A group known as North Hills Progressives is calling for a new sports mascot at North Hills High School.
There's a new billboard on Babcock Boulevard, paid for by the organization ahead of Friday night's WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal game when North Hills hosts West Allegheny.
Both teams use the name Indians.
“Our reasoning is that based on decades of research that having a racist mascot harms indigenous students and non-indigenous students and our goal is to support the mission of the North Hills School district which is to foster a safe and welcoming environment for all students and so we believe changing the mascot is great way to align with that mission,” said North Hills Progressives spokeswoman Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan.
In 2022, North Hills stopped using Native American imagery but retained the Indians name for its sports teams.
Pagel-Hogan says the North Hills School board would need to decide to change the name of the mascot.
“I also know that there are people with great ideas for new mascots out there and it’s a great opportunity for the school district to work with the students and the teachers to pick a mascot that represents the values of the school district and are in line with the ‘Do No Harm’ initiative that the district sponsors,” said Pagel-Hogan.
For those that oppose changing the name, Pagel-Hogan says:
“People try to say like, ‘this isn't the right way to spend money on.’ But the district is already going to replace outdated items as they get, you know, wear and tear. Well, let's replace them with something that reflects the positive values of the district. Or, ‘this is erasing history.’ Well, this isn't accurately reflecting any kind of history from the area, so we're not replacing history, we're correcting misinformation is what we're doing.”
You can learn more about the North Hills Progressives stance here.
