Mascot may get heave-ho

School officials in Colusa have launched a campaign to study a possible replacement for the district’s long-established athletic symbol, the Redskins.

But even with the school board’s decision at least five months away, the debate began almost at once on how to balance popular opinion with opponents calling tribal sports symbols demeaning.

“Times have changed; people have changed,” said Donna Krause, one of the five trustees for the Colusa Unified School District. “I can tell you, I won’t be swayed much by public pressure in favor of keeping that mascot.”

The school board voted 4-1, with Charles Yerxa dissenting, to form committees to look into the costs and scheduling of choosing a new, non-tribal mascot for Colusa High School. Superintendent Larry Yeghoian announced the district also would hold public forums about the mascot before a board vote, slated for February.

Before the vote, a 25-member committee is to spend three months looking into possible new mascots and the cost of promoting one for Colusa High. The district would reserve committee seats for school officials, students and Colusa residents - but the lack of seats specifically for Native Americans left one audience member wondering whether board members could overcome public support for the Redskins name and vote it into retirement.

“‘Redskins,’ certainly to me, is derogatory, said Maria E. Mitchum, a Maidu tribe member. “It’s irrelevant how long a name’s been in place if it means doing the right thing.”

“The people will either accept it, or there’ll be five new board members sitting here,” said Don Bransford, the board president, who added trustees would balance residents’ opinions with tribes’ concerns.

“Change is hard, I agree,” replied Mitchum. “I don’t envy your having to make this decision. I’m just curious as to how much peer pressure (from residents) there’s going to be.”

The new study marks the second time Colusa Unified has looked into abandoning its sports programs’ decades-old moniker, one of many attacked by some Native Americans as caricatures of their tribal cultures. Trustees looked into the matter in 2001-02 and estimated the cost of the change at $125,000 for new uniforms and signage, but never voted on the issue.

Three state Assembly bills between 2002 and 2005 failed to force changes to tribe-based school nicknames in Colusa and four other towns. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the last two attempts, saying local school officials had the right to choose their own mascots.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Colusa Unified School District board voted Tuesday to form a 25-member committee to study changing Colusa High School’s Redskins mascot to a new symbol without Native American overtones.

The group’s 25 members will include five town residents, the three school principals, superintendent, four athletic coaches and two high school students.

Subcommittees are expected to look into:

• the mascot selection process

• the cost of new signs, uniforms and promotional materials

• public relations and resident surveys

• how to retire the Redskins mascot

• a timeline for introducing a new mascot.

The committee is slated to meet from November to January and submit its findings to the board of trustees, which is expected to vote to keep or replace the Redskins symbol in February.

(Source: Colusa Unified School District)

Appeal-Democrat reporter Howard Yune can be reached at 749-4708. You may e-mail him at hyune@appealdemocrat.com.