ST. PAUL — A bipartisan bill to change the exemption process for schools with Native American mascots is making progress in the Minnesota Senate.
S.F. 1404 would allow schools with mascots that violate the 2023 state law prohibiting American Indian mascots to request an exemption from the nearest tribal nation rather than needing unanimous approval from all 11 federally recognized tribes and the Tribal Nations Education Committee.
The bill would also designate state dollars to help cover the cost of uniforms, signs, gym floors and other changes necessary for districts that would still need to — or choose to — change their mascot, though no amount has been set. It would also remove the 2026 deadline to comply with the ban.
The change was introduced by Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, who also authored the law banning mascots that depict or refer to Native tribes, individuals, customs or traditions.
S.F. 1404 was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill after passing through the Senate Education Finance and Education Policy committees.
Districts across the state have sought clarity on the ban, with some saying the definition was not clear enough and others that the law was inconsistently applied.
The Grand Rapids Thunderhawk was denied an exemption because of its apparent reference to Chief Thunderhawk, a companion of Sitting Bull in the 19th century. The district says the name is the combination of two popular options — the Thunder and the Hawks — when the district changed its name from the Indians in the ‘90s.
The similarly named Montevideo Thunder Hawks were initially on the list of schools in violation of the law but were removed when the district asked for further clarification.
Grand Rapids School Board member Dave Cowan testified in support of Kunesh’s bill during the March 18 Education Finance Committee. He said changing the mascot would cost the district an estimated $800,000.
“As we look at next year’s budget, as well as subsequent year’s budget projections, I can assure you we have much better things to spend our limited resources on than the determination, removal and replacement of a fictional mascot,” Cowan said in his virtual testimony. “Especially if our local Native American community supports the Thunderhawks.”
‘True honor comes from listening to Indigenous voices’
In committee hearings, Kunesh said there were no districts they could identify without a clear “nearest tribe," implying just one would be providing consent. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is the closest tribal nation to Grand Rapids.
Laurie Harper, director of education for the Band, said if the bill passes, Leech Lake would work with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to decide how to proceed.
“We would all determine the best way, upon the advice of our tribal governing bodies, to move forward,” she told KAXE. “And honestly, I don’t know what that even looks like at this point.”
Harper said she appreciates that tribal nations are being asked for input on Kunesh’s amendment, as they were not consulted for the original bill.
“The tribes did not appreciate being put in the seat of making the decision that the state should be making,” she said.
“ ... The premise of [the original bill] is good. We agree that human beings should not be used as mascots. But we were not consulted, nor were we part of the discussion. It was all of a sudden, the bill was passed and then the state was turning to say, ‘Well what are you guys going to do about it?’”
Kunesh, who is of Standing Rock Sioux descent, has advocated for the discontinuation of Native American mascots because of their harm to Native youths.
Brandon Alkire, legislative director of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, noted in his March 18 testimony how Native mascots perpetuate harmful stereotypes. They can hurt Native youths’ self-esteem and contribute to educational disparities like graduation rates.
“While some believe that mascots are honoring Indigenous people, many Native American leaders and organizations have spoken against them,” Alkire said.
“True honor comes from listening to Indigenous voices, respecting their perspectives and making meaningful changes or engaging in partnerships with tribal nations for the use.”
Alkire testified that the new exemption rules encourage relationship-building between school districts and tribal nations.
“To be clear, not all mascots are terrible,” he said. “The point of the legislation is to engage and encourage school districts to work with tribal partners and determine the best path forward.”
Other legislative proposals
DFL and Republican legislators have attempted to modify the mascot ban several times in the last two years.
Kunesh introduced a bill to fund removal through grants last year and another to allow districts to levy for the costs.
Multiple Republican lawmakers have tried to repeal the ban, modify the exemptions or appropriate money for affected districts.
This year, Rep. Krista Knudsen, R-Lake Shore, introduced a bill to provide mascot replacement funding, one to repeal the ban and one allowing districts to keep their mascot if tribes in the same county do not object. If there is no tribe in the same county, the school would be exempt from the ban.
Kunesh’s bill is the first time any effort received a committee hearing. In the same hearing that S.F. 1404 was laid over, the Education Finance Committee laid over bills appropriating funds for Grand Rapids and Esko.
Formerly the Eskomos, Esko stopped using a mascot in 2023 to comply with the ban. But the district has not selected a replacement, nor updated branding throughout school facilities.
“There are a lot of things that we don’t necessarily think about that the school has to deal with,” said Sen. Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, who introduced the Esko bill.
“Every clock in their school has the igloo logo on it. That would all have to be replaced. Every school uniform. The sign coming into the school. A marker that they had that they used as a fundraising event to pay for the football field, which also would have to be replaced. Tile flooring within the school. The basketball court. Scores tables, chairs, wall mats.”
Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River, introduced a version of the Esko bill in the House, though it has not received a committee hearing.
Rarick said it would cost the district $800,000 to $945,000 to make the updates and Kunesh’s bill is a great way to address the issue.
Sen. Robert Farnsworth, R-Hibbing, who introduced the Grand Rapids bill, also supports Kunesh’s legislation. He said the Grand Rapids school district would prefer Kunesh’s bill be passed, but the individual appropriation is “an insurance policy.”
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