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State Board, Department of Education Looking to End Native American Mascots

Supporters and opponents of the Paw Paw "Redskins" at a school board meeting in February
Sehvilla Mann
/
WMUK

(MPRN-Lansing) The Michigan State Board of Education is trying to pressure schools to drop team mascots and nicknames that are offensive to Native American tribes. 

The board is asking the Legislature to adopt budget sanctions on schools that won’t scrap offensive Native American mascots.

Democrat Pam Pugh is a board member. She says the state board and the Department of Education have already advised districts that the mascots can make schools unwelcoming places for Native American students.

“We just felt like we needed to take that up a notch and hopefully provide some more teeth and support.”

The state schools superintendent is also looking for ways to take unilateral action. It’s a debate that’s currently playing out in several school districts across the state.

Gordon Evans became WMUK's Content Director in 2019 after more than 20 years as an anchor, host and reporter. A 1990 graduate of Michigan State, he began work at WMUK in 1996.
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