Students in Lamar, Colorado, dressed up as fake Indians and set up a teepee as part of homecoming events last October. Photo from The Prowers Journal

A bill under consideration in the Colorado Legislature restricts the use of Indian mascots, nicknames and imagery in public schools.

House Bill 1165 creates a Subcommittee for the Consideration of the Use of American Indian Mascots by Public Schools. The panel would review existing Indian mascots to determine whether they are offensive and schools that fail to eliminate an offensive mascot within two years will face fines.

House: Schools' Use Of American Indian Mascots, Refer House Bill 15-1165 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed 6-5. #coleg

— Legislative Council (@COEducationComm) March 24, 2015

The House Education Committee voted 6-5 along party lines to approve the bill. It still requires consideration in another committee before it goes to the full House, the Associated Press reported.

According to The Denver Post, at least 10 schools in Colorado continue to use Indian mascots, nicknames and imagery. The most glaring offender are the "Savages" in Lamar.

The Arapahoe High School Warriors developed its logo in consultation with the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming and was hailed as an example of a mascot that is not a caricature of Indian people.

Get the Story:
Colorado legislature debates bill concerning Indian school mascots (The Denver Post 3/24)
Colorado panel passes bill limiting Native American mascots (AP 3/23)

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