INDIANOLA, Iowa — The Indianola School Board decided to keep the district’s “Indians” nickname at Monday night’s school board meeting.
And while a figure of a Native American isn’t displayed on school buildings, a dream catcher is.
The nickname change received a first motion from school board member Eric Christensen. But it didn’t get a second, meaning it didn’t go up for a vote by the entire board.
People both for and against packed the Indianola High School auditorium to voice their concerns. The large majority of those who spoke were against the change while a few were in favor of it.
For decades the Indians have been a symbol of pride in the community of Indianola. Teri Crabb, who has grandkids in the district, said she’s seen the school board hold similar votes over the years and hopes this one marks the end of it.
“It's just a logo that we've always gone by,” Crabb said. “It kind of goes with the name and I just think it's something that doesn't need to change.”
Amanda Cawthorn, who has children in the district, said she’s frustrated by the board’s decision and still believes an entire group of people shouldn’t be used to represent a school.
“Is it appropriate for a public school and public dollars to be using an entire race of people to represent themselves?” Cawthorn said. “The bulk of our community is not native. We're not Indians.”
Many who spoke out said they want to see the money that would’ve been used for the nickname change used elsewhere. They said they would like to see the district hire more teachers and make school security enhancements.