an unapproved American Indian mascot after such date, a fine of $25,000 shall be paid to the state treasurer by:

The school district of the offending public school;
The state charter school institute if the offending school is an institute charter school; or
The public school itself if the public school is a public institution of higher education.

The bill creates the American Indian mascot fund (fund). A public school whose mascot is disapproved by the subcommittee may apply for a grant of moneys from the fund to pay for new uniforms, new decor, new letterhead, and such other modifications as are necessitated by the public school’s change of mascot.

HB 15-1165 is scheduled to be heard in front of the Colorado House Education Committee on March 23. The Bill can be monitored here.