Tagged: Native Americans

SALEM, Ore. - Some Oregon public schools may soon be allowed to keep their Native American mascots. The state Senate voted Wednesday in favor of overturning a ban on names like “Chiefs” and “Braves.” The Oregon Board of Education adopted the ban last year.

The legislation says that if a school reaches an agreement with a local tribe, the use of the Native American mascot and imagery is not an act discrimination.

Republican Senator Jeff Kruse argues that these symbols are ubiquitous and non-offensive.

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon tribal members are lobbying state lawmakers to uphold a ban on Native American mascots in schools. A committee in Salem heard testimony Wednesday on a bill to overturn a ban on names like “Braves” or “Chiefs”.

Last year the Oregon Board of Education voted to phase out American Indian themed mascots in public schools. This bill would allow schools to use names associated with a specific tribe, as long as that tribe approves.

A tribal court on the Umatilla Indian Reservation is one of the first to hand down a long prison term under new tougher criminal sentencing laws enacted by Congress in 2010.

Fire crews are pushing back against a new blaze near Omak, Wash. The 5,000-acre wildfire on the Colville Indian Reservation has already destroyed two homes and forced other residents to evacuate. The Northwest’s busy fire season has taken a toll on tribal lands this year.

An audience of thousands is expected at the port of Olympia this Sunday to witness the conclusion of the annual Northwest Indian canoe journey.