Fate of Bountiful High’s Braves mascot to be revealed Monday

An entrance at Bountiful High School in Bountiful is pictured on Monday, July 13, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

BOUNTIFUL — Bountiful High School Principal Aaron Hogge will announce his decision on Monday, Nov. 30, regarding the status of the school’s Braves mascot after months of study and receiving feedback over whether to keep the mascot or select a new one.

School administrators embarked on a process to review the high school’s mascot starting in August, seeking the input of representatives of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation; current Bountiful High School students, faculty and staff; as well as community members who live within the school’s boundaries with children who attend feeder schools, according to a statement from the school district.

The school conducted two listening sessions in October and has received written comments from the school community and others interested in the issue.

A consultation committee was empaneled to identify and discuss concerns that have been presented regarding the mascot; listen to the various perspectives of stakeholders on the issue; and discuss potential solutions moving forward, according to the statement.

“Because the decision of school mascots and school colors are made at the school level, the decision to keep the mascot or choose a new one — in this instance — is being made by Bountiful High School Principal Aaron Hogge,” district spokesman Christopher Williams said in the statement.

Hogge will share his decision at 4 p.m. in a prepared video shared on the school’s YouTube channel. The link is: https://youtu.be/Wwo70WOHeew

Steve Griffin, Deseret News

The marquee at Bountiful High School in Bountiful is pictured on Monday, July 13, 2020.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Elizabeth Weight, D-West Valley City, announced that she will carry a nonbinding resolution in the 2021 general session of the Utah Legislature that calls on all schools and athletic teams with Native American mascots “to engage with Native American communities and create their own processes out of respect for the cultural and spiritual traditions and practices for our Native American neighbors.”

The resolution is still being drafted and not yet available for public view.

Weight, a Bountiful High school alumnus, said even in her days as a student 50 years ago the mascot was “embarrassing” and “uncomfortable.”

“And now it’s become shameful for me,” Weight said in a press conference at the school Tuesday.

This story will be updated

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