Some Illinois high schools might be forced to switch mascots

BRIMFIELD (25News Now) - Illinois high schools using Native American terms or iconographies may have to change if a proposed bill in the statehouse becomes law.

In Brimfield, students have rallied under the “Indians” mascot for as long as current Superintendent Chad Jones can remember. That name, and a logo that includes a feather, appear in the high school and on athletic uniforms.

They have had the current iteration of their logo for around 15 years, a stylized “B” with a feather. Brimfield is one of many Central Illinois schools using Native American imagery and terms in their school mascot and logo.

HB 1237 could ban these schools from using Native American imagery or terms as their mascot or logo.

If passed, the latest amendments would ban schools from using the terms “Redskin, Braves, Chiefs, Chieftains, Tribe, Indians, or any synonymous term,” for their mascot.

When Jones learned of a state proposal that would outlaw the word “Indians” and other terms for Native Americans as school mascots, he put out a statement encouraging the community to contact state representatives.

“You know, I think most people want to keep “Indians” here in Brimfield. We have a Native American history in our state, and I don’t know of people in our community, and maybe they’re just quieter, that wouldn’t want to keep “Indians” as our mascot,” Jones said.

It’s not clear how much it would cost the school to update its facilities to remove “Indians” if the bill passes. School administrators hope they could keep the same “B” feather logo if they switch to a bird mascot.

Proponents of the bill argue that Native American mascots are a form of discrimination.

State Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) is sponsoring this bill and an effort to ban school mascots of disabled people.

“I totally understand tradition, but I ask people to look at this within the lens of empathy, and the lens of inclusivity. Understanding that though it is a tradition, there is a community of people that is affected disproportionately,” said West.

The bill to ban Native American mascots has gone to the Education Policy Committee in the General Assembly.

There are some exceptions in the bill. For a school whose team name is the name of a federally-recognized tribe, they could seek permission from that tribe to keep using the name.

That stipulation also includes a requirement that schools using tribe names partner with that tribe for “deep, meaningful, substantive learning opportunities.”

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