“You hear a few comments about - ‘I’m going to be an Indian forever,’” she said. High School Principal Heidi Voehringer said the shift started as the old stuff came down and was replaced. “It’s a unique opportunity to say this is who we are as Montrose.” “I’m just really excited for it all,” she said. They found sponsors and were able to give out about 1,500 shirts. Montrose Junior Class President Rachel Robuck said the school typically gives T-shirts to incoming freshmen, but the student council wanted all students to get a new Red Hawks shirt. “Change is tough for folks and when you have something in place for 100 years, it can be hard to change.” “With some minor exceptions, people are embracing the new mascot,” said Matt Jenkins, a spokesman for Montrose School District, where three schools had to dump mascots. Krug and other school leaders say it will take time to make the full cultural shift, but they are encouraged by what they’ve seen so far. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun) Let’s go, let’s get back to business.” A plaque depicting a Native American was among the items listed in a silent auction and sale of athletic clothing and gear at Lamar High School on Sept. “We want to ensure the kids are supported. “I believe that those who are fully aware of our role as an educational institution recognize that not allowing us to move forward with a new mascot is doing nothing but hurting our kids,” said Chad Krug, Lamar superintendent. That leaves seven on the state’s list of schools out of compliance with the law.Īlthough tinges of disappointment and bitterness linger, most school leaders say it’s time to refocus on the schools’ missions of delivering education. 9, and the three schools previously listed for Sangre de Cristo School District in the San Luis Valley have been consolidated to two (all levels share one campus). Two were removed at the first quarterly meeting of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs on Sept. Meanwhile, 10 more schools added to a noncompliant list in May are under scrutiny this year because of their Thunderbird mascots. There was no playbook for swapping mascots. In the tiny Arickaree School District in northeastern Colorado, the new Bison mascot was welcomed at a Bison Spirit Stampede. In Lamar, the booster club has been promoting the Thunder on its Facebook page for weeks. In Montrose, the new Red Hawks mascot for the high school was introduced to the community with a marching band banner at the Fourth of July parade. Once The Savages, they are now The Thunder. Lamar, along with a number of other Colorado schools, was forced to change its native American-themed mascot. ![]() Athletic clothing and gear was on sale at the Lamar High School gym Sept. ![]() In Yuma, which opted against a new mascot after its pitch for Tribe was denied, it’s a giant Y or, simply, Yuma. In most cases, new nicknames and logos are appearing on sports uniforms, gym floors and school walls. They had a year to make the change, and that deadline was June 1. ![]() It’s a cultural shift playing out in Lamar and about a dozen other Colorado school districts that were forced under a state law to get rid of Native American mascots. ![]() Some said they are OK with the new name, and a few said they liked it. “Who?” said Cade Hasser, class of 2007, when asked what he thought of the Thunder. They are resigned that the school is now home to the Lamar Thunder, and the mascot is a snorting buffalo charging at full speed. Meet Colorado’s Congressional delegation.Colorado schools face cultural shift after dropping Native mascots Close
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