Currently, there are approximately 100 schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that utilize mascots, names, symbols, and logos that reference Indigenous peoples and their cultures. This practice is often framed as a way to remember history and to show respect for the original people of this land. However, there is a growing body of research that has connected exposure to Indigenous sports mascots to poor self-image among Native American students and a greater tendency to stereotype other minority groups among non-Native students.
For decades, many Native Nations and organizations have spoken out against this practice and called for it to be ended. The commitment to continue dehumanizing Indigenous people in this way, in direct contrast to their wishes, does not honor them or their culture. Rather, it exposes Indigenous children to ridicule and affects their ability to see themselves as more than a mascot. In fact, it communicates to Indigenous people that their safety and self-worth matter less than an offensive depiction of them does. It enforces hierarchies and excuses, the very behavior that we teach children not to engage in.
Schools have anti-discrimination and harassment policies which prohibit the use of harmful stereotypes of minorities, race and culture. Schools with Native mascots, names and images are ignoring their very own anti-discrimination and harassment policies which they created to protect all students. Instead they are allowing the harm to continue by making Native peoples the only exception to those protective policies.
Despite what these sports mascots would suggest, Indigenous people are not extinct, nor are they fictional or mythological creatures. They are living, breathing human beings who deserve to be heard and respected just like any other group of people.
For five years, Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb has supported the Coalition of Natives and Allies in our goal to have Pennsylvania schools stop using Native people and culture for their sports mascots by submitting legislation over and over again. Unfortunately, his bill to ban school districts from using Native imagery as a mascot or logo has never moved out of committee. This issue seems to get continuously overlooked as if Native people do not matter.
READ: The Remains and Stories of Native American Students Are Being Reclaimed From a Pennsylvania Cemetery
Pennsylvania must join the 11 other states which have already implemented legislation banning the use of Native mascots and the appropriation of Native images and culture for stereotypical representation in schools. We ask that you join us in our mission to create truly safe and empathetic learning environments for all.
Whether or not your community school is one with a Native mascot, please call your legislator to urge passage of these bills. These bills were referred to the Education Committee on October, 25, 2025.
Please contact your representative and ask that they co-sponsor HB 1986 (Establishing Grants to Assist Schools Committed to Updating Mascots, Logos, School and Team Names) and HB 1987 (Banning Native American Mascots in Schools).
We also urge you to let the Chair of the Education Committee, state Rep. Peter Schweyer know that PA citizens feel that HB 1986 and HB 1987 are important pieces of legislation to pass.
By supporting HB 1986 and HB1987, you will take a stand for racial equality and safer schools, while also making the transition easier for educational institutions through a Mascot Grant Fund.
Any questions, please contact the Coalition of Natives and Allies at pacnacuer2020(at)gmail.com.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is crucial to acknowledge that Bucks County exists on Lenapehoking, the unceded homelands of the Lenape and that the State of Pennsylvania is the tribal territory of the Delaware, Erie, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Munsee, Shawnee and Susquehannock. As guests in Native homelands we have a responsibility to show respect for the original people who stewarded these lands by learning their true history and where they are now.
The Coalition of Natives and Allies is a cross-cultural collaboration of Native Americans and allies who value cultural diversity and respect for all peoples. Through education and advocacy, CNA aspires to teach the truth about Native American histories, modern day Native issues and bring awareness to the trauma caused by negative and archaic stereotypes used for sports mascots. By highlighting the bias and prejudice these stereotypes cause, CNA strives to end the harmful use of Native American misrepresentation in schools.
