In the spirit of honesty, at the time of this writing it's actually been eight years now. Also, please forgive the sometimes weird placement of pictures. I found that Blogger isn't really a user-friendly platform.
I used to belong to a Facebook group called, "You know you're from Bountiful UT if...". As the name suggests, it was mostly dedicated to all things Bountiful and it included the usual fare of asking for various recommendations within the city, nostalgic photos, places to hike / visit, and of course, the topic of Bountiful High being forced to change it's mascot from the Braves (the mascot for the last 70 years) to the Redhawks.
So why bring it up now? There are a couple of reasons. I've been jotting things down for a while as thoughts come to me (don't ask me why). The choice to keep the name has been taken from us but maybe I'll feel a little better if people know why I feel the way I do.
I was trying to think of a way there could be compromise so I could suggest it to the group but in the "all-or-nothing" social climate we live in today, I was either shot down or ignored outright when I suggested it. Most of the comments were from the masses so there were no clearer heads to prevail. The Davis County School District made a decision based on the mob, due to a response from Randy Lewis, who was mayor of Bountiful at the time, to a letter written by Mallory Rogers (one of the two girls who spearheaded this). It read in part:
“Are you an indigenous person? Are you their official spokesperson? […] This sounds a lot like sheep mentality that follows the BLM movement. Now is a good time to pile on[...] I believe we all need to be less easily offended about many things.”
The girls' Rogers thought the mayors' personal opinion was too unprofessional. They labeled it as such in their use of it during their quest, and the anti-Brave movement was officially born. I did a little research and found some interesting nuggets from the world of institutions using Native American symbols / imagery.
In the spirit of full disclosure I’m admitting up front that I would have liked to see Bountiful stay the Braves. I suppose it’s mostly sentiment (Class of ’89) but “Bountiful Braves” also rolls off the tongue nicely. I have good memories from my time there. I’m still close with friends I had there. We were Bountiful Braves together. Most people who favored keeping Bountiful "brave" were told that they must have peaked in High School, or that we needed to get over it because it's just a mascot. My friends and I never disparaged the name Braves or did war paint or the tomahawk chop or called the opposing teams entrance the "trail of tears". I’m not saying others didn’t do that but I am saying those that may have done so were in the extreme minority, and maybe some education about Native America could go a long way towards shaping future behavior without feeling the need to take away names and / or mascots.
While the Native American community is divided on the issue I have some questions. I know there are horrible representations out there but as I said, they are in the minority. My bet is the poor representations are done out of ignorance, not malice, but there will always be those who don’t even make the effort. I’m just asking you all to not be part of that particular demographic. There is room for compromise. What would it take to reach it?
Florida State doesn’t have a mascot, just the honor of calling themselves the Seminoles, in admiration of the only Native American tribe never conquered by the U.S. Government. They have a similar arrangement with the Seminole tribe. The difference here is that, while they have no mascot, they do have a logo that features a Native American likeness. There are several slightly different versions but the image is mostly the same. This logo has the full endorsement of the Seminole tribe.
While you may be thinking that these two scenarios make one wonder if pieces of Native American identity can be monetized, keep in mind that in both cases, the agreements are with a specific tribe. The term “Brave” is not tribe specific so what are the options for any sort of agreement on a High School level?
Since 2007 the school has gone without a mascot but still called themselves the Fighting Illini (short for Illinois). On September 21, 2020, the University’s senate endorsed the idea of making the belted kingfisher — a blue and orange bird native to the state and known for its high-speed dives — the school’s new mascot.
Now look at some imagery on a professional sports level. The logo for the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) is an arrowhead with the initials KC in the center. This is again, not a likeness, and ‘chief’ is also not a tribe specific term. It wasn’t even originally connected directly with Native Americans. The name came about in honor of the Kansas City Mayor (Roe Bartle at the time) whose nickname was “Chief”.
Both teams are / were using Native American terms but only the one depicting a likeness was being labeled as racist, although the Chief’s previous mascot (used from 1963 to 1971) would probably be much more under fire if it was still in use today.
In the 60’s the Atlanta Braves used a rather garish looking logo of a very red Native American head with an awkward expression on his face. In 1987 it changed to a version of just the word “Braves" on a tomahawk.
Up until 2014, the Cleveland Indians used a caricature called Chief Wahoo (the version we’re familiar with today was introduced in 1950 (or ’51 – the reports vary)). They have since replaced it with a block letter “C”, but his likeness can still be seen all over Cleveland, and his presence on the baseball team uniforms was only completely phased out in 2019. Up until then his presence was slightly reduced but not gone. On July 23, 2021 the team announced it would change their name to the Cleveland Guardians - inspired by the large landmark stone edifices -- referred to as traffic guardians -- that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City. 
The Chicago Blackhawks first joined the NHL in 1926, and it got its team name from owner Frederic McLaughlin, who was a commander during World War II serving under the 86th Infantry Division. It was nicknamed "Blackhawk Division" after Chief Black Hawk.
"The Chicago Blackhawks' name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public," the team said in a statement.
Around the time that the Washington Redskins were under mounting pressure to change their name and logo, the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL were asked about the possibility of changing their name and logo in a move to follow. They contended that the team name honors the life of an actual Native American and that they had no plans to change the name.
The Atlanta Braves of MLB, the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL and the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL have all stated recently (around approximately December of 2020) that they had no plans to change their names.
If it were about the imagery I could get behind ridding the world of cartoonish characters like Chief Wahoo. On the other hand, while I can’t speak for anyone of Native American heritage, I would like to think that portraying them as proud warriors would be seen as a good thing because there’s a big difference between this …
…and this…
A fellow member of the Bountiful High School student body (one year behind me), and a full-blooded member of the Navajo nation, commented the following in regards to the issue:
"BHS 1990, Mascot, Full Blooded Native American (Navajo)
Bountiful High School holds such wonderful memories. The people of Bountiful as a whole who are virtuous, vibrant, generous, and overall wholesome Americans who go beyond themselves. I am evidence of this in all facets of this town where I am proud to have some roots.
Recently I have been asked about the use of the name Braves. As a Native American, I am not offended by the name because I know the people of Bountiful as a whole do not use it disparagingly. Brave as an adjective is one who with courage is ready to face and endure danger. As a noun, a Native American warrior. Do you even know how many tribes are in Utah?
Is it time to change the name Braves? NO! We are living in a sensitive time where political correctness and virtue signaling is changing the culture to a greyer world. If you feel offended, let’s unite and channel all this energy to change the world of Native Americans that you believe we are disrespecting by the name Braves. Let us honor this name by changing the lives of those we represent in the name. There are so many problems on reservations: lack of water, electricity, healthcare, economic opportunities, education (the reason I came to Bountiful), etc. Instead of changing the name, let’s put our feelings to action because that’s where real change happens and true respect for Native Americans. I am willing to support you in that but changing a culture to make a few feel better, I don’t think so.
Braves forever!"
He went on to say in a later post:
"The new name better be some inanimate object as not to offend anything living. It better be non-sentient, not have any feelings because feelings cause problems. So, I will be the first to approve the new mascot, Bountiful Transmissions because we drive things forward. Or maybe Bountiful Outhouses because we take everyone's S@#$! My hell people, what are we teaching our children when we cancel anything that may offend? What are we teaching them when we cannot even have long standing traditions because of a few who cannot process their own identities? There are many options other than failure and giving up! Then again, I am still a BRAVE and will always be a BRAVE. Time we get people with spines to share a greater message and fight for solutions rather than cater to a few."
Native Americans are divided on the issue, and of the small handful of Native Americans I know, they are divided as well. It just felt like this was railroaded through with no discussion.
Is it about the lack of education?
There may be a lack of respect when it comes to things like war cries and using fingers as feathers in the name of school spirit, however, those people are the minority. There were two pictures making the rounds on the volatile BHS mascot threads in the Facebook group.
Most schools don’t teach much (if at all) about Native American history. Quoting an online article from Smithsonian Magazine in September 2019, “most students across the US don’t get comprehensive, thoughtful or even accurate education in Native American history and culture”. “Most of the subject matter taught about Native Americans includes only pre-1900 context. Students who learn anything about Native Americans are often only offered the barest minimum: Re-enacting the first Thanksgiving, building a California Spanish mission out of sugar cubes or memorizing a flashcard about the Trail of Tears just ahead of the AP U.S. History Test.”
Does there need to be more education to be able to use a Native American mascot? That’s entirely fair, but the lack of education about Native American culture is not unique to Bountiful. It would be largely beneficial to the entire state as Utah obviously has a rich Native American heritage. I don't have high hopes for a school system that axed cursive from the curriculum in 2010 because they felt it took too much time. They are also the ones who stuck us with the horrible alternatives for mascots after claiming they’d listen to the public and student body. In case you're wondering, the final four came down to: Bolts (as in lightning), Bears, Blazers (as in Trailblazers) and Redhawks. Their decision to include the Redhawks (it could have been any bird of prey, really) may have been more of pragmatism than anything else. They could conceivably still use the current Bountiful High logo.
Is it wokeism?
Discussions regarding the use of Native American imagery and terminology have been going on for decades but it seems like now is the time when proponents of changing anything long-standing (like removing mascots from the aforementioned institutions) would gain the most traction. Whether you believe this to be a case of cancel culture or not, the timing is incredibly suspicious.
Why now? Why did seven years pass before Mallory Rogers and Mykala Rogers (no relation - Class of 2013) decide on this course of action? Bountiful High School was well in their rear-view mirror and they had no obvious reason to do this. Unless they lost track of time during a gap year they would have been well on to other schooling or some other life benchmark like higher education, marriage, career or child-rearing, none of which would seem to leave the amount of time needed to take this on. Remember, I said no "obvious" reason. My assumption is that they, and those around them aren't being honest about their motivations. Neither of them is Native American but if they felt uncomfortable in their time at Bountiful High as they claimed in an interview on July 13 of 2020 with Meg Singer (Native American Initiative Program Director @ Utah Valley University), why is there a seven year gap between their graduation and their activism? Where was the public outcry at any time during the last 70 years? In any case, in the current social climate, did this movement have a better chance of success? If they did pursue the college experience, I'd love to know where they attended, because I would find it laughably ironic and hypocritical if they attended the University of Utah (a.k.a. the Runnin Utes). This whole thing smacks of an academic assignment from a very liberal educational institution.
In February, 2021, Utah House Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Weight (also a former teacher) sponsored a non-binding resolution that would have encouraged schools to retire Native American mascots. She was quoted as saying, ”Humans should not be compared to animals or treated as mascots”. By this logic, her statement indicates there would also be no Vikings, Knights, Chargers, Lancers, etc. Will she now sponsor a binding resolution?
Such a resolution would also mean that the State formally supports the removal of Native American logos and names at K-12 schools like Bountiful High, and it would advise the Utah Board of Education and local districts to incorporate new curriculum to discuss Indigenous peoples and cultures.
North Summit High in Coalville also uses "Braves" as a mascot, and Escalante High in Southern Utah goes by the name of the Moquis for a tribe nearby. In March of 2020, Creekview Elementary in Price voted to change from the Chiefs to the Coyotes. In 2020, Cedar High switched its mascot from “Redmen” to "Reds" with a debate similar to Bountiful, but that decision was far more contentious. It has recently come under question again with two men winning school board seats who ran on restoring the Redmen name.
Even if Bountiful High School had the resources to make agreements (like MOU’s) with Native Americans the way Universities like Utah and Florida State do they would still have a problem. The term “Brave” is not specific to any one tribe, and since there is no Supreme Court on a Native American level there would be nobody to make the agreement with. In all actuality it appears as though compromise was never even an option.
