Iroquois ‘Chiefs’ mascot change narrowed to 5 finalists
ELMA, N.Y. (WIVB) – The Iroquois Central School District’s search for a new mascot has been narrowed down to five finalists.
The change from their traditional “Chiefs” name and logo comes after the New York State Board of Regents’ April decision to ban the use of Native American names and imagery by schools.
Where do school mascot names come from and why are so many team names the same?
Iroquois officials said their mascot committee initially received 343 suggestions for a new name. The group cut the list down to 25 choices for the first round of voting, which ended Monday.
“We have to listen and learn”: Iroquois Schools respond to NYSED Native American mascot memo
The five finalists selected from the first round are, in alphabetical order:
Inferno
Iron Horses
Otters
Red Hawks
Wolves
Online voting for the five finalists begins next Monday, Dec. 18, and runs through Jan. 5.
“Thank you to our wonderful community for your help in transitioning to a new tradition at Iroquois!” Superintendent Douglas Scofield said in a release.
A similar voting process for the logo design will follow the selection of the new name. The district initially projected that a final product would be unveiled around March 2024.
The list of the 25 preliminary finalists can be seen here. Results of the voting were not released.
Iroquois Schools hosts community meeting about importance of mascot change
In July, West Seneca became the first district in Western New York to change its name and imagery after the ruling. Teams at West Seneca West High School, formerly known as the Indians, are now the Warhawks. Other districts like Cheektowaga Central and Tonawanda City School District, both known as the Warriors, and Jamestown, which goes by the Red Raiders, also plan to change their names.
Meanwhile, Salamanca City Central received special permission from the Seneca Nation to continue using their current “Warriors” nickname and logo. Scofield told News 4 in April that the district reached out to a local tribe, “but did not receive communication in return.”
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Nick Veronica is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team as the Digital Executive Producer in 2021. He previously worked at NBC Sports and The Buffalo News. You can follow Nick on Facebook, Twitter and Threads. See more of his work here.
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