State board dicourages use of Indian nicknames; local board to ponder possible changes

An item at the end of the Monday?s agenda of the Rogers City Board of Education has drawn much attention across the state and that is the Huron nickname for the RCHS sports teams. Some 70 schools in the state have Indian nicknames On June 26, the State Board of Education approved a resolution on the use of American Indian mascots, nicknames and logos. The state board said, ?All cultures, races, and religions have a right to be treated with dignity and respect.?

THE RESOLUTION calls for each local school district to address the matter. The state board called for promoting ?curricula that is fair, appropriate, and accurate in depicting the cultures and histories of all people.?

The board called for educators and students to be ?aware of and respectful of various cultures present in society.?

As for use of Indian logos or nicknames the state board ?recommends the elimination of American Indian mascots, nicknames, logos, fight songs, insignias, antics, and team descriptions by all Michigan schools.? The action at the state level came as recommendations, not mandates.

?WE ARE at the beginning of a long, thoughtful process,? said superintendent Ed Schultz, who called it a great chance for community involvement and educational opportunities.? Schultz recommended the board think about the situation for a while before any action is taken.

?Like Central Michigan University, we could take a look at the logo. Maybe the Indian head needs to reflect truly the Huron-Wyandotte-type Indi

an, which is often a plains-kind of Indian with the flowing head dresses,? Schultz said. ?Those kinds of things we could look at.?

EARLIER IN the meeting, board chairperson Patty Pike named the committee member appointments. The curriculum committee consists of Pike, Robert Frost, and Norm Karbon; the planning committee is Mike Marx, Jo-Bush-Glenn, and Frost; policy committee is: Bush-Glenn, Marx and Dick Hanson; hearing committee is: Bush-Glenn, Pike, and Hanson; personnel committee is Dana LaBar, Karbon, and Frost; public relations is LaBar, Pike, and Hanson; and facilities planning is Marx, Frost, and Karbon.

The board dismissed to closed session to discuss negotiations with unions for the teachers and the support staff. The contract with the teachers expires August 31 and the contract with the support staff expired July 1. I