The use of terms and images referring to Native Americans/First Nations as the name or mascot for a sports team is a topic of public controversy in the United States and in Canada, arising as part of the Native American/First Nations civil rights movements. The retirement of the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians has tipped public opinion in favor of eliminating Native mascots by public school, more states considering or passing legislation to do so, heeding tribal leaders who have advocating for change for decades.
Statewide laws or school board decisions mandating change have been passed in states with significant Native American population; other states also have official policies that encourage change in accordance with principles of establishing a proper environment for education. However, there has also been resistance and backlash, usually when statewide laws have been viewed as an intrusion into local communities, where no need for change has been established.
The documents most often cited to justifying the trend for change are an advisory opinion by the United States Commission on Civil Rights in 2001 and a resolution by the American Psychological Association in 2005. Both support the views of Native American organizations and individuals that such mascots maintaining harmful stereotypes that are discriminatory and cause harm by distorting the past and preventing understanding of Native American/First Nations peoples in the present.
Rex P. Shipp, the state representative for Cedar City, Utah, introduced in 2020 a joint resolution supporting "the appropriate use of names, images, and symbols of Native Americans and other indigenous people by schools or places" and discouraging "removing names, images, and symbols of Native Americans and other indigenous people from schools or places". Although not having the force of law, the resolution failed on party lines in 2021, with only a few Republicans voting in support. A similar resolution may be introduced in Idaho. Following the name change of the Cleveland Indians, two Ohio state representatives have introduced a resolution encouraging Ohio schools to eliminate Native American mascots.
Arizona A Native American legislator proposed a bill in 2018 that would have ban the use of a sports team name or logo at a publicly funded stadium if any Arizona tribe found it to be disparaging. While primarily aimed at the Washington Redskins, the ban could affect other professional and amateur teams.
California After two failed attempts at similar legislation in the early-2000s, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 30—the "California Racial Mascots Act"—in October 2015, which prohibited state schools from using the name "Redskins". At the time of signing, four California schools were using the name "Redskins": Calaveras High School, Chowchilla Union High School, Gustine High School, and Tulare Union High School.
Effective January 1, 2017, schools would be prohibited from using the name "Redskins", or producing new signs, fixtures, publications, or materials containing the name. Signs and fixtures bearing the name "Redskins" did not have to be removed immediately, provided that they were removed the next time they are replaced "in the normal course of maintenance". A two-year grace period was granted for band and sports uniforms in limited quantities, in order to allow for replacements of lost or damaged uniforms.
Gustine High changed their name to the "Reds" in February 2016; the name was previously used by the school from 1913 to 1936, but changed due to its association with communism. Calaveras High School's students and faculty initially voted to remove the Redskins name, but not replace it. This remained the case until 2022, when students and faculty voted to adopt the new name "Red Hawks". Chowchilla and Tulare both renamed their teams "the Tribe"; Tulare's principal stated their intention to retain Native American imagery as much as possible, while the local Tule River tribe was also consulted.
While only explicitly applying to "Redskins", some institutions voluntarily reevaluated their use of other names and logos that could be considered derogatory to Native Americans, such as the Bakersfield City School District (which discontinued the use of Native American imagery at two schools that used the name "Warriors").
Although the four schools did cease use of the name "Redskins", some only followed the letter of the law and maintained their use of other Native American imagery such as logos. Fan behavior such as the "Tomahawk chop" were still common, as well as students continuing to wear clothing bearing their school's past "Rednecks" branding. Joely Proudfit, chair of Native American studies at California State University, San Marcos, and member of the Pechanga Band of the Luiseño tribe, argued that "there's no redeeming quality of the word 'Redskin' but to try to soften the blow by using 'Tribe' or 'Indian' or 'Warrior' is nonsensical. It just shows that the proponents of keeping these types of words in there don't understand or refuse to understand the harmful effects of stereotyping one particular population."
In October 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 3074, a bill that expands the California Racial Mascots Act to apply to any school name or mascot that is considered "derogatory" to Native American communities (unless the school itself is operated by a recognized tribe), including but not limited to "Apaches", "Braves", "Chiefs", "Chippewa", "Indians", and "Tribe" among others. The expanded bill takes effect in July 2026; localities will be reimbursed for any costs associated with rebranding. Anticipating the enforcement of the law, Clark Intermediate in Clovis, California announced in December, 2025 that their mascot would change from Chieftains to Cougars. Only days later the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California announced that it would concent, as provided by the law, to having the school retain the Chieftains mascot.
Colorado In 2014 State lawmakers in Colorado began considering a bill that rather than a complete ban, would deny state funding to schools on a case by case basis, depending upon the name, logo, and local Native American support. Getting ahead of any potential law, Loveland High School in Loveland, Colorado, is "looking to a Lakota Sioux tribe for help creating a new mascot and a hands-on lesson in history and culture for the school." Although passed by the House by one vote, the bill failed in a Colorado Senate committee. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper created by executive order a commission that held meetings where local community members, state agencies and Native Americans can seek to find common ground on the mascot issue. The commission issued a report in 2016 that advocated change, but only by local initiatives, not a statewide mandate.
In 2021 a bill was passed to ban Native mascots statewide, allowing continued use only for schools that had an agreement with a recognized tribe prior to June 1, 2021. Schools must change their mascots before June 1, 2022 or face a $25,000 per month fine that would go to the state's education fund. The bill was signed into law on June 28, 2021. A group called the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) sued in the U.S. District Court to block implementation of the bill as violating the constitutional rights of those Native Americans who favor retaining Native names and imagery, asserting that there are culturally-sensitive uses. A member of the governor's commission, Darius Smith (Navajo), says that NAGA does not have credibility or represent the way many American Indians feel about the issue. In May, 2022 the judge dismissed the suit on the basis of NAGA having failed to establish standing to bring the case.
Connecticut The Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz announced the consideration of legislation to ban all Native American nicknames and logos in Connecticut. Aresimowicz cited the October 2019 decision of the Killingly school board to change their "Redmen" mascot followed by the January 2020 reversion of that decision by newly elected Republican officials "a mockery of the process". A statewide ban would effect 19 high schools, including Killingly.
Rather than passing a law directly banning mascots, there is a proposal in the Connecticut legislature, which is expected to pass, to withhold the portion of funding that comes to schools from the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes' slot machine revenue if they continue to use the names or images referring to any state or federally recognized tribe. Schools would have a year to change their mascots before losing funding.
In June 2022 most schools had complied, but four school districts have decided to keep their mascots; the Derby Red Raiders, Killingly Redmen, Windsor Warriors and Nonnewaug High School Chiefs. Canton High School, Killingly High School and Windsor High School were ruled ineligible to receive grant funding in November 2022. Canton and Windsor do not receive grants, but Killingly will forfeit $94,184. Other towns, including the Derby Red Raiders will keep their mascot due to agreements with Native groups.
Florida The Hillsborough County School District, which includes Tampa, Florida, voted in May 2019 to examine all school mascots that use Native American names or logos. Five elementary and one middle school will select new mascots. Two high schools, George D. Chamberlain High School (Chiefs) and the East Bay High School (Indians) will keep their logos and names, but must stop doing chants and dances that invoke Native American rituals. However, after announcement of the decision, the response from some members of the public lead to meetings at which various opinions for and against change were expressed.
Illinois A bill was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly on February 9, 2024, prohibiting the use by any school of a native name, logo, or mascot. The bill was passed by the Illinois House in April, 2025.
Iowa Four Democratic members of the Iowa legislature have introduced a bill to eliminate Native mascots by 2024. The Meskwaki Nation issued a message to the 66 schools in Iowa currently using Native “themed” mascots to retire them.
Kansas A commission created by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly in 2021 recommended that schools should, with the Kansas Association for Native American Education (KANAE), examine and eliminate the use of Native American mascots and imagery. In November 2022 the state Board of Education recommended the elimination of Native mascots within five years unless approval is given by a local Federally recognized tribe.
Maine The Maine Education Department issued a notice in 2019 urging schools to refrain from using mascots and logos depicting Native Americans. After receiving statements in opposition to the "Indians" name from the Penobscot Nation and the ACLU of Maine, the school board voted in March 2019 to eliminate the mascot at Skowhegan Area High School. With the elimination of Native American imagery associated with the "Warriors" name at other high schools, Maine became the first state to eliminate indigenous mascots in all secondary schools. However, there continues to be local support for restoring the mascot in Skowhegan. Concurrent with local efforts, a bill to ban Native mascots statewide passed the Maine House of Representatives and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Janet Mills in May, 2019. The community of Salem Township is supportive of the change of the Strong Elementary School "Indians", the principal stating that half the students were not aware of the mascot name.
Massachusetts