The McAllister family, Native through the matriarch Stacey, are graduates of Columbia River High School. They fought to change the school’s mascot, the Chieftains, which pictures a Native man in a feathered headdress. Photo courtesy Crosscut.

Vancouver's Columbia River HS replaces insensitive mascot

“At home, I don’t question or think about my identity — I’m just Native. But then I walk into school and I’m confronted with the fact that … this is what people think of when I say, ‘I’m Native,’ everything going on at that school, and it’s completely inaccurate.”

Posted October 2020

By Eva Wu

Staff Reporter

Vancouver’s Columbia River High School officially changed its Chieftain mascot on Sept. 8, due to the negative impact it had on Native students.

Members of the Board of Directors for Vancouver Public Schools voted unanimously to remove the Chieftain mascot that had been used for many years. Their school board first addressed the issue in July, according to Clarkcountytoday. It discussed the issue with local tribal leaders, responded to emails, and began considering other mascot options. After addressing public remarks, board members finalized their decision and voted to change the mascot.

According to Crosscut, Katherine McAllister, a Columbia HS student and Native on her mother’s side, felt uncomfortable. The high school marching band imitated Native music. Students used a “spirit stick,” created with tanned animal skin, during student assemblies. Several students, including alumni, had expressed discomfort with this. Multiple times students and community members took polls and signed petitions to change the mascot.

“It doesn’t feel like they’re honoring anybody,” she said. “I know that some of them don't have the right information and don’t know what it means.”

Studies have shown that mascots like the Chieftain negatively impact Native students. They create an insensitive environment. Native mascots can also decrease the self-esteem and mental health of Native students. It also misinforms students unfamiliar with indigenous and AI/AN (American Indian/Alaska Native) people. When insensitive stereotypes are morphed into authentic information, it “contributes to the development of cultural biases and prejudices,” states SSRN.

Port Townsend High School in Washington retired its team name and mascot. Years ago, after receiving a letter from a resident, a meeting was held in deciding to make a new change, reported by the Peninsula Daily News. It was not long before Port Townsend High School dropped the team name and mascot, becoming the Redhawks.

Similarly, the NFL Washington Football Team, formerly known to have a controversial name, have changed their name and mascot until the owner decides on a new one. The old mascot was removed due to the racist slur. The team decided to change its name as it was financially dangerous, according to Sportingnews. The team’s color scheme will remain the same, burgundy and gold.

“It just feels like a dream, like a nightmarish dream, to see that,” McAllister stated to Crosscut. “At home, I don’t question or think about my identity — I’m just Native. But then I walk into school and I’m confronted with the fact that … this is what people think of when I say, ‘I’m Native,’ everything going on at that school, and it’s completely inaccurate.”

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