KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Students from William S. Hart High School are calling on the school to retire the longstanding Indian mascot.
An online petition has been created to urge Hart High School and District Staff to retire the school’s Indian mascot.
In a time of social unrest, the future leaders of America have written to Hart High School Principal Jason d’Autremont to retire the “outdated and offensive Indian mascot.”
“I truly believe that now is an appropriate time to consider making this change,” wrote Julia Estrada, a Hart High 2020 graduate. “Given that we are amidst a shift in history where young people are challenging the deep-rooted racism found in everyday society.”
The graduate writes to Principal d’Autremont stating that students who don headdresses and perpetuate stereotypes at sporting events.
“Native American culture is not a costume and it is offensive to allow and encourage students to wear Native American regalia,” wrote the graduate. “This culture and its people have been criticized, marginalized, and mocked for the very attire that you allow your students and ‘Tribe Leaders’ to wear. Luckily, those students are able to take off that headdress at the end of a football game, but unfortunately Native Americans everywhere still face oppression for their culture that they can’t just remove.”
On top of calling the Indian mascot problematic, Estrada outlines her examples with negative experiences regarding the mascot.
“I was a part of Hart High School’s tennis team for four years. At multiple matches, in order to ‘pump the team up’ some of my teammates would make ‘Indian noises’ with their hands,” Estrada wrote. “These noises mock Native American culture. Given that I am part Native American and that my family was present at these tennis matches, these actions made my family and me extremely uncomfortable.”
One of the more egregious misappropriations is the student’s use of headdresses at sporting events, according to Estrada.
“The Native American headdress is a symbol of strength and bravery,” the graduate wrote to the principal. “According to Tribal Trade, headdresses were worn ‘by the most powerful and influential members among a tribe.’ Headdresses are not an accessory that anyone is allowed to wear. If administration truly understood the meaning and value of a headdress, students would not be allowed to wear them at school events, let alone toss them amongst a crowd. This action devalues the symbolism surrounding the headdress and amplifies the ignorance of Hart High students and administration.”
The Hart High graduate offers instead the bison as the school’s mascot, citing Newhall’s bison as a strong reason for change.
“Whenever discussing this controversial topic with peers, the question of an alternative mascot always makes its way into the conversation,” Estrada added. “There are several alternatives, and I am more than willing to discuss more with all of you, but my personal favorite is the Bison. Bison are viewed as a symbol of ‘strength and unity’ by many cultures. Additionally, Bison have a long-standing history in our Newhall community.”
A spokesperson for the Hart School District declined to comment Monday morning.
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No dont change the mascot. Most people that have graduated are very proud of the school and the mascot.
I am with you on that. My Mother graduated from Hart hi I graduated from Hart hi and our kids graduated from Hart hi leave the mascot alone.
It’s about time. The bison sounds like a good idea – I like it. No one should be so rooted in their high school identity that they can’t accept that times have changed and so should the mascot.
Dear White People,
Indians are not offended by the appellation INDIAN. Take a deep breath and relax.
Amen to that !!!
Agreed! We are not offended.
That’s what I’ve always heard too. Native Americans do not take offence from Indian mascots. Should Saugus change from Centurions because it might offend Italians? Should Canyon High change because cowboys might be offended? Mascots are meant to be the opposite of offence. They are a tribute to strength.
Dear Michael,
We are not a homogenous race. Some of us aren’t offended. Some of us are. I am. “Indian” is the name given to us by those who have continually murdered us, lied to us, brainwashed, abused, trafficked and killed our children in the “Indian boarding schools”. “To kill the Indian in the child, and save the man”, they said.
I hate the word Indian.
But more importantly, the name, while I don’t like it, isn’t the biggest problem. You either didn’t read the article or you didn’t pay attention, but I’m absolutely horrified that my Ojibwe daughter will have to go to school in the fall and see the blatantly racist displays that the schools in this valley take part in because of that mascot. It’s honestly horrifying.
This needs to end.
3 generations of my family graduated from Hart with my great niece graduating this year. The Hart Indian wasn’t trampled when we attended Hart. We were Indians! Young people can make changes in the world. Racism needs to end. On a bigger front, write your lawmakers re: what’s going on with the protests. We let it die down. It doesn’t go away. We need to talk, rise up, and vote people in who aren’t racists and out for themselves like students who totally don’t understand WHY we were proud Hart Indians in the first place! Make changes in the real world. Don’t let this die down to start again. As for the mascot, your views are important, but check out the history. Bison is fine, Red Tail Hawks, something but NOT Bulldogs or something that is definitely not HART. Last time I was at a football Alum game the students didn’t even know the words to our Alma Mater. Really? Most of the cheerleaders didn’t even know it! Take pride in Hart! These are your years & Hart should be a live with pride!
This is a stunt by an hyper sensitive youngster. As a person who’s ancestry includes Blackfoot and Cherokee nations; there is no offense in an Indian mascot. This Estrada person is not of Native American ancestry, she is of S. American native ancestry. She should find something else to do like study the bill of rights and read about the wars that America has fought in to give us, and billions around the globe the luxury to live free. There is no issue with the Hart Indian, KEEP IT, and tell this girl to go support the local police station instead.
You are so right. Thank you for speaking up we appreciate it.
Bill, there are decent, polite, accepted means of opposing someone’s views without personally attacking the author. That mostly happens when the attacker like you doesn’t have facts on his side. This isn’t a hyper sensitive youngster, rather a extremely smart youngster. Look at how some others have articulated their opinions and learn. The youngsters feel how they feel. You have a right to feel the you feel. Be a grown up and do it the right way.
Hi Bill,
As a former teacher of these girls, I know them both, and I can assure you that they aren’t hyper-sensitive snowflakes. They’re very intelligent, kind, compassionate, and hard-working girls with bright futures. I just want all to remember that there’s a good chance that Julia and Grace will be reading the comments section here. Since I know them as human beings, I hate to think of them reading personal attacks saying things that just aren’t true. There’s certainly room for discussion and debate on this topic, but I hope all who comment here can leave personal attacks on the girls out of it. These are two wonderful human beings trying to do the right thing.
Too many delicate, emotionally unstable, snowflakes constantly whining about little things and then make a dramatic big deal about it. The Indian headress is seen as a symbol of power and leadership of a tribe/team/group. One with pride, emotional stability, good self esteem smiles and laughs at the little people who mock. As Mr. Pin said, “get over it”. Stop wasting time on the little things and laugh and enjoy all the wonderful thing’s we have as one, Americans!
Agree, keep the proud mascot and just get over it! Proud Native Americans are NOT offended AT ALL – my tribal family support the use of the mascot. I didn’t go to Hart but my HS were Indians too and we loved it. All about being strong and independent.
Tired of this
Leave it and all other statues of our heritage alone! You are erasing history!!!
What will your grandchildren have to learn from. A solitary white wall with nothing that could offend anyone… oh wait it can’t be white that could be viewed as racist!
I AM a Hart High Alumni 1979 and Proud to be one!
I AM ALSO part Native American and I’m not offended by the Mascot at all!
Like some others have said… Get Over It!
I disagree: replacing a mascot is not the same as removing a statue and not erasing history. If you look at mascots in any national sports team, you see them playing the fool and performing for crowds because the purpose of a mascot is to establish a team or brand identity. That’s a fine purpose, but another mascot will work just as well.
This is not the same as removing a statue; statues are how we glorify historical figures and events. For that reason, people call for the removal of confederate statues–not to sanitize history, but to stop glorifying it. We have books and museums to preserve history–like Hart Park and its commitment to preserving and teaching local history. Nobody is looking to remove all mention of Native Americans or remove Native American statues: they just want to stop making Native Americans into a caricature.
I am 0% Native American, but I look back on the pep rally antics from my time at Hart and I am embarrassed by how we handled the subject. Hart High is a terrific school, but the mascot is out-dated.
We would not name a school mascot “The Manhattan Jews” or the “Chicago Blacks” so why do we still think it is ok to name a mascot “The Redskins” or “Apaches” or “Indians.” As innocent as these names may seem to white Americans many people of color feel differently. They grew up in a society filled with monuments that celebrate white supremacy over the other races. I personally grew up in the south and there were statues (and still are) on every other street celebrating great southern heros all of whom fought to keep racism and the business of slavery alive. Renaming schools, professional teams, and government buildings are very very very small concessions that we can make as a society to make all Americans feel like they are valued. To my fellow White Americans what are we really losing by renaming an Apache Helicopter to something else? Or renaming the “Redskins” to some cool animal name? It certainly won’t hurt my feelings. So for me personally there is only upside to changes like this.
While we’re on the subject the place for confederate flags and statues is in a museum. Not in the front lawn of the highest offices of each state. Those buildings need to represent justice for all people, not just white Americans and keeping them there sends the wrong message to every American. No one wants to erase history or heritage. Put it in a museum where it belongs so future generations can learn from our past mistakes.
I can’t speak for individuals but all of the Indian organizations that represent their society that I’m aware of have been petitioning for the removal of Indian mascots since about 1950. Here is evidence of this.
http://www.ncai.org/proudtobe – this covers the many many many petitions over the last 70 years.
And if you are still not convinced here is evidence of the psychological damage that this does to them particularly kids growing up.
https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/indian-mascots
We as white people really don’t lose anything by changing a mascot from an Indian to an animal and a lot of people directly benefit from this change. What are we even sacrificing?
I’m a 1997 alumnus and I fully support changing the mascot. I’ve hoped for years to see the elimination of the Indians name. I fully support changing the name to the Hart Hawks or something equally iconic and awesome. Heck, you can keep the H and the feather logo that way. I feel terrible that people don’t see the offense and racism. I’m shocked how they even remark on how the petitioners should instead support the police which may have officers who have oppressed minority groups and harbors white supremacists. How completely tone-deaf and ignorant. I’m no longer in the SCV and have been fortunate to travel the world and expand my views, and absolutely people with indigenous American heritage are offended by the racist portrayal of their ancestors as primitive, backwater, violent, and murderous savages as depicted in movies. It is widely known that there has been constant pressure to rename the Washington Redskins for decades, with the expectation that once that topples, the other offensive team names will fall in line. Let’s be on the right side of history and change the mascot. The past can’t be changed, but we can look forward to a better name going forward!
I am a Hart graduate, and was and am proud of our mascot and school. But things change. This should not be an issue for us alumni to decide–it seems like we either, as a broader group, can’t handle change, or we just want to lock future generations in by our decisions. This should be an issue for the current students. Let them vote and decide. If they want it changed, change it. Hart will still be Hart.
Just a bunch of baby boomers crying about something that has nothing to do with them. Calling kids snowflakes for wanting to promote change, while these Old people kick and scream like a toddler.
Y’all are adults and still afraid of change? Grow up, it’s not our world anymore. It’ll change, you’ll cry, the students will feel proud for making a difference and the world will keep spinning. Stop trying to force people to conform to your idea of what’s right.
Go to an Native American owned casino and tell me again how offended they are.
Why was the Hart High School Mascot named the Indians in the first place.William S.Hart was known for his cowboy roles in the movies.Change it to the Gunfighters after one of his movie since Canyon Country High Mascot are the Cowboys.
Kenneth Maeda: The mascot is named Indian not Indians. “William Surrey Hart was born in Newburgh, New York, on December 6, 1864, one of seven children of Irish and German ancestry, born to James and Katherine Hart. During his boyhood, his family traveled extensively throughout the Midwest (Dakota Territories) as his father searched unsuccessfully for the ideal site to build a gristmill (for grinding grain), where he would make a permanent home for his family. Consequently, young Bill was raised in pioneer atmospheres, where he had personal contact with Indians from many tribes, as well as an assortment of ranchers and cowboys. The youngster learned Indian sign language and even a little of the Sioux language from his playmates. He gained a respect for Indians and Indian cultures that he retained throughout his long and productive life.”