Montville High School, Mohegan Tribe hold discussions regarding mascot bill
Jul. 23—MONTVILLE — Discussions are ongoing between Montville High School officials and the Mohegan Tribe after a recently passed budget bill would allow $1.4 million in funding to be withheld from the school for the use of a Native American-related name.
Montville is one of a dozen towns in the state identified as still having teams with Native American-related names or mascots. The bill states cities and towns have until June 2024 to inform the state Office of Policy and Management of intent to change the names and mascots, or get written permission from tribes to keep them. Otherwise, the municipalities will lose funding from the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan fund starting in June 2023.
Superintendent Laurie Pallin said representatives from the tribe, Montville Public Schools Board of Education and the town government have been discussing the use of the name "Indian" by the high school for the past several years, even before the recent legislation.
"Our talks are still ongoing," she said in an email, "We are committed to reaching a mutual understanding and engaging all stakeholders in the process of ensuring that the Montville High School identity is respectful of our longstanding relationship with the Mohegan Tribe."
Pallin declined to comment further on their conversations, as she said they will remain between the two communities until they jointly decide to share them. However, she added the school is prepared to make changes if that is the decision they reach.
Chief Marilynn Malerba did not respond to a request for comment.
Last year in a statement to The Day, Malerba wrote, "the term 'Indians' in and of itself is not derogatory or inflammatory. In this instance it is simply recognition of the first inhabitants of this land. There has been open dialogue between the Mohegan Tribe and school administrators intermittently regarding this issue."
