Watts Brings Legislation to Address Discriminatory Symbols

Via the Nevada Independent:

As sports teams and schools nationwide grapple with whether their longtime mascots are offensive, Nevada lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban racially discriminatory language or imagery in a school's “identifiers” such as its name, logo or mascot.

Assemblyman Howard Watts (D-Las Vegas) said the bill, AB88, would address the use of “stereotypical and derogatory” depictions of Native American people and culture in the states’ schools. The bill allows the school districts to use an identifier associated with Native tribes only if the tribe grants permission to use that mascot, name or imagery. 

Testimony at the hearing, via KOLO News:

“They reinforce negative stereotypes of our indigenous people,” Laurie Thom from the Yerington Paiute Nation told a legislative committee. “From adults spitting on young native athlete or seeing entire gyms full of non-natives doing the tomahawk chop. But still yelling at us for the dirty Indians to go home to the Res,” she said.

“I was a native student athlete and I had to compartmentalize and separate from the jeering about my culture,” testified Marla McDaze William representing the Reno Sparks Indian Colony. Those were just two of approximately one dozen voices in favor a Assembly Bill 88.

The Review Journal added:

“These historic and symbolic vestiges stem from a place of hate and fear and have no place in a productive and prosperous future,” said Brian Melendez, chairman of the Statewide Nevada Native American Caucus while testifying in support of the bill.

“Ultimately I believe we can find words and symbols that honor the stories of these places and institutions, while also honoring diverse cultures and communities that call Nevada home,” Watts said.

Additional background is also available at KLAS News.