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Three Oregon School Districts Keep Their "Warriors" Mascots, With Changes

Rivalblitz.com, Oakridge School District.

The Oregon Board of Education has approved Indian mascots for four school districts:  Philomath, Siletz, Rogue River, and Amity have ratified agreements with the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.  As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, three other districts are taking a different tack.  

Oakridge, North Douglas, and Lebanon all say they’ll keep the “Warriors” name, but alter their logos so they lack Native American imagery.

Oakridge’s new symbol sports a logger’s axe and trees.  The superintendent says they’ll now honor all warriors including soldiers.

North Douglas will phase out its mascot -- “Willy the Warrior”.  They’re switching their logo with the letters “ND”, similar to Notre Dame.  

Credit Classmates.com
Willy the Warrior mascot, formerly of the North Douglas School District

And Lebanon says it’ll transition to a logo without Indian imagery. Instead it’ll just have the letters “LW”.

Under Oregon rules passed in 2012, districts had to either reach agreements with neighboring, federally-recognized tribes to keep an Indian mascot, or discard any native associations by July 1st …or risk losing state funds.  

Copyright 2017, KLCC.

Brian Bull is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and remains a contributor to the KLCC news department. He began working with KLCC in June 2016.   In his 27+ years as a public media journalist, he's worked at NPR, Twin Cities Public Television, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Radio, and ideastream in Cleveland. His reporting has netted dozens of accolades, including four national Edward R. Murrow Awards (22 regional),  the Ohio Associated Press' Best Reporter Award, Best Radio Reporter from  the Native American Journalists Association, and the PRNDI/NEFE Award for Excellence in Consumer Finance Reporting.
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