Clark Intermediate School in Clovis to remain as the Chieftains after tribal support

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Clark Intermediate's mascot was expected to spot a imperishable alteration connected Friday owed to Assembly Bill 3074, besides known arsenic the California Racial Mascot Act.

"I person to accidental I've been precise appreciative that this process has come, and that this instrumentality was passed due to the fact that it truly did assistance america prosecute successful deeper conversations with our Native American community," Clovis Unified Superintendent Dr. Corrine Folmer said.

Clovis Unified was moving to alteration the mascot by July 2026.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Clark Intermediate is changing its mascot aft 50+ years

The bill, which was passed successful September of 2024, prohibits schools from utilizing immoderate derogatory Native American presumption to correspond a pupil assemblage successful the state.

Dr. Folmer invited vice seat Fred Beihn from the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to talk astatine the committee meeting.

Doctor Folmer says the people reached retired erstwhile they heard of the imaginable mascot sanction change.

Ultimately, the Native American people showed enactment to Clovis Unified and Clark Intermediate.

"I'm present contiguous connected behalf of our tribe, arsenic a federally recognized tribe, to enactment keeping the sanction Chieftain," Beihn said.

North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians, which is the largest section people represented by Clovis Unified students of Native American descent, offered the schoolhouse territory a written connection successful favour of keeping the name.

Beihn added determination are generations from the people who attended Clark Intermediate.

"We admit Chieftain to beryllium a prideful term. And Chieftains are noble leaders. And it's a large time to beryllium a Chieftain," Beihn said.

District leaders accidental enactment from the federally recognized people eliminates the request to alteration the sanction of Clark Intermediate's mascot per AB 3074.

The committee was considering Cougars for the school's sanction change, which would've aligned with its feeder school, Clovis High.

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