Longtime mascot benched SPORTS: Amid a debate about sensitivity to Indian culture, San Diego State drops Monty Montezuma. 08/15/2002 By BRADLEY WEAVER

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE SAN DIEGO - Students returning to San Diego State University next month will do so without the school's bare-chested, spear-throwing Aztec mascot.

The controversial Monty Montezuma was banished from campus after Indian groups called him culturally offensive and a committee was unable to agree on a replacement for the 60-year-old figure.

"A mascot is intended to be an appropriate, unifying, spirt-raising symbol of the university," university President Stephen Weber said. "To date, we have been unable to develop a mascot that meets these criteria."

So instead of rallying the crowd Sept. 14 at the first home football game, Monty has joined the ranks of dethroned team mascots.

Under intensive pressure by Indian groups and others, sports teams across the country have reexamined Indian-themed logos. Major league baseball's Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians, and the NFL's Washington Redskins have staunchly resisted the pressure, but many publicly funded schools and universities have revamped logos and replaced mascots in an effort to be sensitive to American Indians.

San Diego State University scrapped its mascot and its logo, in favor of the new logo.

One of the biggest supporters of the change is the National Congress for American Indians. Its president, W. Ron Allen, calls the use of Indian mascots "a national insult."

Stanford University, San Bernardino Valley College, Highland's Serrano Middle School and Rialto Middle School have all come under fire for their Warrior and Indian mascots and have replaced them with new ones. The Los Angeles Unified School District banned Indian-themed mascots in 1997.

Cahuilla input

Some school leaders are making their mascots more historically accurate. In the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs High School administrators worked with leaders of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to make their school's Indian logo reflective of the Cahuilla people, who didn't wear feathers in their hair.

"We still get letters from the national Indian coalitions to change our name, but the local Cahuilla people have always been very supportive of us," Assistant Principal Chris Calderwood said.

The debate reached a boiling point last spring when the Assembly shot down a measure that would have banned Indian mascots from California public schools. The bill, by Los Angeles Democrat Jackie Goldberg, may be brought back for consideration.

Some San Diego State students say they will miss watching Monty throw a burning spear into the grass of the 50-yard line during football games. Others are pleased by the move, or at least indifferent.

"A mascot prancing around in a loincloth is a mockery of the Aztec culture," 21-year-old student Ryan Schilling said. "A lot of people were uncomfortable with the old mascot and it needed to change."

New logo

San Diego State University has been without a mascot since fall 2001, when members of the Native American Student Alliance deemed Monty Montezuma offensive. The student group also complained about the use of Aztecs as the campus nickname.

In January, university officials compromised with students by creating a historically accurate Montezuma, an ambassador who visits San Diego-area schools to teach students about Aztec culture. Ambassador Montezuma was not meant to replace Monty.

But the changes didn't stop there.

The university recently spent $40,000 to design a new logo to replace one that depicted a red-faced Aztec warrior. Another $100,000 is earmarked to phase in the new images.

School officials unveiled the new logo this month with the lettering SD State and a spear running through it. Secondary logos include an eagle warrior and a shield.

Student reactions

Students at the campus bookstore last week said there is little left of the Monty Montezuma legacy. Traces of the red-faced warrior are also vanishing from notebooks, T-shirts, ties and baseball caps as new merchandise is introduced.

Many students like Enrique Bosquet are opposed to the change.

"This is political correctness gone amok," said Bosquet, a 26-year-old who grew up in Mexico. "I've never felt offended by our old logos or that Monty Montezuma somehow put down or misrepresented my culture. Anyway, the mascot's job is to entertain, not to represent a culture."

Aerick Sanders, a junior who plays on the university's basketball team, says he isn't ashamed to wear shorts that depict the old logo.

"The logo might upset people with Indian heritage, but deep down inside we're all a little upset, even a little embarrassed, by the changes," he said.

The school's Aztec tradition will stay strong despite Monty's departure and the creation of new logos, said Jack Beresford, university spokesman.

"The sports teams will wear the new logos and the campus architecture is still tied to the Aztecs," he said. "The tradition goes much deeper than the mascot or the school name."

Steve Schnall, athletics director of marketing and promotions, sat on the committee to find a new mascot. Although the group has since been disbanded and the mascot issue sidelined, Schnall doesn't expect Monty's absence will have much effect on teams' performance.

In fact, university sports teams enjoyed a banner season without Monty. Perhaps most notable is the men's basketball team that won the Mountain West Conference tournament this spring. The team also made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years.

"Mascots develop the atmosphere at games, but it's just one of many elements of what goes on the field," Schnall said. "At some point, the mascot issue will be picked up again when the timing is right, but right now it's become too sensitive of a matter."

Bradley Weaver can be reached at (909) 587-3138 or bweaver@pe.com