The Indian head logo appears under a flap on the uniforms of the Eastern Michigan University marching band. Photo from Facebook
Eastern Michigan University is refusing to remove an "Indian" head logo that was added to the school's marching band uniforms even though the mascot was retired more than two decades ago. The Native American Student Organization met with EMU President Susan Martin last week to discuss the issue, The Detroit News reported. A tribal liaison from the Department of Justice also was there. But Martin said the logo won't be removed from the uniforms, the News reported. The "Hurons" head appears hidden under a front flap. "When people see us as characters and mascots, they don't see us as people. It completely erases our existence and our history," Michelle Lietz, the vice president of NASO, told the paper. Lietz said Native students have been treated with hostility since the return of the logo. Some also believe the mascot was linked to an April 11 incident involving Nathaniel Phillips, an elderly member of the Omaha Tribe who was attacked after he questioned the faux "Indian" attire of some students at an off-campus party. EMU officially retired the "Hurons" mascot and the "Indian" head logo in 1991 but the symbols returned to the band uniforms in 2012. Get the Story:
Justice Department hears concerns from EMU's Native American student group on Hurons logo (The Ypsilanti Courier 6/9)
Hurons logo, harassment prompt meeting at EMU (The Detroit News 6/5)
Memo shows steps taken by Eastern Michigan University after alleged racist incident (The Ypsilanti Courier 4/29)
Native American group holds protest at EMU following racial incident (Mlive 4/22)
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