Indian mascot stays

Gary Moskowitz

NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- A school board motion to create a committee to

study John Burroughs High School’s use of the Indian mascot has died a

second time.

Minutes before the Burbank Unified School District board’s decision on

Thursday, Armida Pedraza Price stood at the podium before the five board

members and asked them to ban the mascot.

“This is insidious,” said Price, wearing a red “Harmony Keepers”

T-shirt. “I implore you to please listen to my people, and stop this.”

Board member Trish Burnett made the motion, which no other board

member supported. Two weeks ago she made the same motion. That motion

also died when it failed to receive a second.

During oral communications, Maritza Umpierre, a Burroughs graduate and

former employee of the school, said attending Burroughs and being a

Burroughs Indian is a strong, proud tradition for her entire family.

“The mascot connects one generation to the next and was initially

chosen for the strength, courage, bravery and honor it represents,” said

Umpierre, a member of the Class of 1970. “Do not succumb to the pressures

of a politically correct era.”

Wayne Arroyo, a Burbank resident and project manager for the American

Indian Movement of Los Angeles, said the school’s use of the Indian

mascot is legalized racism.

“Alumni are lucky because they get to be Indians for four years and

move on,” Arroyo said. “We have to deal with the stereotypes of being a

true Indian every day of our lives.”

Arroyo stressed to the school board that using an Indian symbol as a

school mascot is unacceptable, disrespectful and a form of racism he does

not want to see instilled in school children.

Board President Elena Hubbell said her stance on the issue represents

the residents of Burbank who elected her.

“Like it or not, we are the elected school board, and we alone are

responsible to decide on this issue,” Hubbell said. “My constituents

elected me to represent them, and just because a few people want

something, doesn’t make it necessary.”

Even though the Indian mascot will not be on the next agenda, Burnett

said she will not allow the issue to die.

“The people who say they are honoring the Indian are mistaken,”

Burnett said. “If somebody says this offends them, we need to listen. If

the Commission on Civil Rights says it’s an issue, we need to be more

aware.”

After the motion died Thursday, the numerous Native Americans at the

meeting regrouped outside, where they formed a circle around fellow

tribal members who sang and banged a traditional drum.

The Burbank Police Department had earlier assigned two of its officers

to keep peace at the meeting after officials were notified that board

members had received numerous e-mails about the mascot.

Graduates of Burroughs, like Jennifer Reynolds, strongly disagreed

with the contention that the Indian mascot is disrespectful. Reynolds’

decision to attend Thursday’s meeting dressed in one of the school’s

Indian maiden costumes met with gasps from some of the crowd.

“If you change the mascot, I will not send my son to Burroughs,” said

Reynolds, Class of 1996. “It means a great deal to the people of

Burbank.”