Roaring with anticipation, students at Alta Loma High in Rancho Cucamonga packed the school gymnasium, eager to find out their new mascot at a school-wide assembly on Thursday morning, March 13.
Leading up to the big reveal, other mascots and students from nearby schools assisted in hyping up the crowd. The final two options were projected onto a screen to a steady drum beat. Suddenly, the mascot of a lion emerged, a lion flag waved, as students cheered and streamers rained down.
At Thursday’s unveiling, Alta Loma High principal Jason Kaylor said the community is “excited to have this change” to school culture.
1 of 12
Expand
The school is dropping its original mascot, the Braves, in favor of the large carnivorous cat. The move comes after the passing of the California Racial Mascots Act (AB 3074) which, beginning July 2026, prohibits public schools from using any derogatory Native American term as a school or athletic team name, mascot or nickname, unless it is a public school operated by a Native American tribe or tribal organization.
The high school’s previous mascot had what some called a stereotypical depiction of a Native American warrior inside an arrow silhouette.
After AB 3074 was passed last year, officials received letters from the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, members of the local Tongva/Gabrielino tribes, and Indigenous community members in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, respectfully requesting the removal of the Braves mascot, according to a school-wide email from Principal Kaylor.
The Chaffey Joint Union High School board of trustees unanimously approved the transition at its December 13, 2024 board meeting.
A mascot committee was formed in December to ensure representation and input from current students, families, staff and alumni, Kaylor said. Community members emphasized that “even well-intentioned representations of Native American culture can perpetuate harmful stereotypes, distort identity, and cause unintended harm.”
“We understand that a school mascot should unify and uplift — not hurt or exclude. While honoring our history is important, we must also respect the lived experiences of Native American communities and uphold the values of belonging and respect that define the Alta Loma High School family,” the email continued. “It is clear that the ‘Braves’ mascot no longer aligns with the environment we strive to create.”
The National Congress of American Indians, which has worked for decades to end the use of unsanctioned Native mascots, said these depictions are “symbols of disrespect that degrade, mock and harm Native people, particularly Native youth.”
As of 2024, over 2,000 schools were using Indigenous mascots, research showed.
An ethical debate about changing Alta Loma High’s mascot had been a topic of conversation for years, said alumna Taige Mitchell.
Mitchell has worked at the school as an advisor for the Associated Student Body (ASB) for the last five years. She said the discussion around the athletics team name and mascot has been around since she graduated over 10 years ago.
“We do need to move forward, but we want to move forward in a way that represents us, our school culture, our community, and that unites us all,” she said.
Mitchell said it’ll take some adjusting, but the “Braves spirit” of resiliency, leadership and working together as a community will remain.
“Out of respect to the (Native American) culture, we haven’t been using a mascot for 10 years,” said Samantha Kettle, Alta Loma’s activities director. “We’re so excited to be able to have a sense of belonging and have a physical mascot in use again.”
Kettle and the ASB department are working with school administration to implement new mascot changes across campus. Rebranding the athletic uniforms, the gymnasium and outside emblems — from Braves to Lions — is likely going to cost millions, Kettle estimated.
Officials hope to retire the old Braves mascot in the spring and fully implement it by summer, in time for fall sports.
Principal Kaylor said that the school’s gym had been modernized in the last few years, so any former logos on the walls above the stands were removed during that time.
Alta Loma students also suggested and designed mascot logos, with ideas like the Broncos, Hawks and Bobcats. In February, the students got to nominate and vote from a list of top 15.
Students’ designs will guide the school’s official new Lions logo, expected to be completed in April, Kaylor said.
At Thursday’s lively rally, the community got a first look at the new Alta Loma Lions package — a mascot, student-designed logo, plus a new promo video — and received lanyards donning the new Lions name.
Some were excited and recognized the need for change, while others were sad to leave behind what they’ve known.
“I’m kind of sad because I’ve been here so long and wanted to graduate as a Brave, and now I won’t,” said junior Jaya Caravantes. “But I respect how it makes people feel to see something like our old logo and mascot.”
Caravantes said she voted for one of the runner-up mascots, a Bronco.
But Diego Alcala, a junior at nearby Colony High School, called the transition a “positive impact” for Native Americans.
“They’ll feel that the school is adapting to the future, which is important,” Alcala, 16, said.
In nearby Fontana, A.B. Miller High changed its mascot last year to shed Confederate imagery.
Two Riverside schools — Norte Vista High, also the Braves, and Arizona Middle School, the Apaches — changed some Native American imagery over the last year. Like at Alta Loma High, school administrators were debating changing the mascots.
Mitchell, the alumna, said the move was about “embracing the change that needed to happen.”
“It’s special to have a mascot that can represent the next generation.”
Originally Published:
