This guest commentary ran online at DenverPost.com on March 29, 2015.

1

State Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton, is sponsoring House Bill 1165, a misguided effort to ban Native American mascots in Colorado’s public schools. On the heels of the Washington Redskins’ national controversy, Salazar’s legislation would prevent public schools from using a name, mascot, or school symbol referencing Native Americans unless that school is granted a waiver from the originating tribe.

2

I grew up outside of the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. My great-grandfather, Orville Sr. “Paha Ska” Salway, was an honorary chief of the Oglala Sioux tribe. Many of the schools located on the reservations themselves have controversial school names and mascots, too. For instance, the Red Cloud Indian School mascot, the Crusader, uses the symbol of a buffalo skeleton with a Native American on a horse throwing an arrow as their mascot. This symbolizes their history.

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3

As a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, the suffocating political correctness policing of every aspect of our lives concerns me. In Salazar’s well-intentioned attempt to prevent anyone from suffering offense, he is actually perpetuating our inability to even discuss important issues of race, power, and American history.

4

The entire purpose of a school mascot is to provide a single rallying symbol from which a community can celebrate unity. In this day of perpetual outrage, the suppression of these symbols will do little more than to further highlight the divide between Natives and everyone else.

5

In a society so consumed by political correctness, this bill could be detrimental to its stated purpose and actually prevent meaningful conversations about other cultures and races. Salazar’s bill mentions nothing about Trojans, Vikings, Fighting Irish, or any other historical or ethnic group. He carves out only Native-based mascots for scrutiny and elimination.

6

Rep. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, asked a vital question recently as the bill was being heard in the House Education committee: “What other legislation has been needed to change mascots?”

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Salazar responded, “There wasn’t any.”

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As Lundeen pointed out, throughout history mascot changes based on political correctness have been community initiatives, not legislative answers. More government is not the answer to a community concern. Not only is this not the proper role of government, this bill is a form of government coercion with a bankrupting fine.

9

Native Americans have long fought government overreach into our culture. This is yet another example of government going way too far, creating a solution in search of a problem.

10

HB 1165 demands that public schools receive special permission from the Native tribe from which their mascot or team name originated for its use. If schools with Native mascots don’t comply with this new legislation, they will be fined $25,000 per month until the situation is remedied. These massive fines will ultimately be paid with taxpayer dollars.

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The fines are so large they could quickly wipe out a high school’s entire athletics budget. They are so clearly designed to be punitive in nature, many schools across the state will just change their mascots rather than risk the fine.

12

Yes, some people are offended by Native-based mascots, but it is not the government’s job to prevent every person from ever feeling offended. It sends the strong message to all Coloradans that discussion, celebration of, and rallying behind a Native symbol might be so offensive to someone it requires a special carve-out. Especially to Colorado students, this message will stifle pride and unity. Salazar’s legislation may, in fact, further alienate our culture from the mainstream.

13

This legislation doesn’t teach Colorado’s children to engage and to recognize our Native population; it teaches them to avoid offending us by avoiding the conversation at all.

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14

Political correctness does not solve this, or any problem. In fact, by failing to acknowledge the contributions of Native American culture to the fabric of American culture, we create a greater problem, selectively erasing history.

15

Have we as a country become so haunted by political correctness and censorship that we have created the very barriers we say we want to overcome? When we aren’t free to communicate on issues pertaining to race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, we are doomed to perpetuate the stigma. We can be mindful of how our attitudes and actions are influenced by prejudices and how our words reinforce those prejudices and stereotypes without rules on discourse handed down from government.

16

HB 1165, otherwise known as the Mascot Bill, is forceful government censorship, and the cost is real conversation about Native American culture. This bill will affect Colorado public schools, our children, and our communities at the high price tag of our freedom.

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