Logo for the Killingly Redmen in Connecticut.

Watching the fans of the Kansas City "Chiefs," tomahawk-chopping and wearing red-face and imitation feathered headdresses during last month's Super Bowl, one might not have realized Indian team names and mascots have been on the decline.

Since the 1960s, about two thirds of schools—including universities from Stanford to the University of Massachusetts, and high schools in West Hartford and Manchester, Connecticut— have retired them. Maine now prohibits American Indian team names and mascots for all its schools, and Oregon prohibits them without consent and consultation with the tribes of the area. In the midst of this welcome development, the town of Killingly's school board recently went backwards, reinstating the "Redmen" team name and mascot after the student body overwhelmingly voted to change it to the Red Hawks.

Advocates for the mascot argue that it honors the Native people it represents, but a little perspective undermines this argument. Can you imagine a team called the "Yellowmen" with a stereotypically Asian mascot? Or a "Blackmen" team with a stereotypically African mascot? How about the "Hispanics," represented by a mascot in a sombrero and serape? Turning any other disadvantaged racial minority into a team would clearly be offensive. Indians are no different.

One might also consider the perspective of tribal citizens of this area. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe has condemned the mascot, and a representative of the Nipmuc Tribe—the Native people that first owned the territory where Killingly sits—told the school board the mascot was actually dishonoring. Nipmuc Tribal Councilmember Eric Gould stated that the feathered headdress on the Redmen image "is regalia worn in prayer, in ceremonies . . . It doesn't belong on a football helmet. . . . On behalf of the Nipmuc Nation, no thanks."

One could also take the perspective of experts that study the issue. Psychologist Stephanie Fryberg, for example, found that after being primed with images of either the cartoonish Chief Wahoo or the Disney-fied Pocahontas, Native students tested lower on measures of self-esteem, respect for their own communities and ambition for themselves. As Native youth experience some of the highest suicide rates of any group, undermining self-esteem can be deadly. Relying on this and other research, the American Psychological Association called for the immediate repeal of all Indian mascots in 2005. The APA found that such mascots not only harm Native self-image but also undermined "the educational experience of all communities—especially those who have little or no contact with indigenous peoples."

Or, one could consider the position of those involved in setting national educational law and policy. In 2001, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for the end of use of Indian team names and mascots, finding they could create a "racially hostile educational environment," a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. State civil rights commissions in Michigan,  Nebraska, and many others have joined this call.

Similarly, in 2005 the National College Athletic Association banned use of Indian team names and mascots in championship play without consent and consultation with local tribes. At the time, 19 schools were in violation of the policy. Since then, 14 have dropped their references to Indians, and five others have received consent from local tribes after making their Indian imagery more respectful.

Finally, one could simply take the perspective of the Killingly students and staff themselves. After years of debate, the Redmen issue arose during community discussions in response to reports that African American students had been bullied, called racist names, and even in one instance been pelted with fruit and other objects. Last October, 80% of Killingly students voted to replace the Redmen mascot with the Red Hawks. Teachers and staff now worry that the Redmen mascot makes it harder to recruit and retain talented and diverse faculty and staff.

In the face of all of these perspectives, proponents of the team name could see only their own perspective, voting in January to reverse the change to the Red Hawks. In response, this spring the Connecticut Legislature will consider sanctioning such mascots in Killingly and at the 18 other school districts that still use them. Although First Amendment issues always arise in such debates, the legislature has significant leeway in determining appropriate messaging at public secondary and elementary schools. Whatever happens in the legislature, we hope and trust that principles of cultural inclusion and respect will triumph in Killingly, as they are across the country.