Calling on the Secretary of Education to work with stakeholders to immediately eliminate race-based Native logos, mascots, and names from State educational institutions, and calling on State educational institutions and national sports franchises to cease the unsanctioned use of such logos, mascots, and names.

Whereas, based on article I, section 8, of the United States Constitution, treaties, Federal statutes, and court decisions, the United States has a unique historical and legal relationship with the American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, which serves as the basis for the Federal Government’s trust responsibility and obligations to the American Indian and Alaska Native peoples; Whereas there are 574 federally recognized Indian Tribes in the United States, with some 40 percent of Indian Tribes located in the State of Alaska; Whereas Indian Tribes have principal responsibility for lands and people within their jurisdictions; Whereas this responsibility extends to educating their American Indian and Alaska Native students and providing adequate educational facilities in which the students can learn; Whereas kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools all over the Nation use words and symbols representing their schools that are harmful to Native Americans; Whereas nationally, more than 1,900 kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools inappropriately use such harmful names or nicknames, and these names or symbols often become mascots and are used at athletic games for mascot characters, chants, and other antics; Whereas, although these school communities do not intend disrespect toward Native Americans, that is the end result of allowing these harmful terms to continue in educational institutions; Whereas there have been national sports teams that have recognized that their mascots were racist and harmful to Native American communities; Whereas there has been scientific research conducted to determine the harmful effects of these Native Whereas multiple academic studies over the last few decades have found that American Indian and Alaska Native high school and college students had a consistent, negative reaction to stereotypical mascots because these images and names remind Native youth of the limited ways in which others see them, which in turn restricts how they see themselves, and, importantly, the self-esteem of non-Native youths rose when presented with the same images; and Whereas the American Psychological Association has determined that these representations also undermine the ability of Native Nations and peoples to portray themselves accurately as distinct and diverse cultures, and that stereotypical images are a dominant culture’s prejudiced representations of a racial or ethnic minority group: Now, therefore, be it That— (1) the House of Representatives condemns all racism and discrimination; (2) the Secretary of Education should work with Tribal Nations, Native American groups, public kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools, and other stakeholders, to immediately eliminate race-based Native logos, mascots, and names from State educational institutions across the United States, especially those receiving Federal funds; and (3) the House of Representatives calls for State educational institutions and national sports franchises to cease the unsanctioned use of such race-based Native logos, mascots, and names in the effort to overcome these stereotypes and raise the self-esteem of Native students so they have the same opportunity as their non-Native peers to achieve academically without discrimination.

Summary: This resolution condemns all racism and discrimination, directs the Department of Education to work with stakeholders to immediately eliminate race-based Native logos, mascots, and names from state educational institutions, and calls for such institutions and national sports franchises to cease the unsanctioned used of such logos, mascots, and names.