Class of 1967

J O H N   B U R R O U G H S   H I G H   S C H O O L, B U R B A N K, C A

Oct 7th - 1966 Smoke Signal
Click on the image below to open

Pages 5-8    Pages 9-12    Pages 13-16

BURROUGHS HIGH TO RETAIN TEAM MASCOT - Burbank Leader

 A while ago we informed you of the possibility of losing our school mascot. A decision by the state assembly to pass legislation prohibiting schools from naming mascots for Native Americans will not stop students at John Burroughs High School from cheering for their Indians.

 Lawmakers voted 43-20 in favor of the California Racial Mascots Act, which prohibits public schools from using the term “redskins” as a school or athletic team name, mascot or nickname.

 The bill, proposed by Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles), originally included a list of nine terms considered to be inappropriate for use by schools as a mascot name. "Apaches," "Braves," "Chiefs," "Comanches," "Indians," "Papooses," "Redskins," "Sentinels"  and "Warriors" were on the original list, but the bill approved by the assembly lists only "Redskins" as an inappropriate term.

 School alumni from districts represented by some Assembly members opposed the bill while some legislators thought the issue should be one of "local control," said Curtis Notsinneh, a Goldberg legislative aide who said whittling down the original list of names was necessary to get the bill passed.

 The controversy over Native American team mascots is nothing new to Burroughs, as the issue was debated at several well-attended school board meetings in 2001. Burbank Unified officials came under fire from representatives of the Southern California Chapter of the American Indian Movement and some local parents after a federal agency declared that the use of Native American mascots as school logos, images and nicknames was disrespectful and insensitive.