"The Kewaunee School District made the right choice to drop its "Indians" mascot this week, despite the community's hard-fought position that the logo is a tribute to Native Americans.

We understand the strong tradition tied to a team name, and we see how it might be difficult for fans to witness the end of an era. At the same time, we also agree with the new statewide ban on race-based mascots, a law intended to bring the controversial practice to a close in Wisconsin schools.

To the school district's credit, it tried to be sensitive toward Native Americans by removing the Indian name and logo from some team uniforms and facilities "over the past few years" — according to a district statement released Tuesday.

As Kewaunee is faced with replacing its Indianhead logo, now would be an appropriate time to talk about Native American heritage and its impact locally. If honoring Native Americans was at the heart of preserving the sports team name, it stands to reason that the community would want to find other ways to appreciate tribal culture and history."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Kewaunee can pay respect to Native Americans in other ways (The Green Bay Press-Gazette 8/6)

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