Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
Glens Falls Indians. Lake George Warriors. Corinth Tomahawks. These local schools are among 70 districts that New York State said must remove their Native American team names, mascots and imagery by the school year’s end.
If not, they risk “punishments”— the state’s word — including loss of state funding and removal of school officials.
Cambridge school, with its Indians name and native American image, was already under court order to remove them. The school is challenging it.
The state Supreme Court ruling against Cambridge was cited by the State Education department as the basis of its November 17 directive.
The issue has been brewing since then-NYS Education Commissioner Richard Mills first raised it in 2001. What’s new as of the November 17 directive from James Baldwin, the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Education, is the defined deadline and dire consequences.
On its own, Glens Falls has oh-so-quietly shifted from the Indian head to an arrowhead image, and from “Indians” to “GF Nation.” The move, which came before new Superintendent Krislynn Dengler’s arrival, was “Yes…a thoughtful and intentional step to rebrand the image of the district,” Dr. Dengler tells The Chronicle.
Lake George, too, in recent years has shifted, if not entirely, from the Indian Warrior to another “classic” logo used by the school — the blue “LG” and torch.
A year ago, amidst vocal criticism from some community members and School Board candidates, Lake George declared the Indian head a “heritage mascot” — their own original term. Tricia Biles, the board president at the time, said the move was to acknowledge the importance of the Indian head, while also allowing dialogue on the topic.
“What we know right now is we want students to be the main drivers of the process,” Dr. Dengler said in an email interview. She later reemphasized, “Students will be the center of the decision and considerations for the process.”
Glens Falls’ first step is a meeting on December 12 with the 15-member Superintendent’s Cabinet for Student Leadership, an all-purpose volunteer student group launched by Dr. Dengler in September. “There were no qualifications beyond interest to serve and being a high school student,” she notes.
“Schools are still awaiting information from the NYS Education Department on compliance timelines and other specific information,” Dr. Dengler says, “but we know we need to make a plan to get started. We intend for all stakeholders to have input.” She specified that includes students, school and community members and alumni.
As to possible pushback, Dr. Dengler said, “There will always be some who don’t believe we should change, but we do not have a choice. NYSED has made it clear districts face losing state aid. This year Glens Falls will receive just over 23 million dollars in state aid revenue.”
She said she hearing “mostly support and understanding that this is necessary, but an emotional step. There are some that want to gain more understanding about this decision. There are also those who have shared the historical information regarding Glens Falls mascots.”
A Facebook post making the rounds after the state announcement showed the pages of a 1969-70 Glens Falls yearbook that directly referenced the Native American heritage of this region.
“We’re viewing it as a mandate,” new Lake George Superintendent John Luthringer said of the state directive.
Like many schools, “We are awaiting guidance” which the state said will be forthcoming, “maybe as soon as by Christmas,” said Mr. Luthringer.
He said he addressed two questions for the public on the district Website:
“The first, is simple. Do we have to comply? The answer is yes.”
“Second. Does it impact our Warrior name? The answer is we just don’t know yet. A warrior can be many things, not specifically Native American.”
“Once we know more we will absolutely engage with the community,” he said.
Mr. Luthringer said “other districts have done the work,” setting a model for change. He said Lake George, like Glens Falls, is in communication with the BOCES district and other New York schools.
Glens Falls’s Dr. Dengler said, “Our region is receiving information as a group (for those impacted).
“We are in the process of reaching out to a school district that has already gone through this process to learn from their experience. We are waiting for more information from NYSED on specific matters and if there might be any funding to support this.”
Corinth superintendent Mark Stratton did not return several calls and emails about their Tomahawks name and image. The district website has no comment on the subject, either.
Cambridge is ground zero in the school mascot issue. Late last school year, in quick succession, the Board of Education’s decision to retire the team name and Native American imagery was overturned by the subsequent board after some new members were elected.
The State Supreme Court stepped in and upheld removal of the Indian. Resistance to the edict continues.
The Education Department maintains that the NYS Supreme Court decision on Cambridge “establishes that public school districts are prohibited from utilizing Native American mascots.
“Arguments that community members support the use of such imagery or that it is ‘respectful’ to Native Americans are no longer tenable.”
It said, “…The use of Native American symbols or depictions as mascots can become a barrier to building a safe and nurturing school community and improving academic achievement for all students.”
The new state directive warns, “Should a district fail to affirmatively commit to replacing its Native American team name, logo, and/or imagery by the end of the 2022-23 school year, it may be in willful violation of the Dignity Act. The penalties for such a violation include the removal of school officers and the withholding of State Aid.”
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