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Interesting twist: Complaint filed by Native American group which supports such mascots

The U.S. Department of Education is investigating the New York State Department of Education over threats to withhold funding from a school district if it doesn’t change its Native American “Chiefs” mascot.

According to a U.S. DOE press release, the Native American Guardian’s Association filed a complaint with the DOE Office of Civil Rights claiming the NY DOE and New York Board of Regents “violated federal civil rights law” by trying to force the Massapequa Union Free School District to ditch the mascot.

The investigation will consider whether the state’s actions amount to “discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said her dept. “will not stand by as the state of New York attempts to rewrite history and deny the town of Massapequa the right to celebrate its heritage in its schools.”

McMahon noted mascots that represent other ethnic groups — Vikings, Fighting Irish, and Cowboys, for example — are not in New York’s crosshairs. The state “has specifically singled out Native American heritage,” she said.

Founded in 2017, the NAGA is a “collective of American Indian enrolled members and tribal descendents [sic] who support the beautiful artistry of native identifiers in sports and the mainstream” according to its website. It “supports the respectful use of Native American names and imagery in sports, education, and public life.”

MORE: Illinois legislation banning Native mascots in high schools creates controversy

NAGA specifically states it backs teams such as the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins, the latter of which was forced to change its name to “Commanders” in 2022 after two years of being the “Washington Football Team.”

(According to Newsweek, the Redskins ultimately buckled to the name-change due to George Floyd-protest pressure from companies like Nike, FedEx, and Pepsi.)

NAGA Vice President Frank Blackcloud said his organization “stands firm in asserting that the preservation of Native themes and imagery in New York public schools is not only a matter of cultural dignity but a fundamental civil right for all students […] maintaining a respectable presence in NY State schools is vital to educational equity, historical truth, and the civil rights of all American Indians.”

The NAGA view on Native imagery validates polls of Native American opinion dating back to 2004. At least one study, however, disputes these results and calls them a “form of white privilege.”

The National Congress of American Indians, allegedly the U.S.’s “oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native” organization, says Native mascots are “stereotypical” and “harmful.”

MORE: Native American Guardian’s Association sues to stop Colorado’s mascot ban

IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: Massapequa HS marquee; NBC New York/Facebook

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