INDIAN REMAINS A POSSIBLE SEMO MASCOT; COMMITTEE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO COME UP WITH SUGGESTION

An Indian mascot for Southeast Missouri State University could be appropriate if the costume is authentic looking and mirrors the type of clothing that would have been worn by Indians in the region, the school's president said Thursday.

"An Indian is still an option," said the university president, Dr. Dale Nitzschke. "It depends on how we want to define mascot."

Nitzschke said the university doesn't want to adopt "some sort of silly character" as an Indian mascot. "It would have to be culturally accurate," he said.

Nitzschke said American Indians have told school officials they don't have a problem with an Indian mascot as long as the school is committed to understanding and respecting Native American culture.

The university traditionally had Indian mascots in Chief Sagamore and Princess Otahki. The school has been without a mascot for a number of years even though its athletic teams continue to be called the Indians and Otahkians.

A university committee appointed by Nitzschke spent much of last year searching for a mascot and has been unable to come up with one. The committee recommended the school not return to the traditional Indian chief and princess mascots. Some have suggested those mascots are insensitive to Native American culture.

Committee members recommended keeping the Indian and Otahkian nicknames for the athletic teams. Students, alumni and the booster club have been adamant that the school refer to its men's teams as Indians and its women's teams as Otahkians.

Otahkians refers to Princess Otahki, a Cherokee woman who died on the Trail of Tears near Cape Girardeau.

Nitzschke said he isn't ready to give the committee a deadline to find a mascot or disband. "I want to make absolutely certain that I am reading the tea leaves properly," Nitzschke said.

Students had suggested a mascot could boost school spirit at athletic events.

Last May the committee recommended to the president that the school adopt a sun figure as its mascot, but then scrapped the recommendation because it couldn't find a suitable costume.

Committee members said the sun costumes looked like flower petals or smiley faces.

The committee then suggested an eagle mascot, but that proposal crashed last November after the Student Government received a petition signed by 400 students opposing the idea.

Some students and alumni have expressed support for returning to an Indian mascot.

The committee hasn't met this semester, and committee chairman Jim Biundo, assistant to the president for university relations, said he doubts the committee will meet this semester. "It is just on hold," he said.

Nitzschke said he doesn't expect the university to settle on a mascot until next year at the earliest, explaining that the university needs to take the time to make the right decision.

Still, Nitzschke said the university has benefited from the mascot discussion because the university wants to do a better job of educating students and others on the region's Indian heritage.

Whatever mascot is chosen, it won't please everyone, Nitzschke said.