After review, Anderson school district ends ‘peace pipe’ routine

ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) — A central Indiana school district that adopted a Native American mascot nearly a century ago has dropped a basketball pregame routine where students dressed as American Indians performed a “peace pipe” ceremony.

The Anderson Community Schools’ athletic teams will continue to use the Indians name and logo, but the pipe routine performed before Anderson High School’s basketball games was eliminated immediately under recommendations unanimously approved Tuesday by school board members.

The district’s superintendent proposed the changes after a task force reviewed how it represents the city of Anderson’s Native American history. That review came after a widely-viewed video posted to TikTok in February showed the pregame routine.