The longtime Chieftain mascot at Clark Intermediate School in the Clovis Unified School District will remain in place following the consent from a local Native American tribe.
Beginning in July, a new state law will prevent schools from using most Native American terms as mascots, unless approved by a local tribe. The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians, the largest tribe representing Clovis Unified students of Native American descent, authorized the continued use of the mascot, according to the district.
Without tribal support to retain the name until recently, the 1,400-student middle school was on the verge of changing the mascot, the Fresno Bee reported…