Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order Tuesday creating a commission to discuss American Indian high school mascots.
The group would include tribes, local community members and state agencies to find common ground, said Ernest House Jr., executive director of the Colorado Office of Indian Affairs.
In the last legislative session, a bill carried by state Reps. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton, and Jovan Melton, D-Aurora, that would have required tribal approval for public schools to continue using American Indian mascots passed in the Democrat-led state House but was
“When Rep. Melton and I addressed this issue last legislative session, we met with members of the American Indian community who were concerned that their heritage was being disrespected,” Salazar said Tuesday. “With the last year, and this important step today, we have made small but significant steps as a state in directly addressing these symbols of prejudice.”
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would have created a subcommittee in the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs to review the use of potentially offensive mascots.
The subcommittee or a tribe would have had the power to approve native American mascots, or the schools would be given two years to stop the use of the mascot or risk a $25,000-a-month fine.
Hickenlooper’s order doesn’t include penalties, House said.
“This is a different approach to having that discussion, he said.
Once a month in communities that have the mascots, the task force will hold public meetings. Ideally, tribes and schools can work together, the way Arapahoe High School in Centennial worked with its namesake tribe in 1993 and 1994 and make sure its representation is dignified and historically accurate.
Colorado is home to such mascots as the Lamar High School Savages, the Eaton Reds, the Frederick Warriors and several schools called the Indians, including Arickaree, Yuma, Montrose, Kiowa and Loveland.
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“This is an effort to bring people and communities together through dialogue about the issue of American Indian mascots,” said. Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia in a statement. “Open, honest dialogue, free from the threat of penalties, can result in new paths forward and avoid future deadlock.”
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch@denverpost.com or @joeybunch
