Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Testifies during House public hearing
REARDAN – House Bill 1356, first read Jan. 25 and moved to a public hearing Feb. 5, would ban Washington public schools from using any Native American names, symbols or images as mascots, logos or team names.
If passed, the Reardan Indians moniker would have to change by the end of this year. Reardan is one of seven high schools in the state with the “Indians” nickname. Nearby Colville and North Central high schools are also nicknamed the “Indians.”
Superintendent Eric Sobotta testified against the bill at the public hearing Feb. 5, but made it clear during his testimony that his “con” position was to request a specific amendment within the bill.
Section 2-2 of the bill states that the law would not apply to a school located within or with boundaries within “Indian country,” or public schools in a county with the entirety of a Native American reservation, provided that said reservation tribe approve the mascot usage.
While this exception would not apply to Reardan, Sobotta’s testimony included a recommendation to amend the bill to include counties concurrent to those with reservations. The Spokane Tribe resides 20 miles north of Reardan, and Sobotta noted an improving partnership between the district and tribe during his testimony.
“Instead of Olympia mandating a change to our mascot, I wanted our district to be given an opportunity to authentically engage with our Native American students, their families and the Spokane Tribe around this topic,” Sobotta later told The Times. “If our district was located in Stevens County, we would’ve been given that opportunity, so I was proposing an amendment…to allow us that opportunity.”
The bill was introduced by Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, the only Native American member of state legislature.
Jon Claymore, executive director of the Office of Native Education within the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, was one of several who testified in favor of the bill.
“I can give you first-hand accounts of how careless and often ugly misrepresentations of Native peoples harm students, their families and their communities,” Claymore said, arguing that use of Native mascots and logos is offensive to Native Americans. “Not just native students, but all students who are set up to perpetuate this harm without knowing what they’re doing.”
The Reardan-Edwall School District currently has roughly 30 Native American students. Native American is the second most-common ethnicity among district students, after White.
Sobotta’s testimony included a recent trip he took to the reservation with mayor Gail Daniels to “listen and learn” and noted that the district is working on potential curriculum to add a Salish course offered to students.
“There is a deep respect for the Spokane Tribe (in our community),” Sobotta said.
He added that in his roughly seven months as superintendent, he hasn’t received any direct complaints or negative notes regarding the Indians mascot.
Sobotta said he’s hopeful for more conversations with the tribe regarding the mascot and “many other topics.” He brought up the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team and their partnership with the Spokane Tribe. The team has partnered with the tribe to honor the tribe’s heritage, including making the print on team uniforms in the Salish language.
“It’s a very respectful, honoring (relationship),” Sobotta said. “To have something like that relationship would excite me about working with the tribe on this.”
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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