ELMA, N.Y. — "I feel more honored to be an Iroquois chief."
"22 people probably would have said to you, thank you for serving."
"Why would anyone want to have this?"
Those are some comments and questions said by community members at Monday's Community Information Night at Iroquois Central School District.
Human Rights Consultant, Jacinta Garcia, was the event speaker for the night.
"Really, the point of this presentation is to set in that Native American experience and understand it," Garcia said.
It's why Iroquois Central School District is having a community discussion, explaining the reason behind New York State's Mascot regulation.
"It's not to blame, or shame or tell people they're wrong. It's to have these conversations so that we can understand each other. Even if we don't agree when we walk out of the door," Garcia said.
The New York State Board of Regents voted to prohibit the use of Indigenous team names, mascots and logos by public schools in April after going into effect in May. West Seneca did it with the Warhawks, Tonawanda and Cheektowaga are committing to change, and now, so are Iroquois.
"The whole community can provide information of what they would like the new name to be, to replace Chiefs. Once they submit their ideas, we'll get out what the ideas are in November, and from there, we'll have a vote in December with the whole community. Then, we'll go into the logo phase of what it'll look like," says Iroquois Central School District Douglas Scofield.
The current logo of Iroquois is a Native American man with feathers. Superintendent of Iroquois, Douglas Scofield, shares.
"This will be the last year for Iroquois Chiefs."
A few parents and students got to share their thoughts during the community meeting as well.
"I thought I was going to be all up in arms," one student says,
" I wish that more people would have been here to hear it," a parent says. She continues, "As a 1988 graduate, once a Chief, always a Chief, but what I've learned from my daughter and what I heard here tonight definitely lets me know the logo needs to change."
Scofield says he plans to have a final vote and know how the new mascot will look by March. However, a new mascot raises a question from the community. "What will the school district do with everything that has Native Americans plastered on it?"
The district has yet to come up with a solution.