October 2021
Native American Students & Staff Share Their Perspectives On Mandan High School’s Mascot
— Ariana González, Assistant Editor-in-Chief
With the removal of Native American mascots throughout the background behind the mascots do not get offended as easily,” country, it seems our school is following through with the same Birdhorse said. “Whereas, the people who might not be as educated process. In the eyes of many activists throughout the country, about the whole thing might have a different mindset towards it.” Native American mascots are seen as offensive and continue to Junior Lily Giggee, who is also Native American, also shares a perpetuate racial and ethnic stereotypes. similar view to Robert Birdhorse. Over the last year or so, students have noticed that the “I think removing it was a dumb decision,” Giggee said. “I Bravehead, our school’s mascot, has been slowly been used less. thought it was cool and we were not asked whether we wanted to Mark Andresen, our school’s head director, shares his insight on get rid of it or not.” the removal of the Bravehead. Giggee believes that it was not offensive due to the fact that “We have currently been using more than one logo to make sure nobody was dressing up as a Native American person. we are using the logo to make sure we are using the Bravehead in “It was just a logo,” Giggee said. “It was not like we were an appropiate manner,” Andresen said. “ dressing up, it would be different if we were wearing the mascot.” According to Andresen, Giggee views the Bravehead the school has received as a form of representation complaints about the and a way for people to learn Bravehead several times about certain aspects of Native from groups outside of North American culture. Dakota. “Most people do not really “Two times we have know what our regalia looks had meetings to discuss like,” Giggee said. “Our its use which involved mascot was also more accurate Tribe members as well as than the Cleveland Indians, community members,” since we had the full feathered Andresen said “Each time dress and not just a couple thus far we have been able to little feathers.” agree to keep the logo as long Rather than being looked as we are sensitive and caring down on, Giggee believes that in how we use it.” having a mascot like ours helps In a survey sent out to represent Native American Native American students culture in a positive way. who are members of the Four “I think it is really cool to Photo by Ariana González Directions club, 95% of the have that social representation partcipants said that they do and having it in a good way, instead of a Though some people may be against the use of bad one,” Giggee said. not find the Bravehead to be the Bravehead, many students and staff are in offensive. Another student’s opinion comes from support of it. Robert Birdhorse, who is senior Samuel Burr, who does not like Native American, teaches the idea of removing the Bravehead. Geography and Native “It has been a part of Mandan history, American Studies. He believes there is some good and some bad which we live in,” Burr said. “It makes sense to keep the Bravehead about the removal of our mascot. the way it is since it has been here forever.” “That is just the world we live in today,” Birdhorse said. “You Like Birdhorse, Burr believes that outside influences is what have to be culturally sensitive to every race, whereas in previous makes mascots, such as the Bravehead, offensive. times, you could say and do as you wanted.” “Everybody from Mandan is cool about it,” Burr said. “Nobody Being Native American, Birdhorse did not find Native American does anything vulgar with it. I do not think anyone really cares. We mascots offensive. are known as the Mandan Braves, that is the way it is.” “I played college baseball at UND when they were the Fighting Despite this, it is currently unclear what the Bravehead’s future Sioux,” Birdhorse said. “A part of me took pride in having that as will be. our logo.” “We are unsure of what the future holds,” Andresen said. “A Birdhorse believes that stereotypes can be perpetuated more by process to review or remove may occur in the next year as we certain populations. begin to brand a new school.” “I think that the people that know the information and the
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