In an email, Interim President Kim Schatzel announced that Eastern Michigan University will be removing the Hurons logo from its band uniforms.
The Hurons logo was replaced with the Eagles in 1991. In 2012, President Emeritus Susan Martin resurrected the logo on EMU's band uniforms. Recently, there has been a push from the Native American community to remove the logo. At the June 16 Board of Regents meeting, members of the community spoke before Martin asking her to remove the logo, and rallied outside after the meeting. Martin did not agree to change the logo before officially stepping down July 7.
"My major concern with the logo was that it's using a stereotypical image of a whole race of people," said Christopher Sutton, a senior at EMU, treasurer of the Native American Student Organization and one of the community members who spoke at the regents meeting. "It's dehumanizing."
Sutton said that many people do not know that "Hurons" is not actually the name of a tribe, but rather a derogatory term given by the French and meaning "wild pigs."
"Having the logo removed makes Natives feel more welcome," Sutton said. "It's not just a Native issue. When one person suffers, everyone does. When we create an environment that's inclusive, everyone can prosper."
"The university will be purchasing new uniform jackets with no logos nor symbols other than the block 'E,' which will continue to be on the outside of the jacket," the email from Schatzel said.
The cost to remove the logo will come from the EMU Foundation's donated funds, and will not cost students, the email said.
