I am a proud alumna of John Burroughs High School. My alma mater, established in 1948 in Burbank, California, was named after naturalist John Burroughs and unfortunately dubbed the "Indians" as the mascot. For 72 years this racist symbol has appeared on the school's buildings, yearbooks, and website: https://www.burbankusd.org/jbhs. The name has been challenged many times over the years, including in 2004 when I attended. It is time once again to broach this issue. If this name was an attempt at a tribute to the people whose land the school was built on (https://native-land.ca/) it is not the tribute they want or deserve.

For decades there has been a move to eradicate racist "Indian" mascots in professional sports (http://www.ncai.org/proudtobe) and at K-12 schools around the nation, and John Burroughs High School is well behind the curve. No one's culture should be used as a mascot, and it's time to choose something else to represent JBHS and its student population. As Indigenous community members have requested of the school repeatedly, this mascot needs to make an immediate change.

This petition does not suggest an alternative mascot for John Burroughs High School at this time; we trust that the current student body would be the best at deciding on a mascot that aligns with the values that John Burroughs High School should be upholding. In the spirit of John Burroughs' naturalist roots, we hope for a name respectful of our community, ALL of its members, and the earth.

Thank you for your support!

JBHS Alumni (Members of the graduating class of 2004)