KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The hotly contested mascot change from the Hart Indians went to a final showdown between “Hart Hawks” or “Hart Bisons” Tuesday night, with the winner taking its place among the mascots of our Santa Clarita Valley’s high schools.
Hart High School Principal Jason d’Autremont revealed the new mascot during a special presentation at the school’s Open House on Tuesday, announcing that the Hawks would become the new mascot starting in the 2024-2025 school year.
Taking just over 75% of the vote, the Hawks summarily defeated the Bisons as the new animal representing Hart High School.
Symbols of “strength, freedom, and intelligence,” Hawks were considered to be a fitting representation of the school’s values, balancing multiple messages that not only honored the original reasoning behind the Indian mascot but also the values of the modern community.
“The alliteration of “Hart Hawks” maintains continuity with other district mascots like Valencia Vikings and Canyon Cowboys. Hawks are indigenous to the Santa Clarita Valley, making them a fitting representation of the local habitat. Additionally, the red-tailed hawk, in particular, aligns with Hart’s colors. Choosing the Hawk allows the school to honor its Native American heritage without cultural appropriation concerns,” stated d’Autremont.
The mascot change has been a source of controversy dating back to June 6, 2020 when the school received a petition to retire the mascot.
“Hart High School’s ‘Indian’ mascot was decided upon back in 1946, when the offensive and detrimental nature of Native American imagery in sports was not yet understood. Twenty years later, in 1968, the NCAI (Nation Congress of American Indians) began their ongoing campaign to end the era of harmful ‘Indian’ mascots,” reads the original petition.
The Mascot committee decided to leave the current Hart logo, an “H” with a feather accessory unchanged to preserve the school’s history, with the added ability to add a new logo or mascot at a later date if needed, according to Hart High School Officials.
A mascot committee was formed and narrowed nominations to Hawks, Bison, and Trailblazers. In January 2024, the Associated Student Body (ASB) overwhelmingly voted to put the Hawk forward for a school-wide vote.
However, discussion continued, and another final vote was arranged, with the final reveal coming on Tuesday.
An Election Runner voting system was sent to all students and staff through their school-provided emails, and 1106 votes were returned, estimated to be around half of the student body. Of those, 833 votes favored the Hawks.
“Our students are great here at Hart High School… They’re embracing the change and they’re knowing that they have a say in this. So with their say, I think they just felt honored to be a part of this historic situation,” d’Autremont said.
Going forward, the school staff and students plan to design and vote on new mascot images that marry the current “feathered H” with a more identifiable animal mascot, according to d’Autremont.
The artwork currently underconsideration is a result of collaboration between Hart graphic design students, alumni, and staff.
“We want to preserve the history fo our high school. That’s why wer’e keeing the logo with teh feathers,” d’Autremont said. “I think it’s fitting that we’re the Hawks, we can use a feather (in the new logo) perhaps, and use it a respectful way.”
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Glad to see progress is still possible in Awesome Town. Go Hawks!
INDIANS!! INDIANS! So supid!
We remain puzzled by the tone of this news story as it seems to support an illegitimate process. The nomination and selection process ignored votes for Indian and Warriors. The community knows that if Indian / Warrior were on the ballot it would wipe out Hawk in a complete bloodbath.
Someone should pick up the phone and call Carl Goldman.
was bloodbath the right word to use?
it is a good use to ‘throw shade’ at those who are easily led (by the nose) astray by the shallow, triggered practitioners of widely-coordinated deceptive’reporting’ by (cough, cough) journalismos
Let’s all take a group hit off the ‘gaslight pipe’ and mellow down easy
Honestly, you sound higher than a Georgia pine. Paranoid, much?
It’s a high school mascot. It’s a vote. Ohhh yeah… now I get it, you guys don’t believe election results.
ohhh yeah… anyone who doesn’t hands down align with your thoughts is being led astray… because they’re sheep, right? Is that what comes next?
Oh brother, Go Hawks!
It was but all letters should’ve been capitalized.
Steve, How do you know what “the community knows”? Amazing.
In the recent weeks/months we’ve heard about teacher’s union budget issues and layoffs. Let’s just put the serious issues aside and tackle a mascot problem.
For those of you who have moved to SCV don’t even know the history within it. It’s shameful that the history of Hart Hight has been erased. It will always remain Hart Indian for all of us who attended under that mascot .
Thank you!
Wonderful.
Go Hart Indians!!
Ridiculous.
Someday we’ll have zero history left.
Liberals 👎
Will always be the Indians to me
It is sad that the liberals think it is progress to undo history and turn a blind eye to the friendship and trust that William S Hart had built with the Indians.
Go Hawks!
RIP Indians.
True, because a group of people’s feelings get hurt, so we have to accommodate and fix their issues rather than the pressing issues that affects the students.
Agree, who are we pleasing?
Do any of you realize how crazy you sound?
MOVE ON Hart alums. Don’t you have other things to worry about?
Change is part of life. You aren’t snowflakes, are you?
INDIANS INDIANS INDIANS HART INDIANS! Bunch of liberal babies!
Once a Indian always a Indian screw the Hawks screw the government