BOUNTIFUL, Utah (ABC4) – After 70 years, the era of the ‘Bountiful Braves’ is coming to an end in 2021. Bountiful High School will be getting a new mascot at the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
Bountiful High School administrators came under mounting pressure to change the name because of its cultural insecurities.
With a fractured student body and taking in months of feedback, there was only one real choice Principle Arron Hogge had to make regarding the high school’s mascot.
“It became really a wonderful committee process, and they were able to look at both sides, and really look at the merits of both sides,” he says, “Then as an administration, and I as the principal, then took those recommendations and came up with a decision that now is the time to change the mascot of Bountiful High School.”
Principal Hogge goes on to say, “Bountiful High School and those who have graduated as Braves will always be Braves, and will always be proud of their educational heritage, that they were apart of this high school community. And, we are looking forward to another 70 years of pride in our education community rallying around a mascot that everyone can feel comfortable with.”
“This is a great surprise to have the last day of Native American Heritage Month,” says James Singer with the Utah League of Native American Voters.
Singer’s organization helped provide information to the school.
“I think that the process the administration went through was fair, I think they tried to listen to all different sides of the story,” he says. “We are living up to those ideals of equality and democracy, and we are fighting racism, and that is what is important.”
“Our Native American tribes are amazing people, and they are thick with tradition and pride, and we really appreciate their input,” says Principal Hogge tells ABC4’s Jason Nguyen.
Once Bountiful High selects a new mascot, they will face another challenge outfitting students in afterschool activities. The Davis School District will help with some funding, but the school may need sponsorships for uniforms, or students may be forced to use the old uniforms until the school gets new ones.
“And honestly, I have no idea Jason, and it will be expensive,” he says.
Principal Hogge says a new committee will help foster new names of inclusion and unity. The goal is to have things somewhat finalized in two months.
The district plans on retiring the name of the Braves in the spring of 2021, and that is when they will reveal the new name of Bountiful High.
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