Ripon High School is caught in the middle of a dispute over its“Indians”mascot. The school has been without a mascot since July 1, when California’s Racial Mascots Act went into effect. That law bans Native American mascots unless a federally recognized tribe provides written consent. The Ripon Unified School District claims it received that consent from the California Valley Miwok Tribe. The tribe says that’s not true.
In a statement, the California Valley Miwok Tribe said no school has ever contacted them about mascot use. The tribal council says it has not discussed, approved, or authorized the mascot in any way. The tribe also said its name and identity were used without permission, which raises serious questions about how the district obtained its approval. KCRA 3 has reached out to the district for comment, but no response has been given yet.
This dispute matters beyond Ripon. Other California schools are navigating the same law, and the outcome here could shape how tribal consent is verified in the future. If a district can claim approval without actually having it, the law doesn’t mean much. What do you think should happen next? Should the district be required to produce the written consent it claims to have?
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
