THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reported Wednesday that the California state assembly is moving swiftly to ban ethnic mascots (specifically, Indian mascots) at all California public schools. I took special interest because the accompanying graphic featured the insignia of my own alma mater, Arcadia High School. The school’s mascot name is the Apaches. I’d be disappointed, to say the least, if my old school was forced to change its name to something insipidly anodyne, like “Arcadia Aardvarks.” And as a former band geek, I hate to think how a mascot change will affect the school’s marching band, which is one of the best in southern California (it gets invited to march in the Rose Parade every 4 or 5 years). The band gives an intimidating shout of “PA-CHE!” when called to attention, and its color guard wears Indian-themed outfits. An elite group of “Princesses,” wearing elaborate Indian headdresses, carries the Arcadia name in front of the band during parades. I doubt much of the band’s Indian motif is authentically Apache, but I can assure you it’s not meant to be demeaning; it’s done tastefully, and with pride.
Granted, the city of Arcadia has no intimate connection with the Apache tribe; it’s a pleasant suburb located just east of Pasadena, nestled against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. But over the past decade or so, Arcadia High’s administration and students have bent over backwards to discard any trace of derogatory meaning that might be associated with the Apache nickname. They ditched the old cartoon “Apache Joe” mascot from the school logo, replacing it with a more dignified and authentic Apache figure. They’ve brought members of the Apache tribe to the school for consultations and to discuss Apache culture with students, and even sent the band to perform at an Apache reservation. And it’s silly to think the Apache tribe would resent being associated with a school that consistently ranks among the top public high schools in California.
