New Hot Springs High mascot is 'Savage Heat'

By Maggie Plummer

HOT SPRINGS — During a packed-to-overflowing school board meeting here Monday evening, the Hot Springs school board unanimously approved "Savage Heat" as their high school's new mascot.

The trustees also unanimously passed a new policy that the Hot Springs School District will no longer use Native American names or imagery as a mascot or logo.

For years, Hot Springs High has had the team name "Savages," which many find offensive.

Students at the high school, concerned about a recent ruling by the Montana Human Rights Bureau that found the Ronan schools' use of "Chiefs" and "Maidens" mascots is discriminatory, held a recent contest to re-name their school's teams.

But all three of the new team names they came up with retained the word "savage:" Hot Springs Savage Heat, Hot Springs Savage Outlaws, and Hot Springs Savage Pride.

During the trustees' last meeting, on June 18, board member Robert McCoy moved to adopt the name "Hot Springs Heat." But the rest of the board, indicating that they wanted to include trustee Sheila Matt (who was absent) in the decision, did not second that motion.

Monday's school board meeting included about 90 minutes of public comment on the mascot issue. This time, more community members opposed to changing the mascot attended the meeting. At the June 18 session, the people wanting the mascot changed were in the majority.

First up was Bill Tuss, who read a Montana law that states that school personnel should relate effectively with Native American students. He referred to a petition asking trustees to change the school's mascot and logo, which 143 people have signed.

He also pointed out that in 2000, the Tribal Council passed Resolution 00-173, which denounced the use of 'Indian' mascots, logos, emblems, or any imagery depicting Native Americans or tribal cultures and urged the elimination of these designations and imagery in all schools. This past May, the Council re-affirmed that resolution, Tuss told the group.

"The word savage applies only to animals, not to people," he said.

Tribal member LeRoy O'Bennick again held up an old red jacket with the "large-nosed, ugly" Indian logo, which he noted was for many years prominently displayed around Hot Springs.

"I'm asking you to strike this word savage," he said. "It doesn't matter whether it's a noun or an adjective."

He wondered what to call "this thing about retaining the 'savage' word in the mascot - tenacity or arrogance or ignorance."

One Hot Springs High School student commented that the students use "Savages" mascot name in the context of something fierce, ready to go, something that will fight to the end, not in a demeaning way.

Gene Lozeau, another tribal member who lives in Hot Springs, suggested that people there watch the movie "Simple Justice," which tells the story of Brown vs. the Board of Education and the African American struggle for equality in this country. "It IS time for a change," Gene told the group. "I've been waiting since 1997, when I first met with the school board about this."

Many of the anti-change audience members blamed Tuss for creating this "problem" and pointed out that he has lived in Hot Springs for only four years.

One woman stated that Charlo's "Vikings" mascot is more derogatory than "Savages," and that some lawyer is probably making a lot of money over this mascot issue.

Tribal member Francis Stanger spoke up, saying that the Hot Springs High School kids like their "Savages" mascot. "We adults are acting like children," he said. "We should grow up. This is causing trouble, and it affects our children. You might say we're becoming 'savage enemies.' We should just leave it alone, let it lie."

At times several audience members said "Amen!" in response to anti-change speakers.

Shelly Fyant, a tribal member from Ronan, told the group that she feels the mascot question is "a very complex issue" and that "you'll never know how I feel unless you're an Indian parent with Indian kids in the school system."

She added that "it's like going back 30 years when I come here."

Additional comments included: that originally it was Indian students who came up with the Savages name; that the Indian students who have gone to Hot Springs High don't feel degraded by it; that not one Indian child or adult has been damaged by the Savages name; that federal law is ordering school districts to work with tribes on their reservations, and that the Hot Springs school district needs to look at what they can do to minimize the damages; that the Indian kids who've gone to school in Hot Springs have felt nothing but pride in the Savages name; and that 98 percent of the community wants to keep the Savages name.

Trustee Matt Pavelich suggested that the board "take it in baby steps." He then moved to make a policy that the Hot Springs School District will no longer use Native American names or imagery as mascot or logo, which passed with a unanimous vote.

Trustee Sheila Matt told Fyant that she's "disheartened to hear that you think we're 30 years behind...we are moving forward, and I'm sorry if it seems like we're not."

Board vice chair Julie White made the motion to change the school mascot to Savage Heat.

"There's a lot of support on both sides," Pavelich commented during a brief board discussion. "For those who are offended, 'Savage Heat' is salt in a raw wound. But I think the kids came up with the best solution. I support the motion for 'Savage Heat.'"

Trustee Robert McCoy agreed that a good place to start was with the mascot name "Savage Heat."