As the Wisconsin Senate votes Tuesday on rules for forcing schools to drop American Indian mascots, we learn they've raised divergent opinions for decades.
Mascots in the U.S. originated more than 100 years ago, amid a blend of talismans, bat boys and entertainment during sporting events, according to Jennifer Guiliano at the University of Maryland. She’s just finishing a book on the subject. Guiliano is assistant director of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities.
The bill before the state Senate would make it more difficult to force school districts to drop American Indian nicknames and logos. The measure would require people unhappy with a school mascot to collect a certain number of signatures in the district. Then the Dept. of Administration would review the case.
Right now, the Dept. of Public Instruction decides – and if only one person in the school district feels a mascot discriminates against Native Americans.