California Bans Use of ‘Red Skins’ In Public Schools

On the other side of the debate is Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter, who has long campaigned for the National Football League to change the name of the Washington Redskins.

Jerry Brown signed a bill Sunday that bans using the Redskins name as a mascot for high school teams. But recently one mascot in particular has caused controversy, and one state has gone as far as banning a team name.

The story in my family goes that the term dates back to the institutionalized genocide of Native Americans, most notably when the Massachusetts colonial government placed a bounty on their heads.

“As the state with the largest Native American population, I am proud to have authored this legislation and applaud Governor Brown for taking a stand against racial slurs used by our public schools”.

A mascot and team name is how schools across America identify themselves and show school pride.

Part of the California Racial Mascots Act reads “Many individuals and organizations interested and experienced in human relations including the United States Commission on Civil Rights, have concluded that the use of Native Americans images and names in school sports is a barrier to equality and understanding, and that all residents of the United States would benefit from the discontinuance of their use”.

A federal panel ruled in 2014 that the team’s trademark should be canceled.

The state’s decision will likely energize supporters of the ban, who have been pressuring its biggest target, the NFL’s franchise in Washington, D.C. Washington has been using the nickname for decades and its owner, Daniel Snyder, has reportedly vowed to never change the nickname.

California schools Gustine High School in Merced County and Calaveras High School in Calaveras County also use the name.

“Together with our Board of Trustees, school community and our Tulare community we will seek their input to determine our new mascot”, Koligian said in a statement Monday, according to The Associated Press. It wasn’t immediately clear how the statewide ban would be enforced.

Major League Baseball still needs buy-in from the players, however, because the statewide ban that takes effect before next season has no provision for enforcement. Chewing tobacco, known as dipping, is already prohibited in minor leagues.