Elma, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Iroquois Central School District has begun the process to change the name of its mascot from Chiefs to something else. The district says it will take suggestions and whittle the field down to 25 by December.
Superintendent Douglas Scofield says this is a matter of respect. "At Iroquois, we've always been very proud to be called the Chiefs, and part of being proud is we want to show respect towards Native Americans, and that's where the conflict arises," says Scofield. He says because you're proud of it, some people like to keep it, but to be respectful, you have to honor their wishes and come up with a new mascot. He says he's proud of how the district's residents have handled this. "There's not a huge outcry to keep it because they know this is a matter of respect and understanding of the Native Americans," notes Scofield.
Scofield describes the process of changing the mascot name as one open to the public. "Anyone in the community can submit a name of what they would like the new new mascot name to be. Then, we have a committee, they'll narrow it down to 25, and then in December, people will vote on 25 will narrow this down to five," explains Scofield. Then in January, the field will be whittled to five, and the process begins again. The goal is to complete the process by March.
Iroquois will be allowed to keep the district's name. The Board of Regents' ban on use of indigenous names, mascots and logos takes effect in June 2025.
