Tell the MA Senate Ways & Means Committee: Amend the Native American Mascots Bill!

Dear members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee:

I am a resident of (town), Massachusetts. I am writing in support of Bill S.2593 “An Act Prohibiting the Use of Native American Mascots by Public Schools in the Commonwealth,” as it was originally drafted. I am a (parent, teacher, therapist, of indigenous descent, social worker, lawyer, etc.) and I call on the Committee to forward the bill out of your committee after amending the bill back to its original language.

The original language of the bill should be used because (1) many Native American Tribes and Nations and individual Native Americans located and living within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts support the original language; (2) the word “denigrates” will cause confusion by being open to interpretation; (3) the phrase “any racial, ethnic, gender, or religious group” is too broad and is not consistent with the purpose and name of the bill; (4) and paragraph 5 of the original bill should be put back in its entirety because each Native Tribal Nation should be allowed to use the names they so choose as part of their right to self-determination.

The current language in Section 98 (a) of the bill states, “no public school uses an athletic team name, mascot, or logo which denigrates any racial, ethnic, gender, or religious group.” (emphasis added). The original text provided “no public school uses an athletic team name, logo, or mascot which names, refers to, represents, or is associated with Native Americans, including aspects of Native American cultures and specific Native American tribes.”  What is most concerning about the changes to this language is the word “denigrates.” This word will cause confusion by allowing for different interpretations of what “denigrates.” Schools using Native mascots will argue that their use of a Native mascot does not insult or misrepresent Native Americans, but rather “honors” them (a claim which is inconsistent with the research findings).

Moreover, the phrase “any racial, ethnic, gender, or religious group” is too broad. There are no mascots in Massachusetts among public schools, which implicate any other contemporary racial group. There are no other racial, ethnic, or religious groups in Massachusetts that are complaining about mascots that supposedly depict their likeness. Given this, there is no need for the overly broad standard. Further, the purpose and name of this bill is to prohibit the use of Native American mascots by public schools in the Commonwealth. Using the unnecessarily broad language that does not specify Native Americans will take away from the aim of the bill.  

Finally, paragraph 5 of the original bill states:

This section shall not prohibit a Native American tribe, as identified by the commission on Indian affairs, located within the boundaries of the commonwealth, from choosing to use a Native-related name or logo for a sports team comprised of its tribal members, including a tribal school or intramural league, or from that tribal nation giving explicit consent for a school to use their particular tribal name.

This section should be put back in its entirety. As part of each tribe’s right to self-determination, they must be allowed to use the names they so choose.

Research findings reveal that Native American mascots are harmful to Native American youth because they generate a harmful climate for learning, and that they are also harmful to non-Native youth because they reinforce stereotypes of Native Americans. Thus, these mascots are not educationally sound, and should be removed from our public schools. The best way to make sure they are no longer present in our schools is to use the specific and clear language that bans their use. Please forward this bill out of committee and amend the bill back to the original language. 

Sincerely,
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