Another Eastern Iowa School To Drop ‘Indians’ Nickname
Another Eastern Iowa school district will be dropping the nickname Indians as it's mascot. KCRG reports that the Camanche Community School Board voted 5-1 to drop the use of the mascot by the end of this school year. The nickname Indians had been used at the school since they opened back in 1961.
The move comes after decades of recommendations from Native American groups and school agencies to address the nickname. KCRG reports that Camanche superintendent Thomas Parker called the school mascot a stereotype. Many who spoke out during Monday night's meeting were in favor of keeping the nickname, saying that getting rid of it would just be another example of cancel culture.
However, board member Shane Bark said that the recommendations had been around for decades, saying "we were contacted over 30 years ago almost repeatedly to remove our mascot then. I find it hard to believe that this could be labeled or considered as a product of today's cancel culture..."
KCRG reports that according to the website ia.VarsityBound.com, 11 schools in the Iowa still use the Indians nickname. The Marion Independent School District has also decided to drop the Indians nickname at the end of this school year. The district then held a vote to decide on the new name for their mascot.
Mavericks was determined to be the winner, until someone raised concerns that the names origins, Texas cattle rancher Samuel Maverick, had ties to slavery. The district will decide in April on whether they'll stick with Mavericks or vote on something new.