Illinois legislators are moving to prohibit K-12 schools in Illinois from using Native American mascots or logos, signaling a significant shift in the state’s approach to cultural representation in educational settings.
Spearheaded by state Rep. Maurice West, House Bill 5617 aims to mandate schools to revise any logos, mascots, or names associated with Native American tribes or elements of Native American culture.
In a press conference on Thursday, Dr. Megan Bang, Director of the Northwestern University Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, said such mascots create a hostile learning environment, WAND TV, a local news outlet in Illinois, reported.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Megan Bang, Director of the Northwestern University Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, emphasized the detrimental impact of such mascots on the learning environment. She underscored how these symbols perpetuate harmful stereotypes and misinformation, particularly affecting Native American children.
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“Their pervasive presence in schools has demonstrated time and time again to not only harm children, but they create a society that operates on inaccurate information and harmful perceptions,” Bang told reporters. She continued saying research shows mascot names like Warriors, Indians and Braves hurt Native American kids.
The bill sets a deadline of September 1, 2027, for schools to implement changes to their mascots, allowing ample time for the transition process. Despite being introduced by Rep. Maurice West on February 9, the proposal is yet to be assigned to a House committee for further consideration.
The initiative in Illinois aligns with a broader nationwide trend aimed at retiring Native American-themed mascots and logos in schools. In 2020, fivethirtyeight.com identified over 1,200 high schools across the U.S. still using such imagery, prompting calls for change.
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States like New York have taken decisive action, voting to ban Native American-themed logos and mascots with a deadline for retirement by 2025, unless schools secure approval from recognized Native American tribes.
Similarly, Washington state mandates schools to seek permission from the nearest federally recognized tribe to use a Native American mascot.
The bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Laura Faver Dias told press that banning Native American mascots could create a more inclusive learning environment for all students and staff, as reported by WAND TV.
“I’m a former public school teacher and I taught in a school that had and still has a racist mascot today,” Faver Dias said. “It was an offensive mascot and a caricature of an American Indian. I saw firsthand the divisiveness that it created among our students and within our larger school community.
