A hawk will be the new symbol of Milan Area Schools, the Milan News-Leader reported.
Milan has already removed some Native American imagery. Here, Milan basketball players take on Whitmore Lake in this November 2011 file photo.
The hawk will be the district’s logo, but it will continue to use the name Big Reds for its athletic teams, the newspaper reported.
Although district officials say the Big Reds nickname arose from the use of red uniforms and was not originally associated with Native Americans, images such as a spear and feather and a chief image on the middle school gym floor have become associated with teams over the years.
The district decided last year to drop all Native American imagery while keeping the Big Reds name.
The district began looking at the issue after resident James Farrar complained about the use of the images.