School Board votes to retire ‘Indians’ name

The Shelter Island School Board of Education met on Monday evening, ending six weeks of research and discussion into the question of retiring the name ‘Indians’ and the image of a Native American used since the 1970s to identify the school’s athletic teams.

The board voted unanimously to retire the name.

School Board President Kathleen Lynch said the vote on Monday was only about the fate of the name. The process of choosing a new name or mascot, as well as discussion of the yearbook’s name (Pogatticut, a Native American name that predates the use of Indians as the teams’ name) are questions for the school to decide in subsequent deliberations.

It was the second board meeting in August in which the question of changing the school’s mascot and name was addressed by speakers from the community and representatives of Native American groups, including the Shinnecock Tribe.

As at the Aug. 17 meeting, Monday’s sunset gathering on the field by the playground featured comments from members of the Shelter Island community — including recent as well as not-so-recent graduates of the school — who spoke to both sides of the question.

The Reporter will have a complete report in a later post, and in Thursday’s print edition.

In other business: Jennifer Rylott, director of pupil personnel data and instruction, reported that the number of new students now stands at 50, double the number announced two weeks ago. The newly enrolled students, many coming for kindergarten, first and second grades, bring the total school enrollment to 215. . Ms. Rylott also said that more are expected to enroll between now and the start of school on September 10.

Superintendent Dr. Brian Doelger, Ed.D., said the new students are good news for the school, and will not likely require a change in the plans to provide safe in-person instruction for all grades.