By Sharron Luttrell
Six years after the high school began phasing out its Nipmuc warrior mascot amid concerns about racial insensitivity, the search for a replacement has begun.
Propelling the effort is the construction of the high school’s new athletic field complex, set to begin this summer.
“With the upcoming design of our new field complex, now is the ideal time to establish a modern brand that our students across our district can use to build new traditions,” school Spt. Maureen Cohen wrote in her January district newsletter.
Nipmuc Regional High School Athletic Director Chris Schmidt is pulling together a committee of coaches, alumni and community members to solicit ideas for the new mascot. A designer will create mockups of the top picks and the school community will have a say in the final choice. Students will be actively involved throughout the process, Cohen said.
The clock started running out on the Nipmuc warrior in 2016 when the Nipmuc Nation Tribal Council urged schools to stop using Native American mascots, stating that the imagery misrepresents the Nipmuc culture and perpetuates racist stereotypes. Since then, state legislation has been introduced that would prohibit public schools in Massachusetts from using Native American mascots. All but 10 schools in the state have already complied with the Nipmuc Nation’s request, Cohen said.
“Conversations about this have been taking place for over a decade,” Cohen said.
The high school’s name will remain, however. “Our school name is unique. It honors the tribal nation on whose land we stand. To truly honor that name, though, we feel we strongly need to listen to the voices of the Nipmuc people and tribal leadership has been clear …. that they do not wish for their culture to be used as a sports mascot … moving to a new mascot allows us to use the name Nipmuc with integrity but without appropriation,” she told the School Committee at its Jan. 12 meeting.
For more information about the decision to replace the Nipmuc warrior and how the selection process will work, visit these frequently asked questions.
