Cheyenne Mountain High School adopts new mascot amid critique
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Cheyenne Mountain High School has announced the "Red-Tail Hawk" as the new CMHS Mascot.
In an announcement on the website, the District 12 Board of Education officially adopted the mascot, after more than 2,700 alumni, parents, students and others responded to the district's online poll of prospective new mascots. The Red-Tailed Hawk was the most popular choice.
On Monday, May 15th, the Board of Education for Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 voted to change the Native American mascot for Cheyenne Mountain High School.
This decision came after several people in the community spoke for and against the change.
The board announced the Native American mascot will be retired by the end of this school year.
In June, Governor Jard Polis signed a bill into law that aims to support Colorado’s American Indian population. The bill would ban the use of discriminatory mascots in public schools. SB21-116, sponsored by Senator Jessie Danielson, would prohibit the use of American Indians as mascots in Colorado public schools.
“Not only have Indigenous Peoples had their homeland stolen but their culture has been continually trivialized and appropriated,” said Senator Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge). “For decades, schools and sports teams have used degrading imagery as mascots – calling themselves the ‘Savages,’ ‘Reds,’ or ‘Indians.’ Not only is this practice harmful and offensive, but it is in direct defiance of requests from Indigenous Coloradans who have demanded for years that these derogatory mascots be discontinued. It’s time that we listen to Native leaders and end this practice.”
Specifically, the bill prohibits any K-12 school or institution of higher education in Colorado from using an American Indian mascot after June 1, 2022. A failure to comply would result in a one-time $25,000 fine for the school district or charter school institute and subsequent monthly fines for institutions of higher education. These fines would then be collected in the State Education Fund.
