Native American school mascot bill up for a vote Tuesday
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Big Foot Chiefs
Fort Atkinson Blackhawks
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A proposed state law would allow challenges to the use of Native American school nicknames, like Walworth's Big Foot High School.
WALWORTH —A proposal to address complaints over race-based school mascots and logos in Wisconsin is up for a vote Tuesday before the state Assembly, but officials from Walworth's Big Foot High School say it will have little impact on them.
The legislation requires the state superintendent to schedule a hearing on a complaint within 45 days. A local school board then would have the burden of proving the use of the nickname does not promote discrimination, pupil harassment or stereotyping.
In May School Board President Sue Pruessing told Walworth County Sunday that if the bill becomes law and a complaint is filed, she is confident the district will make a case to retain its nickname.
"We sit on the very beginning of Big Foot Prairie, and the school was named in honor of Chief Big Foot," said Sue Pruessing, president of the Big Foot School Board. "We relate it to being no different than a school being named to honor John F. Kennedy ... George Washington or (Abraham) Lincoln."
"We feel we have justification due to our history," Pruessing said. "This was (Chief) Big Foot's grounds and where his villages were. It's always been done very reverently in honor of him."
It is estimated that about 40 Wisconsin schools still have race-based mascots or logos even though there has been a movement away from them for years.
The bill must pass both the Assembly and Senate and be signed by Gov. Jim Doyle before it would become law.
Feb 23, 2010 at 5:32 p.m.
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Well let's not stop here. We must redress the Notre Dame "Fighting Irish". Not all Irish are drunken, fighting, fianians. McHenry County College must eliminate their "Fighting Scots" even though we all know those Scots are just drunken, fighting, cousins of the Irish. God forbid, Holy Cross and Virginia must get rid of The Crusaders the Cavaliers as it can be deemed racially insensitive to the Muslims and other non-Christians. Western Kentucky must get rid of their "Hilltopper" mascot; it is insensitive the people of the region who pioneered it, who were originally called "briarhoppers." Once again, the politically correct left shows us and tells us: Celebrate our diversity with us, or celebrate no diversity at all. No one hates free speech more than a liberal, just ask those at Air America now that they are out of business. They really want the Freedom Doctrine back.
Feb 22, 2010 at 2:37 p.m.
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I think a school named obama high would be worse
Feb 22, 2010 at 1:35 p.m.
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I guess, then, that places like Sioux City and North Dakota will be required to change their names as well. For that matter, most Wisconsin cities will need to be renamed because they are based on Native American language.
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I could see being offended if these names or mascots were being thrown out as epithets (as in, God forbid, "Walworth Wagon Burners") but they are being used as honorary, as the article states. We name schools, buildings and mascots after people we take pride in; we don't pick a name based on our desire to be ridiculed. Ever heard of "Richard Nixon High"? Yeah, there's a reason for that.
Feb 22, 2010 at 9:59 a.m.
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Since when did the Native Americans own the name Chiefs, Blackhawk, or Illini?
The U.S. Marines are calling their fighters warriors.
When people use the word racist to try to win a augment it devalues the meaning.
Indians are part of American history, get over it.
Feb 22, 2010 at 9:34 a.m.
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Milton got hosed on this almost 15 years ago. Now they have the distinction of having a red chicken on steroids as their mascot. Ridiculous. With so much Native American history in Wisconsin, it should be seen as a sign of pride that school districts want to carry on that history in using a Native American symbol as it's mascot.
Feb 22, 2010 at 9:24 a.m.
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Seems the state Assembly could learn a few things from the students.
Feb 22, 2010 at 9:20 a.m.
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More politically correct STUPIDITY.
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