CORPUS CHRISTI — After many notable sports teams have changed their culturally insensitive team names, the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas wants the community surrounding Tuloso-Midway High School to call for a change to their mascot.
Walking into Tuloso-Midway High School there is a sign reading "Home of the Warriors and Cherokees," before you climb the staircase to the doors of the building.
The same phrase applies to the district's primary, intermediate, and middle school.
Community members of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas says they have taken notice.
"Their mascot is a hideous looking character and I don't see how that can inspire a football team," said Juan Soliz Garcia, Secretary of Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas.
Council Member, Tom Bearclaw says he is okay with the school being represented as warriors but says the mascot is disrespectful.
"You're depicting that those are those type of people are those that that's what they do they fears savages," said Bearclaw.
Both Bearclaw and Juan Soliz Garcia, Secretary of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas say they have experienced the stereotyping of their Native American heritage.
According to the National Congress of American Indians, these stereotypes can lead to an employer discriminating against Indigenous people. This is why the NCAI says one of its missions is to continue eliminating such references.
"Teams, you know they always make signs and they would say, scalp the Warriors," said Garcia.
Garcia also says the Texas Secretary of Education has set guidelines discouraging the use of Native American mascots in schools, but that change has to start close to home.
"So, the community should press the school board to make changes not use Indians as their mascot."
Bearclaw says he would request Tuloso-Midway to make one change.
"Have a group of them and represent all of them as warriors," said Bearclaw.
We reached out to Tuloso-Midway Independent School District and are awaiting a response after the holiday break when district offices open.
After many notable sports teams have changed their culturally insensitive team names, the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas is calling for the community to press on Tuloso Midway, "Home of the Warriors and Cherokees," to make a change to their mascots'. Would you support this change?
— KRIS 6 News (@KRIS6News) December 21, 2020
