Marysville High drops mascot as California Native American mascot law takes effect

A Northern California school is dropping its longtime "Indians" mascot as a new state law takes effect prohibiting certain Native American terms from being used as public school mascots.

The law, passed in 2024, took effect July 1. To comply, the Marysville Joint Unified School District announced this week that Marysville High School will no longer use the Indians mascot in an official capacity.

Marysville High has used the mascot for nearly 100 years. District officials said there are currently no plans to choose a replacement.

"The Marysville Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees recognizes the deep history and tradition associated with the Indians mascot and acknowledges the strong connection many alumni, students, staff, and community members have to it," the district wrote in a statement.

District officials said they met with local tribal representatives to try to obtain consent to keep using the mascot. However, officials said tribal representatives remained neutral on the request, neither supporting nor opposing the continued use of the mascot.

Under the law, schools can continue using Native American-related mascots or team names if they obtain written consent from a local, federally recognized tribe.

District officials said they will continue pursuing opportunities to obtain that written consent.

Marysville High School is one of the oldest public high schools in California, having been established in 1871.