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The Cooperstown Central School's logo is a silhouette of the "Indian Hunter" statue by John Quincy Adams Ward. The statue used to be in Central Park in New York City, as seen here, but it now sits in Lakefront Park in Cooperstown, New York.

New York Students Vote to Change Redskins Mascot

ICTMN Staff
2/13/13

The Washington football team isn’t the only one with the offensive Redskins moniker. But on February 4, students at Cooperstown Central School decided their school would be one less with the offensive nickname.

Cooperstown, New York is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame and where James Fenimore Cooper, author of Last of the Mohicans, grew up.

Replacement nicknames were voted on by students—some of the possibilities include Coyotes, Deerslayers, Hawkeyes, Pathfinders and Wolves, reported The Daily Star. There were also a number a write-in votes to keep Redskins, which has been the school’s mascot since the 1920s.

“I am convinced the time has come to make a change,” Dr. David Borgstom, the district board of education president, told The Daily Star before the students voted. “We cannot continue on a path of recognizing the importance of diversity education, and cultural sensitivity and continue to be called the Redskins.”

The school board will ultimately decide what the new nickname will be. The Daily Star reported in January that the colors and logo, which is a silhouette of the “Indian Hunter” statue by John Quincy Adams Ward, would likely remain the same.

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Martin Knife Chief's picture
Martin Knife Chief
Submitted by Martin Knife Chief on
The time to change names like this is way past due!! Yes, keep the Native image but get rid of the terrible name "Redskin". Pathfinders or Hawkeyes would be better choices...

Donna L Boyle's picture
Donna L Boyle
Submitted by Donna L Boyle on
Why won't the Neshaminy School district in Langhorne Pa. follow Cooperstown and do what is honorable and respectable. I have been fighting this battle with my district but all I get is ignored or a bunch of argument. The people of this community say hateful things to me and the authority figures think up excuses but they all tell me it's in honor that they use the redskin mascot.They say that they are not racist but if you tell them it's a racial slur and provide the info to prove it ,then the fact of the matter is they are racist if they ignore all logic and continue to use such a racist word.
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