KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Rudy Ortega Jr., Fernandeño Tataviam Tribal President, addressed the William S. Hart Union High School District Board on Wednesday regarding Hart High School’s Indian mascot, which has drawn community attention over the past year for being “outdated.”
The Governing Board has expressed a desire to approach this issue thoughtfully and with a full understanding of the perspective of all relevant stakeholders, according to District officials.
At the regularly scheduled meeting, the governing board welcomed Ortega as a representative from the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, in order to develop a greater understanding of the people indigenous to the Santa Clarita Valley.
“How do we feel about the mascot?” Ortega said. “I’ve had conversations with students and individual board members… We look to go forward.”
The Tribal President claimed there would be few Californian tribes that would support schools keeping their race-based mascots.
“Many times in history class I would be told ‘all the Indians are dead,’” Ortega added. “They thought there were no more indigenous peoples to this area… It’s a difficult challenge because there’s some history or some legacy.”
Ortega sees the issue with mascot as a problem with two sides. One where a conversation can be had with the wider Santa Clarita community regarding how the indigneous people of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians view the race-based mascot.
“I know many of my tribal people who will become Hart High students,” Ortega said. “We want them to be proud of their heritage.”
Ortega also sees the issue as an opportunity to educate students of the indigenous people that originally inhabited the area. The Fernandeño Tataviam advocate for ethnic studies, including indigneous people, according to the Tribal President.
“From a student perspective, this is not something we learn about, not even in my college courses I’ve taken,” said Kaitlyn Thanaet, student representative on the board. “Schoolbooks do touch on it slightly… I don’t think the removal (of the mascot) should be made by those who it does not affect. It won’t affect me, but it would affect Mr. Ortega.”
On Feb. 9, the Hart District Governing Board held a virtual study session to start a conversation about changing Hart High’s Indian mascot, which students have called “outdated.”
“(Study sessions) give the board an opportunity to learn without the pressure of having to make a decision,” said Dr. Cherise Moore, chair of the Hart District board in a previous KHTS story. “They are designed to ensure that when we do have to make decisions we are completely informed as a board.”
Among those in attendance were Julia Estrada, a recent Hart High graduate who started an online petition back in June of 2020 to urge Hart High School and district staff to retire the school’s “outdated and offensive Indian mascot.”
“The issue with the mascot is that it stereotypically portrays an existing race and culture, and promotes ignorance throughout the student body,” Estrada told the board Tuesday.
Many of the written comments submitted to the board ahead of the study session argued that the majority of Native Americans were not opposed to the Indian mascot, with one dismissing the effort to replace it as being part of a “racist political agenda.”
No action was taken at this meeting and further discussions and opportunities for input are scheduled for future meetings. Board Chair Dr. Moore asked Superintendent Mike Kuhlman to begin the process of engaging the topic with more students.
the full meeting can viewed here.
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Every high school mascot should just be changed to a crying baby since everyone is so offended over every little thing it’s pathetic.
I can not believe that it has actually come down to a decision about what to do. The Hart High Indians and then the Saugus High Centurians.Probably offensive to Romans. Come on Santa Clarita, let’s keep it real and not become puppets to propagate this nonsense!!
There are real life issues, like finally letting our students get back to school.
How many study sessions are needed to “understand.” Change the mascot!
—- I love a good BIASED, UNSUBSTANTIATED anecdotal story to try and prove a specific point of view.
We no longer have an education system we have a progressive indoctrination system.
I found the term Governing Board to be a little “outdated.”
We live in a world full of people who need a pacifier, blanket & safe place.
STOP CHANGING / ERASING HISTORY.
Plenty of Native Americans who don’t find the Hart mascot offensive but their voices don’t matter.
Leave the Indians alone! I guess they will now name the schools for illegals jumping the fence. What a picture!
More whinny, delicate, manipulating, brainwashing by the insanity of woke Liberals!
You people are hilarious. The representative for the tribe that the mascot represents, the tribe indigenous to this area, says they don’t like the name and they want it changed… And it’s still not good enough for you.
For once, stop thinking about yourselves and listen to the people who are actually affected. Your selfishness is right here on the page. Just stop it. The “Indians“ in Hart high Indians don’t like it, that should be enough.
This isn’t about politics and it isn’t about having to “suck it up,“ this is about real people and real racism. You keep talking about history being erased, but if the history is racism, even if you can’t recognize it, shouldn’t be a erased?
Perhaps you people are the ones who need to “suck it up,“ and realize that the world is moving on without you. Unbury your heads and move on with it.
Depending on your believe/education systems, Scientists documentation proves Man came from Africa & Religion believes the Middle East=There are No native/indigenous/Indians—-All people are immigrants, some violent and some peaceful! We need to modernize and stop real problems like crime/violence and racial problems!