SW Oregon school district reaches mascot deal with tribe

ROGUE RIVER, Ore. (AP) – Rogue River High will remain the Chieftains.

The Grants Pass Daily Courier reports (http://bit.ly/2oyqXiu ) the school board last week ratified an agreement that allows the school to keep the mascot.

The decision comes after two years of negotiations between the school district in southwestern Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

The agreement beats a July 1 deadline set by the Oregon Department of Education that requires schools to retire Indian-themed sports mascots. An exception is granted for schools that get approval from one of the state’s nine tribes.

The agreement stipulates that the Rogue River School District will include further Native American history in its fourth- and eighth-grade curriculum.