We urge the Iowa Board of Education and the Iowa Legislature adopt a resolution requiring the removal of Native American mascots and slogans from all publicly-funded Iowa schools.
In 2005, the American Psychological Association stated the following:
"Indian mascots as symbols in schools and university athletic programs is particularly troubling because schools are places of learning. These mascots are teaching stereotypical, misleading and too often, insulting images of American Indians. These negative lessons are not just affecting American Indian students; they are sending the wrong message to all students."
Why is this important?
As parents of a Native American child, we recognize the inherent harm of singling out any groups of students for ridicule.
