DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — The Susquehanna Township School District (STSD) announced Wednesday it is keeping its "Indians" nickname and logo, reversing an earlier decision made last year.
In an announcement posted on the STSD website, the district's Mascot and Rebranding Committee said the Board of School Directors "declined to support a motion to change the district’s imagery and logo."
The committee said its members advised STSD officials to retire the Native American imagery and logo and instead rebrand the district as the Susquehanna Lions (Pride) in a Feb. 22 presentation.
However, the board declined to accept the recommended change in a 5-4 vote.
The decision is the latest move in a years-long debate surrounding the logo.
The Mascot and Rebranding Committee formed in September 2020, and the STSD Board of School Directors previously voted in favor of retiring the Indians name and imagery in June 2021.
However, after further months of research and presentations and a second round of surveys were distributed to the community, the STSD board decided to once again consider retaining the Indians logo last month.
Individuals in favor of keeping the logo cited reasoning that included preserving the district's history and the NCAA not explicitly banning Native American mascots.
Proponents also presented the argument that keeping the imagery will in turn keep educational conversations about the atrocities against Native Americans in the U.S. alive.
"One of the largest genocides in world history happened right here on American soil, and it happened to Native Americans," read a statement from an ESPN writer featured in the Feb. 22 STSD presentation. "It's important to talk about the true history about the settling of the United States, and to talk about those things that happened to Native Americans that are often not talked about."
In contrast, reasons against keeping the logo included testimony from prominent nationwide Native American institutions — the Native American Rights Fund and the National Congress of American Indians — saying the imagery does not preserve "respect or honor" but, rather, "racism and subjugation."
"The Native mascots perpetuate the bloodthirsty savage stereotype," read a statement from the Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance also included in Feb. 22 STSD presentation. "This stereotype puts forward the idea that all Native Americans are wild, aggressive, violent, and brave...To use and symbolize Native Americans in the exact same way as violent, predatory animals is racist and dehumanizing…to say the least."
Supporters of retiring the mascot also brought forth research from the American Sociological Association and the American Psychological Association regarding the negative mental effects of Native American imagery on community members that stem from stereotypes.
Many community members immediately spoke out against district officials in wake of the decision, echoing these points.
"That board both rejected their [the Mascot and Rebranding Committee] recommendation, and then on top of that voted to return to the racist Indian and Native American mascot," said Jesse Gantt, a former STSD board member.
Gantt said what he observed during his insider experience of the logo debate, particularly the board's interaction with the community, makes Tuesday's decision even more of a shock to him.
"During the conversation that we had with the community, it was very clear that having a mascot and logo of a severed American head was very racist symbol to Native American and indigenous people," he said.
However, departures of board members like Gantt may be the reason district officials made the reversal, according to Allyn Rosenberg, a Susquehanna Township High School alumna.
"The current board is far less diverse, and I think this really emphasizes the importance of having local leaders and school board leaders in particular to reflect the communities they represent," she said.
Neither the district's Board of School Directors nor The Mascot and Rebranding Committee indicated any future discussion regarding Tuesday's decision to officially keep the Indian logo.
“We have remained committed to a comprehensive and transparent process to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders," said Dr. Tamara Willis, STSD's superintendent. "A decision of this magnitude required patience and careful planning, and I am proud of this Committee’s hard work."
The STSD decision comes after a similar reversal in York County.
Last week, the Southern York County School Board reopened a public conversation regarding its Susquehannock Warriors logo, which also depicts a Native American. Like STSD, the school board had also previously voted to retire the logo last year only to revisit the debate now.