BUCKLAND – Should Mohawk Trail Regional School remove its Native American mascot? And what about its “Warriors” team name?
The community can weigh in at a Local Education Council meeting April 1 at 6 p.m.
At the moment, Mohawk is considering removing its mascot, which depicts a Native American man in a feathered headdress, while keeping its “Warriors” team name. School Committee Chair Martha Thurber said at a Wednesday meeting that while Mohawk’s mascot was not introduced with any ill-intent, the school has since realized the image has some harmful consequences.
The school has not decided what would replace the mascot.
At the school committee meeting, some members raised concerns about keeping the “Warriors” team name. Member Nina Martin-Anzuoni strongly supported removing the team name as well as the mascot.
“I have a hard time imagining keeping the Warriors name regarding Mohawk,” Martin-Anzuoni said. “Now, I agree that warriors can be amazing things, and I consider myself a warrior in many parts of my life, but if the name is Mohawk, it’s going to be associated with a Native American warrior … at one time it wasn’t seen as disrespectful, but at this point in time, it is.”
School Committee Member Jason Cusimano admitted he was “surprised” that changing the team name was “off the table.” Cusimano said the school should consider changing the team name.
However, in Thurber’s view, the team name “Warriors” is not always related to Native American cultures, as the term carries multiple meanings.
“It depends on the imagery,” Thurber said. “There are all kinds of warriors.”
A couple of community members attended the school committee meeting to air concerns about changing the mascot. In Lynne Kelsey of Buckland’s view, removing Mohawk’s mascot may “whitewash” Native American history.
However, if a bill submitted in January by state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, to ban public schools from using mascots, logos and team names which name, refer to, represent or are associated with Native Americans, becomes law, the decision may be out of Mohawk’s hands.
View Comerford’s bill here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S247.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.