CEDAR CITY — More than five years after Cedar High School’s longtime “Redmen” name was retired, school board members voted to put the issue on an upcoming election ballot.
The unusual move came near the end of Tuesday night’s regular Iron County School District Board of Education meeting, following more than three hours of public comment and discussion.
After board member Dave Staheli’s motion to directly reinstate the “Redmen” name failed by a 4-3 vote, board member Megen Ralphs proposed allowing the public to help decide the issue by placing it on a ballot “as early as legally possible.”
But as it turns out, such an action doesn’t appear to be legally possible, according to Utah law.
Contacted for clarification on Wednesday, Iron County Clerk Jonathan Whittaker said, “The question du jour is what’s the process for a school board to put an opinion question on the ballot? And the answer is, they can’t.”
Citing section 20A-1-102(4) of the Utah State Code, Whittaker said such ballot questions require the authorization of the Utah State Legislature.
“I looked into it. I asked the Lieutenant Governor’s office and a few of my colleagues,” he said. “We reviewed the code and found that section. I reached out to the school district and suggested that they have their attorneys review that. But my reading of it is that they’re not allowed to put an opinion question on the ballot in Utah.”
Of course, he noted, the school district could still conduct its own survey or hire a pollster to help gauge public opinion.
“That’s why you elect representatives,” Whittaker added. “If you don’t like what they’re doing, you vote them out. But to try and second-guess every decision that any kind of government body makes, it would be impractical. It also would, I think, dilute the importance, value and power of the ballot.”
As previously reported, the school board voted 3-2 in February 2019 to retire the “Redmen” name, which had been used since the 1940s. Soon thereafter, the school’s nickname was changed to “Reds,” with the Native American imagery associated with Redmen being replaced by a wolf mascot. Cedar High’s Class of 2019 was the last to graduate as Redmen.
Iron County’s school board now has seven members, none of whom were on the five-member board five years ago. That board’s February 2019 decision came after a 24-member committee made up of students, staff, alumni, tribal representatives and other stakeholders voted 17-7 to recommend that “Redmen” be retired and a different name and mascot be chosen.
In June 2021, current board member Jeff Corry, a former Cedar High School teacher and avid proponent of the Redmen moniker, attempted to revisit the issue but the matter was never brought to a board vote.
Ever since then, a small but determined group of supporters, often wearing “Redmen” apparel, has regularly attended board meetings and asked the members to consider reinstating the historic name.
Tuesday night’s crowd was estimated at more than 100 people, a number of whom took turns addressing the board during the public comment period.
First in line to speak were members of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah’s tribal council, who were unanimously and unequivocally opposed to reinstating the name “Redmen.”
Corrina Bow, chairwoman of the Paiute Tribal Council, said, “As a past Cedar High student, I wanted to fit in and be accepted by my peers in school. I accepted the Redman mascot, the school’s interpretation of who they thought we were. Sometimes it was hurtful, and sometimes it was really funny.”
Nevertheless, Bow said when her teenage granddaughter voiced her opinions against the “Redmen” name five years ago, the girl received death threats.
“I certainly understand everyone is entitled to their opinion and memories,” Bow said. “The Redman mascot does not change the history of the Paiute Indian tribe of Utah. We have been here for time immemorial, and we are still here. If you want to honor us, attend our 44th annual Restoration Gathering and Powwow and enjoy the magnificence of our culture. Join us in celebrating our federal recognition and life as it is today.”
Tamra Borchardt-Slayton, the tribal council’s vice chair and Indian Peaks Band representative, read aloud a letter signed by all six tribal council members.
“The term ‘Redman’ is a term not recognized within Native American communities as paying respect to the history and legacy of this nation’s first people, but rather a slang term that has been used for over 200 years to attribute racial defamation to Native people,” Borchardt-Slayton said, adding that tribal members and their children have been subjected to verbal abuse, threats and aggressive behavior as a result of their position on the issue.
“The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah tribal council hopes that the Iron County School Board is not interested in being a forceful push to advocate for discrimination and aggression placed on Native communities for our disinterest of not supporting the name change,” she added, stating that the council “stands firm” on not supporting the name “Redmen.”
Autumn Gillard, the Paiute Tribe’s cultural resource manager, said that the terms “redmen” and “redskin” are derived from the torture and skinning of Native Americans in the 1800s for bounties.
“The term ‘Redman’ also has no correlation or connection to any true homage to who we are as Indigenous people,” she said.
Gillard also cited the amount of stress that many of today’s students are experiencing.
“Education institutions are havens for safety and comfortability for a productive atmosphere of education for all to learn,” she said. “Educational institutions are not created to cause separation between children due to adult ideals. A concern I have for the culture of the school system is that a separation will occur. The board should recognize the point of us all here today is to instill a passion for education and achievement and higher education for all students, regardless of their choice of mascot. Our job is not to follow an idealistic rhetoric of a mascot name change pushed by the agenda of a disgruntled community.”
Gillard also raised the issue of cost.
“That financial burden that the Iron County School District will bear with yet again another rebranding is another concern,” she said. “Will this branding heighten fees to parents and Iron County taxpayers? Could this time and energy focus more on our teachers?
Despite the Paiute tribal leaders’ position, however, other commenters, including those with Native American heritage, said they support the name “Redmen,” with more than one calling it a “badge of honor.”
Tony Garcia, whose sons played football and lacrosse at Cedar High, said, “I understand what the tribe is saying, but they do not speak for every single Native American. My children and many others found that name prideful.”
Garcia described his oldest son as “the meanest linebacker you’ll ever see” and noted, “He was a warrior out there. And he said when he walked out there, he felt his Indian heritage. He was proud of that. These kids are missing that. It was taken from them without a vote. Their opinion didn’t matter. No one asked the actual Native American people in this city. It’s all behind closed doors. You guys have the opportunity to actually do the right thing. And actually represent our county, our people and our country.”
Iron County Commissioner Paul Cozzens also decried the way the decision was made five years ago, saying that the information presented to the committee members was one-sided and inadequately researched.
“The prevailing trend of cancel culture, fueled by divisive critical theories, only perpetuates the victim mindset and imparts damaging ideologies to our youth,” Cozzens said.
“Feedback from the community underscores lingering resentment toward the Iron County School District, resulting in loss of trust and apathy,” he added. “Therefore, we stand united in advocating for the restoration of dignity and integrity to our school, the school district and Cedar High School. Reinstating the Redmen is a crucial and courageous step toward evaluating our community and honoring its heritage.”
Another Redmen supporter, Emily Green, handed out red crayons to the board members and explained: “I gave you each a red crayon because it represents what the current students at CHS identify as. It’s been very hard for them. They were stripped of a legacy and given, ironically, nothing. So they just started calling themselves red crayons.”
Commenter Norm Forbush read a letter from St. George resident and former Washington Redskins football player Jason Buck wherein he expressed the pride he felt playing on that NFL team.
“We live in a majority rule, not a mob rule society,” Forbush said. “Erasing Native American names and imagery is erasing our nation’s rich, rich history.”
Another speaker, Thomas Guzman, asked, “Changing the name back, will it actually put things back the way they’re supposed to be? And I don’t know that it necessarily will.”
“However, what I think would be amazing is if you folks were able to come back to square one where we have a name that has been a tradition at the school,” Guzman added. “And then, whether it’s the school board or whether it’s the folks on the other side, do the work of convincing the community to support the change.”
Another commenter, Josh Stavros, said, “The tricky thing about symbols is that they can mean different things to different people, as we’ve heard today. Not everyone looks at them the same and they can represent unpleasant memories and ideas as well as pleasant, nostalgic, wonderful memories. Neither is untrue; both are valid.”
Stavros said that his own positive experiences at Cedar High School didn’t change just because the mascot has changed.
“The positive things that Cedar High stood for still exist,” he said.
“We can’t unwind the clock, we can’t unring a bell,” he added. “And we aren’t changing the past by just moving forward. I think the best thing we could possibly do as a community is take this energy that we have now that we’ve poured into this topic for whatever reason we have and find a way to focus on now problems, now challenges, now solutions.”
Following Tuesday night’s meeting, Iron County School District sent out a news release via email that included a statement from Superintendent Lance Hatch.
“As the District’s Superintendent, I acknowledge and recognize that some may have been harmed by the Redmen name over the years and we do not dismiss the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah’s request to not reinstate the name,” Hatch said. “However, I also acknowledge the harm that has been done to community members who feel a connection to the name.”
“Our hope is that with the support of this community, we can heal this divide and move forward, working together to be respectful of one another and ensuring that our current students receive the education they deserve without interruption,” he added.
Although the Redmen issue took up the bulk of Tuesday’s meeting, other pertinent agenda items were also discussed and acted upon. Among them was a decision to increase school fees, which passed by a 7-0 vote. The new fee schedule for 2024-25 includes $10 fee increases for all extracurricular activities, along with the hotel charge going up from $35 to $50 per night, among other adjustments.
Board members also unanimously passed a “10-year Capital Facilities and Financing Plan” that outlines several planned multimillion-dollar capital projects and their anticipated funding sources. To see a two-page graphic summarizing the proposal, click here.
Photo Gallery
Banner inside the front lobby of Cedar High School, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Front of Cedar High School, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah tribal council officials address Iron County School Board, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A crowd estimated at more than 100 people gathered for the regular meeting of Iron County School District Board of Education, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah tribal council officials address Iron County School Board, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Tamra Borchardt-Slayton of Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah tribal council addresses Iron County School Board, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Autumn Gillard of Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah addresses Iron County School Board, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Iron County Commissioner Paul Cozzens addresses Iron County School District Board of Education, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News "Redmen" proponent Susan Stratton addresses Iron County School District Board of Education, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News "Redmen" proponent Emily Green addresses Iron County School District Board of Education, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News L-R: Iron County School District Board of Education members Lauren Lewis, Jeff Corry and Dave Staheli listen to public comments, Cedar City, Utah, March 26, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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