(William Woody, Special to The Colorado Sun) Students walk past a silhouette of a Thunderbird on the floor of the gymnasium inside Johnson Elementary School on April 12 2022, in Montrose, Colorado. Schools that did not comply could have been fined $25,000 a month for continuing to use a derogatory mascot, although the law did not appear to include a mechanism for collecting the fines. Thursday was the deadline for the second group of schools to comply, and no additional schools have been added. Shortly after Thursday’s special session of the CCIA board - called to consider Sangre de Cristo’s tribal agreement - references to Senate Bill 116 and the list of schools not in compliance with the law disappeared from the CCIA website. Good job to everyone that’s done what they’ve done.” “I’m so happy that Sangre de Cristo was willing to have an open mind and learn the Native American history,” said Alston Turtle, tribal vice chairman of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in southwestern Colorado. (John McEvoy, Special to The Colorado Sun) The controversial school mascot name hangs prominently on the Sangre de Cristo school district building, proudly proclaiming “Home Of The Thunderbirds” as storm clouds gather above Friday June 2, 2023. The district was lauded Thursday by several CCIA commissioners for taking the time to work with the tribe. It is working with an Apache historian and education officials to develop the curriculum, which will be implemented in fall 2024. It has learned about the Apache’s historical presence in the San Luis Valley and is developing a curriculum that will be used in third grade and high school social studies. Its enrollment dropped below 300 pupils in the wake of the pandemic. The district has about 260 students at its one-building campus in Mosca. “It’s gotten bigger than just the mascot.” “The positive thing that’s come out of this, though, is we’ve developed a good relationship with Apache and Jicarilla Apache tribes,” he said. This year, Sangre de Cristo schools entered into a similar agreement with the Jicarilla Apache Nation in New Mexico, Superintendent David Crews said, noting they began working with Apache tribes last fall to get permission to retain the Thunderbird mascot.Ĥ:00 AM MDT on 9:40 PM MDT on Jun 27, 2023 The district agreed to implement a new curriculum and to promote a positive cultural exchange with the tribe. In March 2022, the Elbert County School District board signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma allowing it to remain as the Kiowa Indians. Strasburg schools (Indians) and Arapahoe High School (Warriors) had tribal agreements before the new law was passed and have retained their mascots. A few sought to forge partnerships with tribal nations, but only two were successful: the Kiowa and Sangre de Cristo districts. The choice for schools deemed noncompliant with Senate Bill 116 was to eliminate all Native American names and imagery from buildings, websites, uniforms and the like or enter into an agreement with a tribe for permission to use certain names or images. After two years of controversy, San Luis Valley school can keep its Thunderbird mascot after all Close
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