Bill to Ban Native American Mascots Introduced in Olympia

A bill being considered in the Washington State Legislature would ban the use of Native American names, symbols or images as public school mascots, logos or team names.

Sponsors of House Bill 1356 say such representation singles out the Native American community for derision and cultural appropriation.

35 of the state's 420 high schools have such mascots…and seven are considering a change.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Debra Lekanoff who is a member of both the Tlingit and Aleut tribes.

The Oregon Board of Education formally banned Native American mascots in 2012.