Mason City school district drops ‘Mohawk’ mascot, name

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Mason City schools will drop the mascot “Mohawks” in favor of a brand that doesn’t exploit Native American tribal symbols and imagery. The Mason City Board of Education voted Monday to retire the “Mohawk” name and mascot and begin the search for a new mascot in January. Officials plan to have a new mascot and name selected by July 1. The move comes after the Meskwaki Nation in Iowa and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council of Akwesasne, New York, objected to the Native-themed mascot. Calls for such changes have grown more insistent across the country in recent years.