TAMPA, Fla. — The Chamberlain Chiefs may soon be a part of history in Hillsborough County Public Schools.

At Tuesday’s scheduled school board meeting, board members are expected to approve changing the school’s mascot. 

The Title IV Native American Parent Advisory Council requested that Chamberlain High’s mascot, the ‘Chiefs’ and East Bay High School’s mascot, the ‘Indians’ both be changed to not include Native American names or images. 

By design, the school mascot naming process in Hillsborough County is determined by students and staff. Chamberlain High School’s Student Government Association (SGA) surveyed the school community and ultimately recommended that the mascot be changed. 

At East Bay High School, the same process was conducted, and students opted to keep their mascot. 

The Florida Indigenous Alliance is organizing a protest outside of Tuesday’s school board meeting regarding this decision. 

“The FIA has worked in concert with the Title VI (Native American) Parents Committee of Hillsborough County Schools to end the use of indigenous peoples as a sports mascot.

For nine years, the Title VI Committee worked on educating the students, staff, teachers, administration and some of the alumni at Chamberlain High School relating to the issue of using Native American peoples as a sports mascot. As a result, the students at Chamberlain voted to end the use of Native American peoples as a sports mascot,” the group wrote in a statement. “The Title VI parents have not been afforded the same access or ability at East Bay High School and as a result in a knee jerk reaction in today’s political climate, the students unconscious voted to retain the mascot.” 

Erin Maloney spokesperson for Hillsborough County Schools, issued this statement to Spectrum Bay News 9: 

“Hillsborough County Public Schools values community input and stakeholder involvement at each school. The district responded to requests from Native American groups to rename student mascots at both East Bay and Chamberlain High Schools.

In keeping with established processes, naming mascots is a student-led initiative at the school level. Both Chamberlain and East Bay High School student government bodies were tasked with meeting Native American advocacy groups and surveying students, staff, and alumna to decide if their current mascots should remain.

Chamberlain’s student government made the recommendation to change the mascot moving forward following input from students, staff, and their alumni association. We look forward to the process and are excited to see Chamberlain students begin a new tradition that will live on for years to come.”

New signage for Chamberlain High will cost roughly $17,000 while expenses for new uniforms, sports and band equipment logos, and banners would total an additional $32,000.