The state Education Department last week released an 11-page document providing additional guidelines for public school districts that need to change their Native American mascots, team names and logos. 

The release comes after New York’s Board of Regents unanimously voted to ban the use of Native American mascots, team names, logos and depictions April 18.

The resolution means affected districts–including Manhasset and Sewanhaka–are required to “identify a plan to eliminate all use of the prohibited name, work, or mascot within a reasonable time, which shall be by no later than the end of the 2024-25 school year,” according to officials.

Districts that do not make necessary changes according to the guidelines may have state aid withheld, which the State Department called a “last resort.”

“Speaking for myself as a tribal leader and as an indigenous person, the message that is being sent by this is that we’re not a symbol, we’re not a mascot, we’re not history,” said Germain Smith, secretary for the Shinnecock Indian Nation General Council, in a statement. “We’re real people that are still here and still exist”

Districts must submit applications for capital construction projects, which can be funded through building aid from the state, the memo said.

Extensions may be granted for districts that are unable to eliminate Native American names, mascots or logos by the June 30, 2025 deadline from the state “upon a showing of good cause,” which the state defined as approximately 75% of necessary work already completed to adhere to the guidelines.

“Although rebranding might not be easy for communities, the harm that the continued use of team names, mascots, or logos connected to indigenous peoples has on indigenous and non-indigenous peoples, including students, is well established,” the memo said.

Plaques, trophies and other “legacy or memorial items” are deemed historical artifacts and do not need to be changed or removed, officials said. 

Sewanhaka Superintendent James Grossane said during an April Board of Education meeting that the nearly 90-year-old mural in the high school’s cafeteria can remain unchanged. 

Within an application for an extension, the school district must provide an explanation and timeline of actions the district has taken to adhere to the guidelines and commitment from the president of the Board of Education to meet an agreed-upon deadline, according to the State Department.

The history of Manhasset’s “Indian” mascot is traced back to the Matinecock Indian Tribe, a group that occupied a majority of the Town of North Hempstead.

The Matinecocks were forcibly removed from the territory, with Manhasset keeping the “Indian” mascot name along with having an orange feather attached to the “M” in their logo and calling their newspaper “Indian Ink.”

Sewanhaka High School has used the “Indian” mascot since 1929 when the Sewanhaka Central High School District was built and has a school newspaper called “The Chieftain” and a yearbook called “Totem.”

Grossane announced the district is creating a committee to move forward with changing the school’s name and mascot during a board of trustees meeting.

“We have established the parameters for creating a committee to discuss the requirements from the New York State Education Department to change the mascot of Sewanhaka High School from its current name of the Indians to determine a new mascot and nickname,” Grossane said during the meeting. “We will surely be contacting current students, parents and alumni to form the committee and move forward with the task.”

The superintendent added there are funds set aside in the current budget to help begin the transition, which does not need to be completely fulfilled until next year. Grossane gave a rough estimate that updating the uniforms for grades seven to 12 would be approximately $200,000 and that the scoreboard and turf would need to be changed. 

Possible capital projects that will need to replaced in light of the new guidelines for each district include new uniforms, football field end zones and midfield logo, scoreboard modifications, wrestling mats, gym floors, signage, wall padding and banners.