North Hills proposes to stop using Indian chief logo, continue using name
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — For years, the issue of Native American names and images being used by sports teams as mascots has been the subject of increasing controversy.
The latest is the North Hills School District Indians. Officials there have been talking about changing the mascot since June. In a 7-2 vote, the district proposed to stop using the Indian chief logo but continue using "Indians" for the sports teams.
During Thursday's school board meeting, North Hills School District proposed a resolution, one it considers a compromise. If passed, the sports teams would still be called the "Indians," but the mascot would change to something else.
The board says it came to this decision after a careful review of feedback from the community at a town hall meeting earlier this summer.
KDKA-TV caught up with several parents in the district as well as community members on Friday. They remain as divided as the school board, which voted 7-2 in favor of moving the resolution to next month's meeting.
"I don't know if it's disrespectful or not because I'm not Native American, but I personally don't think it is," Don Wright said. "So it's not a big deal to me."
"I think they should change them because a lot of people are getting real, especially this new generation, they're getting real offended about everything that goes on and how things are said now," Lucretia Thompson said.
This resolution will be voted on for approval at next month's committee meeting on Oct. 6. If passed, a decision would be made as to what the new mascot would be.
Elsewhere, the Penn Hills School District continues to debate changing its Indian mascot, and the Seneca Valley school board decided last year to stop using its Native American mascot while keeping the name "Raiders."