State law forces middle school in Rochester to change its mascot

By KSTP

(KSTP/file)

Dakota Middle School in Rochester told families the school is changing its mascot after changes to state law passed during the last legislative session.

The mascot, a bison, along with the school’s name, is a reference to the Native American Dakota tribe.

The state law bans the use of Native American mascots at public schools. KSTP’s sister station KAAL reports that it does allow for exemptions, which the school applied for but said was denied.

School officials said they worked with Native American groups to ensure the mascot was a celebration of Native culture and not a caricature of it.

Those groups included the American Indian Parent Advisory Committee (AIPAC), the school district’s American Indian Education Department as well as native families and students.

It was the Rochester Public School District American Indian Education Department that worked with a Native American artist to create the mascot’s design.

The school said it is now working with another Native American artist to create a new mascot that will “honor the sacred land and traditions of the Dakota people and all indigenous people.”