Ceasing Usage of American Indian Mascots : Factors in the Retirement or Retainment of American Indian Folks as Mascots Within Four Wisconsin K-12 Schools

Abstract

The use of Indigenous Peoples as team names and mascots within K-12 school districts in the United States has been contested by both individuals and organizations for decades. Recent studies have concluded that exposure to Indigenous caricatures in learning environments has adverse effects on the wellbeing of American Indian students and boosts the self-esteem of non-Indigenous students. School districts that continue to use Indigenous team names and mascots often cite tradition as defense against change, but hundreds of school districts throughout the country have maintained community pride and transition to another team name and mascot. This research, conducted over the Summer of 2019, focuses on identifying the best approaches for producing these transformative spaces while maintaining ties to community members’ place identity, and communicating these findings to our school boards and district administration of the process.