'Indians' no more. South Bend Saint Joseph High to retire nickname at semester's end

SOUTH BEND — Three months after forming a committee to research the appropriateness of its longtime Native-American moniker, Saint Joseph High School has announced it will officially retire the “Indians” nickname and mascot at the end of the academic year.

The 13-person evaluation committee of current and former students, faculty and parents recommended the change to the Saint Joe school board April 25. The recommendation was unanimously approved and then accepted by Principal John Kennedy.

A letter sent to members of the Saint Joseph community explained that it is the moral  responsibility of the school — a member of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese — to uphold human dignity, which led to the committee, the retirement of the nickname and eventually the selection of a new one.

More: New nickname in store for South Bend Saint Joseph 'Indians?' Committee to consider moniker

More: How does the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi feel about Saint Joseph's 'Indians' nickname?

“Through this process, we have learned that the Indians nickname does not honor our local Native American tribe,” the letter read. “In fact, the use of Native American themed mascots has harmed or devalued many who identify as Native American. Thus, the nickname no longer aligns with our mission, vision, or core values.”

According to the letter, planning for a new nickname and mascot will begin this summer and be completed during the fall semester of the 2023-24 school year.

A summary of the recommendation posted on the SJHS website states that three factors guided the decision – impact on school spirit, the mission, vision and Catholic identity of the private, diocesan school and the official position of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi.

Rebecca Richards, Tribal Chairwoman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, told the Tribune in January that her people supported a moniker change to further distance the Saint Joe from native imagery and preceded or outdated likeness.

"We appreciate the support and are glad people understand and honor the Native-American heritage," Richards said, "but being a mascot is not the best way to honor Native-American heritage."

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is the only federally recognized tribe in Indiana with more than 6,000 citizens spread throughout the country, but mostly in a 10 county service area in Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana. Many of the Band reside in Saint Joseph County, some even attend Saint Joseph High School.

Richards said the moniker change will have mostly a positive affect on Native-American youth, even though such a change can be difficult for alumni and community to understand because of their own histories and connections with the school.

"It is hard to understand how it is negative because they embrace the heritage and are proud to have that as a nickname, mascot or logo," Richards said. "They don't view it as negative. That can be difficult for the Native-American students to deal with and could have a detrimental affect in them. We want to make sure the youth are protected going forward. This is on a national level."

And it has been for decades as both college and professional teams have retired derogatory nicknames and mascot imagery of Native-Americans. The NFL's Washington Commanders franchise that was established in 1932 dropped its "Redskins" name in 2020 after years of vocal public debate. Major League Baseball's Cleveland franchise became the "Guardians" in 2022 after being the "Indians" since 1915.

It will be the second time an area school makes a nickname/mascot change in the past decade. Goshen High School, for decades identified as the "Redskins," formed a similar committee that in 2015 decided to retire the name and likeness effective Jan. 1, 2016. Goshen is now known as the RedHawks.

Here is the full context of the letter sent to the Saint Joseph High School community as first published by our news partners at WNDU:

Dear Saint Joe Alumni and Supporters,

Earlier this year, we announced a process to determine whether Saint Joseph High School should keep or change the nickname of Indians. We formed a committee of alumni, students, parents, and faculty/staff tasked with listening and learning. During the past four months, the committee has engaged in extensive research; provided an avenue for constituents to express themselves directly; hosted town halls with students, faculty/staff, alumni, and parents; and conducted a survey open to all members of the Saint Joe community.

We would like to express our gratitude to the School Nickname Evaluation Committee for their exceptional work on behalf of our school, the Saint Joseph High School School Board for their leadership, and everyone in the Saint Joe community who gave input through this process.

The committee has completed its review of the research and the feedback from the Saint Joe community. On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, the committee presented its recommendation to the School Board of Saint Joseph High School in favor of changing the school nickname. The School Board voted unanimously in favor of the recommendation, which then passed to the Principal, who accepted it. Thus, the decision was made to change the school nickname. Bishop Rhoades was informed of the decision and supports the change.

As a Catholic institution, it is our moral responsibility to uphold the dignity of the human person. Through this process, we have learned that the Indians nickname does not honor our local Native American tribe. In fact, the use of Native American themed mascots has harmed or devalued many who identify as Native American. Thus, the nickname no longer aligns with our mission, vision, or core values. Furthermore, the nickname inhibits school spirit, as it neither provides a mascot nor serves as a symbol for the student body to rally around in unity.

As a result, the Indians nickname will be retired at the end of the current school year. Thus, we will come together as a community to identify a new symbol around which to rally. Though Saint Joseph High School will adopt a new mascot, our shared history, deep faith, and tradition of excellence in the classroom and on the field will endure. Our mission – to educate students in heart and mind to serve God, the Church, and the world – remains.

Soon we will engage in the effort to identify a new mascot and nickname. We will also seek ways to commemorate the Indians nickname and honor our history. Planning will start this summer, and we expect to launch and complete this phase during the fall semester of the 2023-24 school year. In this next phase, we will invite participation from the Saint Joseph High School community. Our student body will have a particularly important voice in this decision.

You can find more information about the committee, the process, the decision, and the next steps on our website at www.saintjoehigh.com/alumni/nickname.

Thank you to the committee, the School Board, and our entire Saint Joe community for engaging in this process and contributing to the decision. We envision a renewed commitment to our mission, and we look forward to the next phase of our school’s history. Moving forward together, we will be stronger than ever.

God Bless, and Go Saint Joe,

John Kennedy, Principal

Maura Ratigan, School Board President

Adam Gill,’02, Chairperson, School Nickname Evaluation Committee

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Saint Joseph High school to end 'Indians' nickname