Benson School District Retains Braves Mascot with Upper Sioux Community Exemption
The Benson School District in Minnesota has been granted an exemption by the Upper Sioux Community to continue using the Braves logo and mascot, a decision that has been met with relief and gratitude from the school administration and community.
A Long-standing Tradition
The Braves mascot has been a part of the Benson Schools since 1945, and prior to that, the school teams competed as the Plowboys. The district’s decision to seek an exemption to maintain the mascot was driven by overwhelming community support, with alumni expressing concerns that a change would result in a loss of school identity.
According to Benson Superintendent of Schools Dennis Laumeyer, the exemption allows the district to continue using the mascot in a respectful and honorable manner, which is in line with the district’s values and goals. The “Braves Way” is promoted throughout the elementary school, with signs emphasizing positive attributes such as “B respectful, B engaged, B my best.”
Legislative Background
The Minnesota Legislature passed legislation in the 2022-23 session requiring schools with American Indian mascots to end their use by September 1, 2025, unless they received an exemption from all 11 tribal nations in the state and the Tribal Nations Education Committee. However, in the last session, legislation was approved to allow school districts to seek an exemption from the tribal community nearest to the school district.
The Benson School District requested the exemption, but two tribes and the Tribal Nations Education Committee rejected it. The district then met twice with the Upper Sioux Community Board of Trustees to make their request, explaining how the district uses the mascot to motivate students to be of good character and do well in a positive and respectful way.
Collaboration and Education
The Upper Sioux Community indicated a willingness to help the district meet state education requirements for instruction about the Indigenous peoples of Minnesota, in particular the Dakota. The community has the resources and knowledge to help the district educate its students in an authentic way, according to Laumeyer.
The decision to seek an exemption was also driven by concerns about the potential cost of adopting a new mascot and logo, estimated to be around $1 million. The legislation provided no funding for schools to make a mascot change, which would have come at the expense of educational programming.
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