A committee evaluating the Warrior mascot in Canton unanimously voted to recommend that the school stop using Native American imagery on uniforms, equipment and in the building.
CANTON, August 11, 2021 – The committee evaluating the Warrior mascot at Canton High voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend to the Board of Education that the school stop using Native American imagery and remove any existing imagery from the school and equipment worn by the school’s athletic programs.
The committee also decided to survey students in grades 7-12 in early September at Canton High School and Canton Middle School regarding maintaining the Warrior mascot and rebranding it or looking for a new mascot to represent the school.
The 17-person committee has tentatively scheduled their next meeting on September 22.
The committee received input from the public on Wednesday night on the Warrior mascot and more than a dozen residents submitted written testimony. No residents took the opportunity to speak on camera during the meeting that was on Zoom.
The written comments will be included in the committee’s meeting minutes when they are shared with the public.
Some residents advocated for keeping the Warrior name while others said that the school should choose a new mascot.
Some suggested new potential mascot nicknames for the school, including Bulldogs, Black Bears, Colts, Challengers, Jaguars and Cardinals. One committee member Tim O’Donnell suggested Blades — with an eye toward the Collins Company that made all sorts of metal weapons in the 19th and 20th century.
Resident Michael Vogel called for the committee to select a new nickname. He cited a news release from the National Football League’s Washington Football Team, formerly known as the Redskins, that is searching for a new mascot and nickname. Washington has ruled out adopting the Warriors nickname.
Jason Wright, president of the NFL team, said that the nickname of Warriors “too closely aligns with Native American themes.” He said that “failing to acknowledge our past use of Native American imagery in the consideration of the new name would not be mindful of the individuals and communities that were hurt by the previous name.”
The Gottlieb family said that the Native American imagery should be removed but called for the Warrior name to be retained. “A Warrior is anyone that stands up for what they believe and fights through the toughest battle to reach a positive goal. They might not always win but they always stand up for what is right,” the family wrote in a statement.
“Aren’t we all Warriors in some aspect of our lives? There are many aspects of being a Warrior and we should embrace the Warrior in all of us. Nowhere in the dictionary or definitions does it state anything about Native Americans. I think adding (study) about the Tunxis tribe to our social studies curriculum would be a fine idea. It is our history. We can use the C for the logo,” said resident Cora Mutch, in support of the Warrior name.
The Tunxis tribe lived in the Farmington Valley, including Canton, when settlers arrived in Connecticut.
“Can we do better?” resident Chris Hager wrote. “Thomas Jefferson famously believed the earth belonged to the living and that norms and values of prior generations should not be binding on future generations.”
Hager was one of several residents calling for the committee to survey students. “If today’s Canton students think a different mascot will be better reflect them and their values, they should have the freedom to make that change and not be bound by the choice of a prior generation. If a majority of them think that Warriors is the best possible mascot that view also deserves respect.”
Canton High’s mascot has been the Warriors since the early 1950s. Over the last 10 years, the school has quietly been replacing Native American imagery in the building, on campus and on school athletic uniforms.
The 17-person committee, that is comprised of members of the Board of Education, school administrators, teachers, students and members of the community has been meeting throughout the summer and hopes to provide the Board of Education with a recommendation about the Warrior mascot in September.
Canton is currently one of 13 state high schools with Native American nicknames, mascots and/or imagery including Windsor, Valley Regional in Deep River, Wamogo Regional in Litchfield and Wilton (Warriors), Killingly (Redmen), Torrington and Derby (Red Raiders), Montville (Indians), Nonnewaug-Woodbury (Chiefs), and Watertown (Indians) and the two public high schools in West Hartford.
In West Hartford, Hall High’s nickname is the Warriors and Conard’s nickname is Chieftains but neither school has any used Native American imagery since 2015.
In the 2021, four schools have modified their athletic nicknames. Farmington went from Indians to River Hawks; Newington changed from Indians to Nor’easters and Glastonbury went from Tomahawks to Guardians. In July, the North Haven Board of Education voted unanimously to change their mascot, which is currently the Indians.
August 11 mascot committee meeting
Meeting minutes including submitted public comments from residents
