10
S moke S ignals
MARCH 1, 2017
Board holds first reading on mascot agreement
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Oregon Board of Education
is one procedural step away from
signing off on the first Tribal-school
district agreement that will allow
Banks to retain its Braves mascot
as it moves toward a more culturally
acceptable Native American image.
The Board of Education held a
first reading on the memorandum
of understanding struck between
the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde and Banks School District
on Thursday, Feb. 23, during its
meeting held in Eugene.
During the hearing, Department
of Education Government and Legal
Affairs Manager Cindy Hunt detailed
the history of the Native American
mascot issue in Oregon for new board
members and said that Department
of Education staff members have no
concerns regarding the agreement.
“I have concluded that the agree-
ment meets the legal requirements
prescribed by state law and am rec-
ommending that the State Board
approve the agreement,” Hunt said.
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George and Tribal Attorney Rob
Greene attended the hearing, as did
Banks School District Superinten-
dent Jeff Leo.
George and Greene responded to
one question asked by a Board of
Education member and the agree-
ment is scheduled to be officially
approved at the board’s Thursday,
March 23, meeting in Salem.
The Banks School District and
Grand Ronde Tribe have been work-
ing together since 2015 on the mascot
issue after the Board of Education
amended its blanket ban on Native
American mascots in public schools.
The Oregon Legislature mandated in
2014 that school districts be allowed
to retain their Native American
mascots if they work with one of the
nine federally recognized Tribes in
Oregon to create more culturally
appropriate mascot images.
Banks’ new image – inverse Bs in
the shape of an arrowhead replac-
ing a profile of a Native American
Brave – was first presented to
the Grand Ronde Tribal Council
on Nov. 14. Nike marketing and
graphics employees work with
Cultural Resources Department
Manager David Harrelson and
school district representatives to
craft the new image.
The new image will gradually
replace the old stereotypical image
over a five-year period on uniforms,
buildings, merchandising and
school district stationery.
“It is an honor for the Confederat-
ed Tribes of Grand Ronde to partner
with the Banks School District on
the mascot issue,” George said. “It
is very important for our culture
and our history to be accurately
portrayed in our schools. This agree-
ment, while viewed as controversial
by some, will help break down
barriers and create understanding
between our cultures for generations
to come. We appreciate the work
Banks has done and look forward to
continuing our partnership.”
The agreement also requires the
Banks School District to adopt the
Grand Ronde Tribe’s fourth- and
eighth-grade Native American
history curriculum and establish
a Native Club at its schools. Leo
said that approximately 3 percent
of Banks’ 1,100 students identify as
Native American.
Banks, which is northwest of
Portland off of Highway 26, is
within the traditional homelands of
the Tualatin Kalapuya, one of the
myriad Tribes and bands that were
forced to move to the Grand Ronde
Reservation in the 1850s and con-
federate after signing three treaties
with the federal government.
Public school districts that do not
enter into an approved agreement
with an Oregon Tribe will continue
to be required to change their mas-
cot before July 1. So far, only the
Marcola School District northeast
of Eugene has officially announced
that it is abandoning its Native
American mascot and nickname
and will adopt a new non-Native
American mascot and nickname for
its high school.
We Want To Hear From You!
That’s right, the Grand
Ronde Health &
Wellness Center
Comment Box is
located at the
entrance of the
Health & Wellness
Center, next to the
drinking fountain.
Share your
experience, good
or bad with us!
We look forward to
hearing what you
have to say.