Just this week the Maine Senate took the courageous step and voted to ban the use of Native American symbols as mascots. This followed passage of a similar bill last week by the Maine House. It is courageous only because both bodies waited until all of the schools in Maine had decided to stop the use of such mascots. 

It was time to make this change. The last school in Maine to still use a Native American mascot was mired in debate for the last couple of years. Their move allows them to move onto more important topics. This got me to thinking, however, about the mascots that are used by other Maine schools, both high schools and colleges, and what might be lurking in their symbolism. 

Many of the area school teams have animals as their mascot. What could possibly go wrong with a cute and cuddly, plush animal cheering your team to victory. I am sure that you are envisioning right now a large costume running up and down the sidelines with an oversized head and a mesh face. 

Of the local teams you have Falcons and Eagles. Strong birds of prey, at least on the hardwood and fields of Freeport and Topsham. Ever ready to swoop in for a play. 

You have the greyhound in Lisbon. A greyhound is a great mascot, however if you are looking to win championships a greyhound is always chasing the rabbit and never gets to catch it. Right? 

You have a school with a Narwhal as their mascot. And let’s be honest for a moment, what is more fearsome than an animal that can stab you in the face when it tires of your antics. 

There are of course our home town dragons. The mascot that roams the sidelines at football games is a nice caricature, but you have to be careful of dragons. As Game of Thrones has taught nearly everyone in Maine, dragons can be pretty doggone fierce. 

On the non-animal side you even have the Shipbuilders. A proud legacy to be sure. Unfortunately, in a fit of rivalry, I, and several of my high school teammates, may or may not have substituted a letter in that name once or twice to come up with an entirely new name. I am sure that you can use your imagination. Thankfully, I suppose, the statute of limitations has long since run out so I can come clean on our witty wordplay. 

On the college side of the equation you have some unique names out there. You have Bobcats and Huskies. You have Black Bears and Mules. Mules? Not quite the majestic animal that one thinks of when mascots come to mind but I guess the school was going for the work ethic angle or something. 

There is even a school that calls themselves the Nor’ Easters. Now, if there is any truth to symbolism, it would seem that this school always starts our huffing and puffing but ultimately blows out to sea. Maybe not the best mascot when you are hoping to play all nine innings. 

Right in town we even have the Polar Bear. This one really got me to thinking. Bowdoin College, for all of it desire to be a leader when it comes to reform and social justice has a Polar Bear as their mascot. Seems a little out of place, don’t you think? 

A Polar Bear is a massive animal skilled at living in an inhospitable environment with only itself to depend on. Okay, sounds like the perfect mascot to enter onto a field of friendly battle where a collegiate championship is on the line. But there is something troubling about the mighty Polar Bear, especially when Bowdoin and its inclusiveness ideals are held up to the light. 

A Polar Bear is an animal that must deny who it is to survive. It cannot be open about who it really is on the inside. A Polar Bear cannot be honest with itself, its prey or the outside world. You see the Polar Bear must cover itself with hair that makes the bear appear to be white. 

The Polar Bear has a naturally darkened skin that is not conducive to living in its preferred arctic locations. It gets around this by producing fur that is translucent, but ultimately looks white. The Polar Bear has learned, over time, to adapt to its surroundings in order to fit in and thrive. 

Does Bowdoin suggest that its student body conform to a different set of ideas? 

Is this what Bowdoin really wants? To demonstrate to their student body that you must be someone that you are not in order to survive. That you must change who you are in order to thrive? It does not seem to fit with the social and cultural stands that the college is known to take on the issues of the day. 

The symbolism of the recent decisions to move away from Native American mascots may have been justified. However, if we as a society are going to look at the background of those symbols and decide that they are no longer worthy should we also look at the backgrounds of some of those that remain? If you want to revise history for one, should we revise it for all despite the attachment that one school or one town has for them? 

Jonathan Crimmins can be reached at [email protected]