School board vote halts move to reinstate ‘Redmen’ name at Cedar High School

The Iron County School District Board of Education voted 4-3 Tuesday to maintain Cedar High School’s current wolf mascot and “Reds” moniker, setting aside a proposal to restore the historical “Redmen” name.

Five years ago, the “Redmen” name was retired by a 3-2 vote of the then-school board, but the change was divisive and patrons have continued to raise the issue during the public comment portion of the school board’s meetings.

In recent months, the issue was placed on the school board’s agenda, which prompted a request from the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah not to reinstate the “Redmen” name.

The tribe’s cultural resource manager told the school board that the words “redskin” and “redman” have been historically used to degrade and dehumanize Native Americans.

Last month, the board voted to put the matter before voters but they were advised by legal counsel that Utah law would not allow an administrative matter to be placed on the ballot.

The board then explored commissioning a public opinion poll or conducting a vote among school district patrons.

Instead, the board voted to keep the name and mascot, which ended further discussion about a poll or vote. Board members Jeff Corry, Dave Staheli and Stephanie Hill voted against the motion.

“We have not really resolved anything beyond where we already were with the public. We really haven’t and it will still be stirring out there for years to come,” Staheli said.

Cedar High students addressed the board, urging members to leave the “Reds” name in place, including one who noted the senior class was the first that had the “Reds” moniker throughout their high school years.

Others said eliminating the “Redmen” name disregarded more than 70 years of the high school’s history.

Corrina Bow, tribal chairwoman of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, called on the board to keep the current mascot and name.

“Our tribal membership has unanimously agreed, please honor and respect the wishes of the Paiute Indian tribe of Utah. Now it is your chance to keep the ‘Redmen’ mascot retired,” she said.

Bow said Nevada, Colorado, Washington and Connecticut enforce laws that prohibit the use of a Native mascot without the formal support of the local tribes.

“These states are more sensitive about these issues, more Native-centric, more respectful of tribes,” she said.

The use of the “Redmen” mascot “is hurting our Native American students’ self esteem and spreading negative stereotypes. Our children are our future leaders of tomorrow so make the right decision that will benefit all the students,” she said prior to the vote.

Some people who addressed the board wore “Redmen” T-shirts and urged a return to the name.

“It’s insane like how many people are advocating for the word ‘Reds,’ saying how proud they are, how the name is prideful. It’s the same thing. You look in the dictionary and the terms, they go hand in hand. Reds is also a slur for Native Americans, also communist and (associated with) drugs. It’s worse. It’s more offensive, if you’re going to go by the dictionary definition. That’s just really insane logic,” said Lisa Davis.

Another Iron County resident, Andrea Nelson, alleged billionaire George Soros and “other far-left ideological money” was behind the move to change the “Redmen” name.

“When did it start to become a slur? How did it show up in a dictionary? We can talk about that for hours. It’s based upon ideological things and they’re wrong. That ideology is wrong. Nothing is more American than American Indian and to eradicate it is not respectful,” she said.

Crystal Koenig, professor of anthropology at Southern Utah University and the parent of children who attend Iron School District schools, spoke in support of the Paiute tribe.

“Supporters of restoring a previous name and mascot have spoken at length about the honor that it is intended to bestow upon Native people. However, as non-Natives, we don’t get to decide what honors Native people. That’s up to them. They’ve told us and it’s time to move on,” she said.

Staheli, one of three board members to place reconsideration of the “Redmen” name on the school board’s agenda, said, “I still love tradition. ... I do not like liberal agendas filtering into our society.”

He continued, “I was listening to some things the other day and if you’re in Washington state or you’re in Oregon, especially in Seattle or Spokane or somewhere like that, you have a bumper sticker on your car that says ‘Trump,’ you will be in mortal danger there. That does happen in places. If you’re in downtown Chicago you don’t have freedom of speech without risk of harm. I am so glad we are not there,” he said.