MADISON, Wis. — A southeastern Wisconsin school district has formally refused to change its American Indian nickname, openly defying state education officials' order to dump it.
The Mukwonago Area School District's sports teams are known as the "Indians." The district also uses a logo depicting an American Indian man wearing a feather headdress. The state Department of Public Instruction contends the nickname and logo promote discrimination and have ordered the district to remove it by this fall.
The district's attorney, Samuel C. Hall, said the board voted 8-1 Monday night to adopt a resolution stating the district would take no action to change the name. The resolution notes that the district has used the nickname for more than 100 years and has taken "special care" to treat American Indians with dignity, including teaching incoming freshmen about the area's American Indian history.
"The use of the 'Indians' nickname and associated logo have been and continue to be a source of pride related to the local history of the Mukwonago area," the resolution said. "Further, the District believes that decisions regarding the use of nicknames and logos are best left to local elected officials who better understand local history."
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