Native American Mascots Could Be Banned in Historic First

Massachusetts legislators are debating a pair of bills that would effectively ban Native American mascots and symbolism in public high schools.

State Senator Joanne Comerford and state Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley proposed the bills in February to eliminate Native American high school mascots statewide in addition to banning logos, mascots and team names that "denigrate...any racial, ethnic, gender, or religious group." It is the third such attempt to make the changing of mascots a statewide issue, dating to the 2019-2020 legislative session.

There has been a renewed focus on Native American mascots in recent years across many states and…