It's time to abolish the use of racially offensive mascots in our public schools. If the Washington Football Team can do it, so can the Central Berkshire Regional School District. The Wahconah Warrior is a blight on the lovely town of Dalton, Massachusetts. It is a hateful cartoon embodying centuries of racism, systematic oppression, and genocide. A source of deep-seated pain for our Indigenous community members, this mascot must be changed.

This petition calls on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Schools, Central Berkshire Regional School District, and Governor Baker to end the use of offensive representations of Indigenous cultures in our schools.

Let's follow the lead of Governor Janet Mills of Maine who, in 2019, signed into law a bill passed unanimously by the Legislature to prohibit Native American mascots in all Maine public schools.

"While Indian mascots were often originally chosen to recognize and honor a school's unique connection to Native American communities in Maine, we have heard clearly and unequivocally from Maine tribes that they are a source of pain and anguish," said Governor Mills. "A mascot is a symbol of pride, but it is not the source of pride. Our people, communities, and understanding and respect for one another are Maine's source of pride and it is time our symbols reflect that."

Learn more: ChangetheMascot.org